Night Hoops

by Carl Deuker

Nick Abbott and Trent Dawson have nothing in common but basketball. It's sophomore year and Nick is trying to deal with his parents' divorce. He also really wants to be a star on the basketball team. Trent, his neighbor, is angry, and aggressive. The two form an uneasy bond as they quietly practice each night on Nick's backyard basketball court. But as the basketball season progresses, their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. In this story of an unlikely bond, Carl Deuker explores the confusing place between loneliness and friendship, between faithfulness and betrayal. Filled with gripping game play, this is a story about choices.

While trying to prove that he is good enough to be on his high school's varsity basketball team, Nick must also deal with his parents' divorce and the erractic behavior of a troubled classmate who lives across the street.

Genres: Sports, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Friendship, Family

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2000

Reviews

[Marvelous · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorites. I haven't read it in a while so I decided to re-read it and I remembered why. First of all, Nick is such a likable kid. I love characters who have a real passion in life and Nick's is basketball. He works hard at it. He dreams about it. His dad also loves it but over the course of the book Nick learns how to play his own game. Nick and the team have a lot of growing to do and you really experience those growing pains.

It's a simply narrated book but still powerful. I especially like reading for the descriptions of the basketball games. Some of the ways that Nick describes the shots are pure poetry. It must be hard to write basketball game action without much repetition but Deuker does it well.

Nick doesn't have an easy road. He achieves his goal of making varsity and then everything falls apart. I was cringing at several points where life is just LOUSY for poor Nick and it broke my heart that his dream just wasn't what he thought it would be. I could truly feel his frustration and disappointment and it kept getting worse. Until it turned around and that was very satisfying the way the story built to the awesome ending.

Most of all, this is a story of friendship and teamwork. That's why I like it so much. Nick's relationship with Trent is the driving force of the book. The way Nick starts out despising and mistrusting him to when he sees a glimmer of hope in the kid and by the end Nick is the only one who can get through to him, who won't give up on him. I love the way they bonded through basketball. The varsity team isn't the closest group of guys which hurt them a lot in the game but they come together later in the book. Not too many books these days focus on friendship and building it between two people and learning how to be a good friend. This book does and that's one reason why I adore it so much because you can really see how much Nick's life is changed through this team.

It's not perfect. The beginning is a bit boring. It's slow to start. But by the middle the story is really going. Also, I'm not a fan of the ending reading it back. It's too abrupt. I mean... I wanna know what Nick's dad said to him after the game, first of all. And I wish the boys would have done more together. Also, I wish there was more about Nick's brother, Scott. What did he think?

Still, in my mind this book remains a true classic and I'm so glad to have it on my Kindle now so I can keep it forever.

[Erin Forson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A point guard has to go with the flow of the game. If that means passing the ball five times in a row to the same player, then that’s what it means. But he’s got to recognize changes in the flow, too, because no game stays the same. It’s as if a team is a river spilling down the mountains, all the water searching for the easiest path.”
Nick’s explanation of the point guard position is poetry in motion. Nick is developing his game as a point guard, and it’s not easy. Held back by the conflict at home between his parents, and fading in the shadow of his older, all-star brother, Scott, Nick is barely hanging on. To make matters worse, his hood neighbor, Trent, is out to get him. But Nick loves basketball, he wants to play, and he fights for a first string spot despite the odds against him. Carl Deuker is a genius! Night Hoops was hard for me to put down, even though I am not a fan of basketball, and I’m certainly not a player. Anyone who reads it will look forward to the action in every game and truly begin to value the talent involved in a solid game of basketball.

[Lydia R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much basketball. Not enough emotional depth. I understand the characters are mostly teenage boys, but almost all of the complex relationships fell to the back burner to basketball.

But to be fair, I don't particularly like basketball. I guess I don't really know what I was expecting.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Nick Abbott wants his father's approval more than anything, but his brother Scott is always first in his father's eyes. Nick's father was a basketball star in high school, and he wants Scott to excel in that sport, but Scott just wants to play his trumpet. Nick's parents decide to go their separate ways, and the divorce is a big psychological problem for Nick, but he is determined to be a star on his high school basketball team and gain his father's approval.

The boy that lives across the street, Trent Dawson, is an angry and disturbed young man who doesn't get along with anyone, but the boys gradually form a tense friendship as they practice in Nick's new backyard basketball court. Nick convinces Trent that he could be an important part of the squad if he would bring his grades up and try out for the team.

Then Trent's brother shoots another boy and Trent feels compelled to go with his brother, who is in hiding. Nick's team is on the verge of a championship season, and with Trent's aggressiveness and Nick's leadership, they could win. Without Trent, the team may falter, and Nick is desperate to convince Trent to stay in school and on the team.

Teen angst and the emotional strain of high school relationships are realistic within NIGHT HOOPS. The excitement and descriptions of the games are well written. Deuker is a master at characterization and delivering a story with escalating suspense as the boys deal with real problems. Even reluctant readers, and especially sports-minded boys, will enjoy this electrifying novel.

[Ian]

This book was perfect for me for many reasons. The first reason was because I could totally and honestly relate to the sports themed plot that took place throughout the entire story. The second reason was because I could relate myself to the characters in the story, and I felt as if i really knew the people that were described, and listed in the book. This was honestly a great book, and I never say that about a book because I dislike reading a great deal. This made me want to go into the library...more. This book was perfect for me for many reasons. The first reason was because I could totally and honestly relate to the sports themed plot that took place throughout the entire story. The second reason was because I could relate myself to the characters in the story, and I felt as if i really knew the people that were described, and listed in the book. This was honestly a great book, and I never say that about a book because I dislike reading a great deal. This made me want to go into the library, and check out another sports fiction novel that I could relate to. I loved this book, and would recommend it to any sports fan who is interested in the game of basketball. 5 out of 5 stars

[Grant]

Good book read a bunch over the weekend

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid book. it was easy but still a fun book to read

[Rylee Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response: I really liked this book. I was able to connect to it because it was about basketball. Even though I never got pulled out of a varsity game and never had to sit a practice because of a mistake I made, I was still able to make personal connections with the sport.

Plot Summary: Night Hoops had a ton of main events. The book was all about Nick’s life during basketball. He loved the sport and would give up anything just to play it. He had a pretty good start to his sophomore year of school and basketball, but things started to go downhill after a few weeks. He lost confidence in himself. His parents got a divorce, so his dad left giving Nick no one to play basketball against at night. His mom cared more about Scott and his band than Nick and basketball. Nick started to give up in school and he didn’t try at basketball practices anymore after all that happened. His dad got mad at him because he was working so hard and he was going to get that varsity spot, but now he lost it all. Nick’s coach came up to him one day at practice and asked him what was going on. His coach wasn’t happy with him, so Nick went home that night and thought about his choices. He started working harder on his homework and he asked one of his teammates to come over at night so he could shot hoops. Nick changed a lot, but one of his teammates didn't. Trent had a rough life. His parents were never there for him and his brother Scott was always getting in trouble with the cops. Trent always dragged himself into his brothers problems and he never did his school work. He lost out on a lot with basketball too. A major event that happened in the book that messed things up for Nick and Trent was when Scott shot a guy for revenge. Scott pulled Trent into it so people thought that Trent did it when it was all Scott’s fault. Nick got put in charge of watching Trent after the word spread that Trent did it because the basketball team needed Trent. He was a huge key to the team, and without him they weren’t going to win many games. Trent ran away to try to help his brother because he felt bad, but he dug himself a bigger hole then. People started to think of him different, and he wasn’t able to play for a while too because of his choices. Nick felt bad for Trent and he tried to help in anyway possible, but nothing was working. Once Trent left, the team got worse everyday. They lost a lot of games and Nick wasn’t getting to play a lot because without Trent coach didn’t put him in. Trent finally came back and Nick talked some sense into him to make him stay. Trent knew that he just had to give up on his brother, there was no way he was going to change his brothers choices. A lot of good things happened once Trent came back. The basketball team started to win a lot of big games. The biggest game of the season was coming up and the whole team was there. Trent and Nick got to start because of their great teamwork and hard work. To find out if they won the big game read the book.

Characterization: There were a couple of main characters in this book. The book was mostly about Nick Abbott, though. He was a sophomore with a lot of determination and dedication towards the game of basketball. All he worried about the summer before school started was playing basketball on the varsity team. He worked hard everyday to get that spot and he deserved it. A few things changed throughout the school year that gave him a hard time on reaching his dream. Another main character in the book was Trent Dawson. He always got into trouble at school and at home. His brother Zack didn’t help with Trent’s choices in life because he was always blaming Trent for whatever he got caught for. Trent tried to give up on his brother and leave him, but he always went back. At the end of the book he finally came back and stayed because he realized that he actually had a good life once his brother was gone and wasn’t in his life anymore.

Setting: Night Hoops took place in Seattle, Washington during modern times. Nick was either behind his house on his basketball court his dad made for him or at Bothell High School in Seattle. The book took place during Nick’s high school years in the 2000s.

Thematic Connection: There were a lot of themes in Night Hoops. The main theme was that one individual can’t win a team sport by themself. Teamwork is how a team reaches goals and wins. Another main theme that was in the book was never judge a person by how they act, how they look, or their family background. Every person is unique in a special way. It’s just like don’t judge a book by its cover. Meet a person from the inside not from the outside.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to middle schoolers and older. It is an easier read and it always keeps the reader thinking what is going to happen next. It is also very easy to make connections with it even if it isn't about basketball. I gave this book a five out of five stars because it always kept me thinking what was going to happen and the whole time I was reading it I was able to make connections.

[Cole Hudziak]

Cole Hudziak
English 12-2
Realistic Fiction
Night Hoops
Personal Resopose: I read the book called Night Hoops. It was a very good book and I enjoyed reading it. I like sports so I find an interest in reading books having sports involved with them.
Plot: Nick Abbot is a regular teenager who loved sports. His older brother who was two years older than him had the perfect body to play basketball. Nick did not have the greatest body to play basketball. He was short and kind of stocky but he did give his best effort all the time. His dad was really big into basketball and pushed his brother really hard to get better at basketball. Nick’s father never really paid attention to him as much as he did with his brother. His brother was not really interested in basketball either. Everytime Nick’s dad took him to play basketball, he would try his best to impress his dad. His parents started fighting and they eventually got a divorce. That crushed Nick and his brother. His brother quit basketball and did not play anymore. He was more into his trumpet than he was playing basketball anymore. He did not have the passion like Nick did. Nick had a neighbor who was troubled and his name was Trent. Trent also had an older brother who had a bad rep. He was getting into a lot of trouble with the authorities, and Trent was getting a lot of flack for it. He was good kid, but he needed somebody to be with him when he was going through the hard times. Nick started to hang out with him more and they became good friends. They played basketball every night in Nick’s backyard. They started to work really well together and developed good team skills together. They ended up making the varsity team and got some good playing time. They did not start the first few games, but they ended up starting after they proved to coach they had really good personal talent. They also had really good chemistry together and knew how to play as a team. The other kids who they replaced were both older. They were not happy they got replaced with sophomores. They ended up going to the playoffs and then to the championship game. Trent and Nick were really happy they got that far only as sophomores. They were really excited to see what the other years had in store for them.
Characterization: The main characters in this book were Nick and Trent. Nick loved basketball and so did Trent. They were good friends, because they both had a passion for the sport. Trent was in a troubled family and Nick was not. Nick was fortunate enough to have a basketball hoop in his backyard, and he can shoot whenever he wants.
Setting: This novel takes place around the 1990’s near a small town in Bothell, Washington. The reader can tell that it takes place back then just because of the dialogue with the characters. Trent had an older brother that was troubled. Word got around town fast and the other kids started to think he was also a bad person as well.
Thematic Connection: In this book, Nick wanted to start on the varsity basketball team. He got on the team but he did not make very many friends. His neighbor Trent was going through some tough times. He was a troubled kid and Nick wanted him to feel like he had friends. Nick started to hang out with Trent more. The theme would be to never judge the book by its cover. Just because Trent had a troubled family does not mean he is too.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any gender, ages high school and up. It had some harsh language. It was a higher reading level book, and some of the content might be harder for younger people to understand.

[Michael S]

Personal Response:
Night Hoops was a book that I did not want to stop reading once I started. I liked it because I could relate to this book through basketball. The main character reminded me of myself because we both got brought up to varsity earlier than other kids. I struggled at first like Nick did, but I got used to it. Nick and Trent reminded me of Levi and I because we both can get a rhythm going and we both know when we want the ball.

Plot Summary:
Night Hoops was about a young boy named Nick who loved to play basketball. Nick's dad and brother both played basketball. Nick's dad almost went to play in college but scouts stopped looking at him. Nick´s older brother decided he wanted to quit and focus on playing the trumpet for the school band. Nick's neighbor Trent also liked to play basketball but his family reputation was not the best. Trent's mom bounced around from guy to guy and his brother got into a lot of trouble with the law. Trent started to become a good kid once he joined the basketball team and became friends with Nick. Trent's brother got himself in a lot of trouble and wanted Trent to run away with him once he knew he was going to be safe. Trent stayed playing basketball until he got the word. Trent had a choice to go meet his brother or to stay and play for the last game.

Characterization:
Nick was a freshman who loved to play basketball. He worked on his game to become a starting varsity player. Nick would practice late into the night working on his shot and his dribbling skills. Nick would also shot around with Trent, his neighbor. Trent never played actual basketball for a team but he did play pick up games at public basketball courts. He was a bad kid until he started to hang out with Nick, who helped turn his life around.

Setting:
This book took place in two main places. One part was at Nick's house where Trent lived across the street from him. Trent started using Nick´s basketball court and that is where they found their connection with each other. The other part of this book to place at Bothell High, which is where Nick and Trent go to school. Trent struggled in school but with the help of Nick, he got back on track so he could play basketball. Nick and Trent both played for the varsity basketball team at Bothell High.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to any high schooler or middle schooler who likes to play sports. This book showed me what being a teammate is and how I should respect every player on the team. It also shows how I should treat someone who has a harder life than mine. This book shows a lot about friendship because of how some people judge people just by how they look and what other people say instead of actually getting to know them.

[CHRIS YOUNG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
The book, Night Hoops, was very interesting, because Nick and Trent were very different. They came from different backgrounds, so it made it much more interesting. It was also relatable, because it was about basketball. Nick had the same school habits as me. I really liked how detailed the basketball games were, because it made me feel like I played the game with Nick and Trent.

Plot:
The beginning of the book took place in high school where Trent and Nick fought for a spot on the varsity basketball team. Trent struggled with his grades and his behavior. He developed a passion for basketball, so he worked harder on his grades. Nick’s parents got divorced and it was hard on him, because he was not used to seeing them apart. Nick’s dad did not pay much attention to him, because he gave all the attention to his older brother, Scott. Nick and Trent were neighbors and they formed a bond through basketball. They practiced every night, in secret, on Nick’s backyard court. The bond grew stronger. Nick played great the first couple of games, but he started to take the game into his own hands. He became a ball hog, which the coach did not like. Coach decided Nick should play JV and lost all the games for everyone. Nick learned the fundamentals of basketball very quickly, because he did not like playing JV. Trent and Nick became the dominating duo on the basketball court. Trent had the right attitude and Nick had the passion to win games.

Characterization:
There were many characters in Night Hoops. The main character was Nick Abbott. He was a very great basketball player, but he did not like school. His parents got divorced and his brother was always with his girlfriend. His brother was Scott Abbott. Scott used to love basketball until his dad pushed it onto him. Trent was Nick’s neighbor. Trent was a major troublemaker. He smoked and did some terrible things. Luke was Nick’s best friend. Luke and Nick had their differences but figured things out once Nick passed the ball more. Nick was the point guard. Luke was the shooting guard.

Setting:
Night Hoops took place during the 2000’s. Everything was modernized and the game was played the modern way. Nick spent a lot of time in his backyard, the Harris Park Court, and at school. He went to school at Bothell High School. He lived and went to school in the suburbs of Seattle.

Theme:
The theme of this book was the theme of selfishness. I picked the theme of selfishness because Nick was a selfish person on the basketball court. He eventually realized he needed to pass the ball in order to play varsity. Nick was also pretty selfish outside of basketball too. He wanted his dad to himself. He never wanted his dad to talk to Scott. He got over that and became a much brighter kid.


Recommendation:
I recommend this book to all teens who play basketball. If I had to pick what gender, I would pick guys around the age of 18 who love basketball. I rated this book a five out of five stars because of all the great detail and awesome action.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response
I really liked this book because it had a lot of good events happen throughout. The book kept me intrigued and wanting to read the rest. It also had a good amount of details about the characters, such as how the main character made the varsity team. I also liked how the novel was fast paced instead of dragging on through the season.

Plot
It started with Nick beating his neighbor, Trent, in a one on one game. Then Nick’s father surprised Nick and his brother by putting a basketball court in their backyard. Once the court was put in, Scott and their dad were shooting around and talked about school. After they shot hoops, they went inside and ate dinner. Once the school year started, Scott told his dad that he was not playing basketball this year. On Nick’s first day, he made Trent mad and then he waited for him after school. After school Nick tried avoiding Trent, but Trent found him. He started fighting him. Throughout the year, Nick made the second string varsity and eventually became a starter. One day after school, Nick went home and found out his parents were getting a divorce. Nick and Trent became good friends through basketball. Towards the end of the season, the team finally started winning games because of Trent. Before the last game of the season, Trent got in trouble with the cops and did not play. During the final game, they played badly but came back in the second half. Nick threw a pass to his teammate who hit a buzzer beater for the win in their final game.

Characterization
Nick did not change much except the way he played the game of basketball. In the beginning of the season, he tried to take a buzzer beater but missed. At the end, instead of him trying to win the game he passed it off and his teammate won it. He also changed by becoming friends with the person who wanted to beat him up.

Setting
The book took place in Bothell, Washington, which is important because that is where Nick played high school basketball. Bothell is a poor town that had a lot of crime. I assume the book was in the 1990’s, because the main character goes to a Sonics game.


Trent changed a lot throughout, especially when it came to the basketball team. At the start of the season, Trent ball hogged and wanted to start fights with his teammates. Towards the end of the book, his teammates and he became friends and relied on each other to win the final games. Trent also changed when it came to school, because he went from failing to passing as the season started.

Scott had one major change, which came in the beginning when he told his dad he was not joining basketball. He wanted to play basketball before his senior year, but instead he joined the jazz band. At the end of the book, he hated Trent even though they were good friends a year before.

Recommendation
I recommend this book to boys, because the main characters is relatable. I would recommend this book to high schoolers because of the language throughout. I recommend this book to sports fans because it will keep the reader intrigued. I gave it a four out of five stars.

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Will be buying several copies for the keen basketball beans at the library.

Great storyline coupled with PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES of 🏀 talk, which meant absolutely nothing to me but will mean everything to the right reader.

So pleased to have discovered this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CW: animal harm, domestic abuse

[Kaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Hoops is one of my favorite sportsbooks. I like this book cause it reminds me of Basketball. This book helped me in life by teaching me the concept, "no matter how hard it is it's worth it." The kid in this book worked very hard and fought for what he wanted. At the end he finally got it. Even though he worked super hard he thought it was worth it and he would do it again. Any time I get stressed out about sports I remember this and I push through the problem.

[Spencer Belanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good felt like i was in the book

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book with good messages, shocks, suprises, and lots of basketball.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young high school student that overcomes his challenges and becomes a better basketball player through hard work and dedication. I really liked this book because basketball relates to me, and it shows how to overcome some challenges in life. I would recommend this book to all of the appropriate qualifiers.

[Holden Hupfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Night Hoops is about a kid who loves basketball. His dad is all ways pushing him to do his best. He all ways tries to get his brother to play but hes all ways bust with school. His dad puts up a basketball hoop up in his back yard and him and his brother begin to get close because they all ways play. His brother ends up playing basketball and his dad ends up spending more time with his older brother than him. So he keeps on putting in the work and eventually he beats his older brother. I would recommend this book to you if you enjoy sport books.

[Isaac Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read was Night Hoops by Carl Deuker. It is a story about two completely different boys coming together to become best friends and working hard to become starters for the varsity basketball team and winning the conference championship for the first time in school history.

I think Dueker wrote this book because he wanted people to see that everyone is not the way they seem, like Trent for example, he is not a bad kid like his brother or a terrible person like his mom. He is thought to be like that because he lives with a family where the dad is in prison, the mom is an alcoholic who is always being brought home by the police, and his older brother is a criminal who murdered a little boy for calling the cops on him. But he is just a kid who wants to be a kid but because of his family he does not know how to talk to others and be nice to them.

The theme of the book is don't judge a book by it's cover. Trent Dawson is a misunderstood kid. He was partially blamed for a murder that his brother had committed. No one would ever give him a chance because of his family's history. But Nick would let him shoot hoops in his back yard because he had no other place to do it. Eventually he would play Trent one on one every night before it got dark outside. After awhile they became best friends. So this story is a good example of don't judge a book by it's cover because Nick was the only person to give Trent a chance when no one else would.

This story is a description because it is describing how these two boys went from hating each other to becoming best friends and being the best players on the team as sophomores. It describes how they were nothing and they became something big.

I loved this book. I like that it is a sports book. I love sports books, especially this one because it tells how these two kids went from not eve playing to being the best players on the team. What I did not like about the story is that everyone thought Trent Dawson was such a horrible kid when he really wasn't if you got to know him, he was just caught in bad situations. I don't think that I would change anything about this book because it is probably my favorite book. This book is kind of similar to Summer Ball.

Overall Night Hoops is an amazing book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good sports book.

[Nathan Masacek]

Overall this book was Good. The Book that I read is Night Hoops by Carl Deuker. This book is about a boy named Nick Abbott. Nick Is an average kid and loves to play the sport basketball. While juggling school and other things like him and his brother constantly fighting over the littlest of things, It makes it hard to even do what he loves. That is of course play basketball. Other than that Nick has a pretty average life dealing with minor issues, yet some major at times. Nick gets pulled into an inconsiderable group of friends, making poor choices, Nick has to decide if he should stay or go. His dad wants him safe and not to be with the group. Nick's dad recently has been more involved in Nick's life.
This book wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, it followed the typical young basketball player style which was good, But I truly wanted something new. This book was just like Crossover, Making most things typical and very expected. For an example, Nick gets In some trouble with his new friends and has to make the right choice to either turn his friend in, And something very similar happens in Crossover. Yet if this was your first book that you read about basketball, I think It would be very good.
One other thing I didn’t like that in the book, It made Basketball feel like just a small part of the book, and not more of the subject. I felt like the book was more about Nick's life and not basketball, yet it was still interpreted. There is some good in this book though, I enjoyed how Nick made some poor choices and had to figure them out. This was a good part of the book. I liked how he worked very hard in basketball dealing with snotty teams and trying hard to get where he is at now. I would rate this book a 3 out 5 stars and I would only recommend this to people who like sports and realistic fiction stories. This was one interesting book I’ll say that.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the purpose of this book was that no matter how much you dislike someone you never give up on them or judge them. You have no clue what they have been through with their family or even school. I learned from this book is to not judge anyone and always be nice to someone even if you don't know them. Till you actually get to know them that's when you can think of them and see what they have to go through or what they do on a regular day basis.

The theme of the book is never underestimate someone and always think positive no matter what the situation might be. There's always that one person who has it bad around you weather you know it or not. Even if you don't know the person always have the right mind to them and be polite, even if they are mean to you. You should always give someone a chance no matter what other people say about them.

This book was a narration. I think it is effective because it made me think of every major event that took place in the story. It made me feel like I was right next to the characters when the events were happening and me having a different perspective on it then they do.

This book is the best book that I have ever read. The story is told and can be understood very easily and have a perspective on it in real life. I liked that all the events were realistic. I didn't dislike the book at all. Even though I know other people will have different opinions on the book I loved it. I wouldn't change a thing about this book. It was put together very well. It is similar to a book that I've read before and that's slam. It talks about a guy in jail and then getting out to get a chance to play basketball once again with everyone judging him around.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick makes choices about friendship and basketball
The title of my book is Night Hoops by Carl Decker. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Have you ever had to work insanely hard to achieve a goal in this book Nick has to.The main characters were Nick, Trent, Luke, and Nicks dad. The theme of my story is to never give up on someone even if they have done something bad.
My book first started out at a basketball court, Nick was playing against Trent and Trent was hitting Nick and fouling him hard. Nick's dad had always told Nick to stay away from Trent. Trent is a bad kid his parents are divorced. One day Nicks dad decides to build a basketball court in the backyard. Nick's mom was very mad about the court because her garden was were the court now is. Nicks parents end up getting a divorce just as basketball season is starting. Nick, Luke, and Trent are all freshman and they all made the varsity team. Hoping to improve their record from last year the freshman have to work hard to make a difference on the team.
I really liked this book. I think I would give it a 9/10. My favorite part was when they won six games in a row. Another part that liked was when Trent and Nick become friends.
In conclusion, this was one of the best books I have ever read. I would recommend that you read this great book and all the other books by Carl Decker. This was a very very good book. If you want to read one of the best books of your life then read this book.

[Dmitri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading some of this book it confirmed to me the main character Scott is a basketball nerd. I also mean that as a compliment.

Nick is Scott’s brother, he is pretty funny and clever and his parents are amazing, and funny, they kinda remind me of mine because of what happened at one part of the story. His dad found out that Zach was caught, stealing beer. That is when his mom said, “ stay out of that house if Trent invites you make an excuse of why you can't go over “. While his dad smile said it all. So it would make sense that his memoir is funny and probably contains a lot of things with basketball.

