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Lorimer Sports Stories
Hoop Magic
Orlando O'Malley has had to overcome a lot to play basketball. He's the worst shooter on the Evergreen Eagles middle school team. He can barely dribble around a cone in practice. And he's certainly the shortest. But Orlando has two special talents: a winning personality and the ability to call play-by-play almost everything that is happening around him.
Orlando really wants to be a star player, but despite his best efforts he can't quite seem to make the right play at the right time. His biggest contributions to the team are his ability to get them energized and to call the shots. But accepting these as his special talents means he has to give up his dream of playing basketball.
[Fry reading level - 3.8]
Orlando really wants to be a star player, but despite his best efforts he can't quite seem to make the right play at the right time. His biggest contributions to the team are his ability to get them energized and to call the shots. But accepting these as his special talents means he has to give up his dream of playing basketball.
[Fry reading level - 3.8]
136 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
16 people want to read
About the author
Eric Howling
16 books3 followersERIC HOWLING is an advertising creative director living in Calgary. His novels in the Sports Stories series have been shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, selected as a Resource Links' Year's Best, and selected as Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 14, 2015
Orlando is short, but he loves basketball more than anything, and is dying to make his junior high team. He’s at a new school this year because he got sick of having to explain his relationship to his six-inch-taller, white sister—-Orlando was adopted from Haiti. Orlando makes the team just barely, when another boy breaks his arm, and is an average member of the team. What he really shines at is announcing, though, and his announcing seems to drive the team to do better.
This is average sports fiction. Basketball players will probably enjoy it, but there isn’t much to it. Not much is made of Orlando’s adoption or his feelings about it, or his feelings about being in a white family. It’s predictable series fiction.
This is average sports fiction. Basketball players will probably enjoy it, but there isn’t much to it. Not much is made of Orlando’s adoption or his feelings about it, or his feelings about being in a white family. It’s predictable series fiction.
November 1, 2013
encouraging, informative and interesting book goodreads firstreads advance copy aimed at preteens
Teaching that sometimes you have to work hard to get what you expect isn't always what you want it to be. Because of his lack of height Orlando never got the placement on the basketball team because of his height. With the help of his coach, practice and hard work give him the chance to become a substitute on the team, after another player was injured. 3 stars from me but my 10 year old grandson enjoyed it.
Teaching that sometimes you have to work hard to get what you expect isn't always what you want it to be. Because of his lack of height Orlando never got the placement on the basketball team because of his height. With the help of his coach, practice and hard work give him the chance to become a substitute on the team, after another player was injured. 3 stars from me but my 10 year old grandson enjoyed it.
August 3, 2013
Inspiring book ! I read it in one day and it was great. My friend has it now and he loves the story too.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews