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Strong to the Hoop
When James is finally allowed to play basketball on the main court with the older boys, he has to prove he can hold his own. It's Skins against Shirts, and James is guarding Marcus, the biggest Shirt of them all. Marcus is all muscle, but James has skill and determination on his side. In the end, there's much more than the game point riding on James's last shot. John Coy's energetic prose captures the intensity and emotion of the competition, while Leslie Jean-Bart's photo collages convey the gritty pace of the game.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
47 people want to read
About the author
John Coy
40 books46 followers John Coy is the author of young adult novels, the 4 for 4 middle-grade series, and fiction and nonfiction picture books. John has received numerous awards for his work including a Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for best first picture book, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, Notable Book for a Global Society, and the Burr/Warzalla Award for Distinguished Achievement in Children’s Literature. He lives in Minneapolis and visits schools around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 22, 2015
Literature Requirement Notable Books for a Global Society Multi-Genre Research Project
Strong to the Hoop is a picture book written by John Coy and illustrated by Leslie Jean-Bart. Strong to the Hoop is at first glance a story about basketball however once I began to read this book it became much more than that. It starts off with James wanting so badly to be able to play with the older kids basketball game. He has never been asked to play in one of their games before because he is skinny and small in stature. However, when one player from the older kids game is hurt James is granted his opportunity to play. His dream has come true and he is invited to play with the older kids. He is however, still looked down upon and not seen as an equal player in the game. He shakes off the negativity and decides to prove the naysayers wrong as he gains the confidence necessary to go strong to the hoop while the sun beats down on them burning the asphalt they play on. This book has detailed pictures that give life to the words. It flows like a slam poem with action words and vocalizations of frustration highlighted in oranges, reds and violets. This story has a fantastic lesson of perseverance and not to let negative vibes bring you down. You have the confidence and support to accomplish your goals. Recommended for all ages.
Strong to the Hoop is a picture book written by John Coy and illustrated by Leslie Jean-Bart. Strong to the Hoop is at first glance a story about basketball however once I began to read this book it became much more than that. It starts off with James wanting so badly to be able to play with the older kids basketball game. He has never been asked to play in one of their games before because he is skinny and small in stature. However, when one player from the older kids game is hurt James is granted his opportunity to play. His dream has come true and he is invited to play with the older kids. He is however, still looked down upon and not seen as an equal player in the game. He shakes off the negativity and decides to prove the naysayers wrong as he gains the confidence necessary to go strong to the hoop while the sun beats down on them burning the asphalt they play on. This book has detailed pictures that give life to the words. It flows like a slam poem with action words and vocalizations of frustration highlighted in oranges, reds and violets. This story has a fantastic lesson of perseverance and not to let negative vibes bring you down. You have the confidence and support to accomplish your goals. Recommended for all ages.
March 22, 2015
A great book for a mentor text on writing about a single moment- this is about a game that some kids are playing. The younger boy, 10- goes but he is still too young to play in the neighborhood game of basketball. He practices on the side court while the game is going on. All of a sudden one of the players goes down and they tell him to come play. Not everyone is happy about this young kid playing- some of them talk badly to him. The story shows his plays, and what he is thinking. It gives great dialog into what players might say during the game- and the emotions that go with it. The photos show how much smaller he is than the other players and yet, he holds his own. What a great story to share how determination and hard work can help you succeed. I also like how he finally stood up to the kid who kept talking down to him. The photos are excellent in helping you understand the story-especially when they squeeze him out while standing on the sides and they show how small he is in comparison to the other players. If using this as a read aloud- it would be good to have a document camera so the kids could look at the photos while reading the story.
February 20, 2014
John Coy is our visiting author this year, so I thought I'd better get ready and read some of his stuff. This is very short and quick to read. The text was good - full page pictures try to match the action in the telling of the story.
October 23, 2016
Good mentor text for a narrative exploding the moment.
April 3, 2014
Basketball fans and anyone looking for a sports story with lots of action will like this.
October 4, 2021
Considering I have to read this book to a two year old a minimum of ten times a day right now, and everytime she shoots into her toddler hoop she sings, "strong to the hoop!"--I guess I should review. Great story line about a boy getting his shot, with memorable dialogue; although I skip some of the trash talk that says "shut up". For an older child, or a house comfortable with that phrase; it would probably be fine.
