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Hoops by Walter Dean Myers

Written by Danny Reeves

The book Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is about a young man named Lonnie who has some serious talent with the game of basketball. Lonnie has just ended his senior year, and the summer was just beginning. Although he has the talent to make it to the NBA someday, he does not have the attitude or commitment to make it to the big leagues. One day while practicing on a local court, he sees a man who appears to be a washed up drunk on the court. He has many interesting encounters with this man, and soon learns his name is Cal. Cal gets Lonnie to join a team made up to play in a big tournament of champions with college scouts from all across the United States looking on. He then realizes Cal will be coaching this team, and later learns many other fascinating things about the life of Cal. Cal knows he can turn Lonnie into a great player, but Cal is soon haunted by his past. Will the mistakes of Cal's past keep Lonnie from reaching his future dreams? Will Cal make the right decision when it comes to Lonnies basketball career? Can the distractions of alcohol, a violent temper, and his neighborhood friends keep Lonnie from making something out of his self? To find out, read Hoops and see just how far Lonnie can get in his basketball career.

Hoops was a very interesting book, yet recommended for mature readers only. I constantly read about how Lonnie was always drinking, or using foul language, or encountering in sexual activity. Also, I felt the book could be confusing at times as the author did not go into enough detail in many different situations. Also, Hoops was not only about basketball, but the pressures of being a teen and the fact that if you make a mistake earlier in your life, it can affect you the rest of your life. Hoops was also written in the 1980s and takes place in New York. Therefore, it uses a lot of slang that many readers might not understand. Overall, if you are a mature reader who can handle violence, sex, and other pressures of being teen, then I recommend hoops, for it teaches a very good lesson in the end, along with some great play-by-play action of exciting basketball games. If you are not mature enough for the content listed above, I do not recommend Hoops.

Last Updated: December 09, 2004
Yannis Grammatis