Scott writes about his unusual life, His brothers all love basketball, and how he has his own basketball hoop placed in his backyard. His parents are divorced and he also has to deal with a friend/enemy who is a troublemaker and how they both have nothing in common except basketball.

Even though I haven’t finished the book, my favorite part was the statement Scott made in the book, “ I knew how much mom loved her rose garden, how much time she spent in the summer pruning and raking and checking for black spot and aphids’’. But I wanted that basketball court,too. As it slowly came into existence, I found myself caring less for mom or the rose garden.

The book shows how basketball was a big part of Scott’s life. And I can relate to him because basketball is a big part of my life..

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot I liked is that nick thinks he can win the championship without trent. But he struggles and struggle when it comes to the game he gets nervous. But he has a flashback that reminds him about how he would always play at night with trent but he doesn't know if trent went with his brother out of town hiding from the police.

My favorite character was nick and trent.Nick was a sophomore he loved basketball. He had divorced parents and good grades. He ran the point guard when he played. His personality was hard working.Loyal and generous. Trent Dawson was an aggressive kid he was an aggressive kid he was sometimes quite he was big and strong he played the rebounder. He masters everything on the court. He's not doing good in his academics in school.

The theme of this story probably is to be team work, Nick and his team have to overcome their dislike of each other and grow up and work together. There is always strength by having numbers and working as a team to have team chemistry you will be able to make it far together.

I recommend this book to any sport fan who is interested in the game of basketball. Especially boys that have basketball in there mind all day. I recommend this to any High Schooler to read this book because when they read this book they will look forward to the action in every game they play and begin to value the game of basketball.

[Logand · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Nick Abbott the main character is a sophomore in High School trying to make the basketball team. His dad tries to get his brother to play ball, but he just wants to play the trumpet. Which messes with the family by causing some trouble?

Nick makes the basketball team and plays in the first few games, but Nick keeps messing up. Losing the first three games of the season, and team does not like it. At Christmas time without his dad home Nick can’t go to the games. He is home alone in December and he goes out at Night and shoots ball with his friend Trent Dawson. Then the season takes a turn Nick starts all the games and wins all of them with his friend. Now has a championship for his High School team.

I like the book because it tells how hating someone could end up being your best friend, and all you have to do to win is just passing. This is a book to read for sure.

At the end Trent and Nick walk away as champions and the best players on the team. They play ball every night in a game of one on one, and the friend ship will last forever.

[TyLyn Brown]

The book that I am reading is Night Hoops. The author is Carl Deuker. By reading this book I think that he is a good author and I would like to read more of his books. This book is about a boy named Nick Abbott, he is a very good basketball player and enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Then there is Trent Dawson, Nick doesn't really care for him until something happens to Trent and his bother Zack. This could make them closer or make it to where Nick wants nothing to do with the Dawson's. My favorite part is when Nick faces his big brother and finally proves that he can beat him. If the reader is interested in basketball and can relate to Nick's problems he goes through, then this would be a very good book to read.

[Emily Britton-banes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, one of my favorite reads. I think this book is for a little bit of a younger teen audience, but I've read it a good 10-15 times since the 7th grade. I remember finding it, and not being able to put it down. In general, I find that authors can't exactly mix action-athletics with emotion and pain the way Carl Deuker does. He's been one of my favorites for quite some time and it makes me so glad that so many people like this. Night Hoops is a REAL thing, and it's a touching read for teen boys and really all young adults.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Hoops was an overall amazing book. I didn't expect some of the things but in the beginning i could tell that something huge was going to happen. It was actually really great but you didn't sense the big change of personality in the beginning. you had to really look and understand the character. He was never going to change, but he knew he needed to give a team member a chance, because the team needed him. No matter how bad of a person, the team needed him to be playing. They couldnt win without him.

[Jamie Stoesser]

I have just recently finished this book and I just have too say "wow". Because this story is much more then a boy reaching his goals. It's about a boy Who achieves a friendship that he thought would never happen. This tells me that people can be brought together through sports and common interest. I can relate to this because I have lots of friends Who I have met through sports. I advise any basketball or sports lovers to read this book.

[Terrion Murdix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the book was very interesting cause it was about basketball and a bully it was like to story's in one book but the man character was trent dawson he was the bully and basketball player he was very good at basketball but when he's team was losing he would start cheating and if they say something back to him he would push or try to fight them.