October 8, 2018
Fiction
Grades K-5
Brings in cultural diversity by having almost all characters be African American. Illustrations in book are actual photos that were taken and the sketched over. It was fun talking to my students about multiple forms of media in books. In our classroom we were talking about ways to end their personal narratives. At the end of this book, the main character ends with referring back to the beginning of the book. This turned into a strategy our students could use in their stories.
Grades K-5
Brings in cultural diversity by having almost all characters be African American. Illustrations in book are actual photos that were taken and the sketched over. It was fun talking to my students about multiple forms of media in books. In our classroom we were talking about ways to end their personal narratives. At the end of this book, the main character ends with referring back to the beginning of the book. This turned into a strategy our students could use in their stories.
March 4, 2021
4th Grade Review
"I rated this book 4 stars because it is a good book in general and the whole book is pretty good." the student's favorite part of the book is when he got the ball in the hoop. -G.S.
"I rated this book 4 stars because it is a good book in general and the whole book is pretty good." the student's favorite part of the book is when he got the ball in the hoop. -G.S.
July 29, 2019
A small boy proves himself on the basketball court.
An odd story / format, but still entertaining.
Reading time around fifteen minutes.
An odd story / format, but still entertaining.
Reading time around fifteen minutes.
March 3, 2011
This is a story about a boy who plays basketball with the big boys for the first time. In the beginning his confidence level is low because he is so little. By the end of the story his confidence is high because he scored the winning point. I would suggest this story to my students who like sports or students who have low self confidence.
March 29, 2013
I want to hear big brother Nate's encouragement ring in my ears every time I fail at something "easy," something I've told myself I have to do, something I OUGHT to be able to do, something I know I'll have to do again. "Go strong to the hoop."
Also . . . Josiah played basketball alone in the foyer for quite a little while this afternoon after we read this book. Coy succeeded in inspiring.
Also . . . Josiah played basketball alone in the foyer for quite a little while this afternoon after we read this book. Coy succeeded in inspiring.
January 4, 2011
Perfect book for basketball lovers! It would need a lot of explanation to read with non-basketball fans or ELL kids. Very exciting.
February 9, 2016
Slightly confusing text, but I do like the photo collages as art. I can think of a couple of my kids who would love it.
March 12, 2015
Creative art, well written story.
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June 24, 2018Summary:
A boy named James and his big brother Zo get to the basketball courts, but James is too small to play and goes to the side court. When a player gets hurt, James joins the game and provides readers with a vivid description of how the rest of the game goes and his persistence through how he felt. At the end of the book, James scores the winning basket for his team, earns a spot on the main court, and isn’t too small to be a part of a team anymore.
Review: In the text, “power words” are distinguished in a different font, color and they are huge compared to the size of the rest of the text. The illustrations give the reader a real sense of where the story comes from in that on a hand-drawn background real photographs are placed and the facial expression and body language of the subjects in the photographs gives the reader all the context he/she needs.
Connects to: Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World.
Both books demonstrate persistence.
‘Delicious’ Quote:
“We’ve got winners!”
In using this book as a mentor text for writing, students gain exposure to how quotes are accurately used to describe words said by someone else.
A boy named James and his big brother Zo get to the basketball courts, but James is too small to play and goes to the side court. When a player gets hurt, James joins the game and provides readers with a vivid description of how the rest of the game goes and his persistence through how he felt. At the end of the book, James scores the winning basket for his team, earns a spot on the main court, and isn’t too small to be a part of a team anymore.
Review: In the text, “power words” are distinguished in a different font, color and they are huge compared to the size of the rest of the text. The illustrations give the reader a real sense of where the story comes from in that on a hand-drawn background real photographs are placed and the facial expression and body language of the subjects in the photographs gives the reader all the context he/she needs.
Connects to: Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World.
Both books demonstrate persistence.
‘Delicious’ Quote:
“We’ve got winners!”
In using this book as a mentor text for writing, students gain exposure to how quotes are accurately used to describe words said by someone else.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews