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No Name #1
No Name
Inspired by the traditional Choctaw story “No Name,” this modern adaptation features a present-day Choctaw teenager surviving tough family times—his mother left home and he is living with a mean-spirited, abusive father. The one place the teen can find peace is on the neighborhood basketball court. But after a violent confrontation with his father, the teen runs away, only to return home to find an unexpected hiding spot in his own backyard. His hiding spot becomes his home for weeks until the help and encouragement from a basketball coach, a Cherokee buddy and a quiet new next-door girlfriend help him face his father.
168 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Tim Tingle
50 books128 followersTim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a popular presenter at storytelling and folklore festivals across America. He was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In 2004, he was a Teller-In-Residence at The International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough, Tennessee. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 9, 2022
It was really good the story line played out very good i love how much action there is in here. But there isn't a lot of basketball that's one thing I don't like for a book about basketball there's mostly drama but other wise love it and cant wait for book two.
October 14, 2021
I loved the book. The ending was so scary but i'm glad bobby lived and i feel good that his mom is coming home. And now mysterious lady Faye is now shy girlfriend Faye.
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May 5, 2021I liked it. But there were some parts that didn't make sense like why did his dad be mean to him? Then all of a sudden like him? and everything flew like it went from, his dad not liking him, to being nice, to him almost getting killed. But i still liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2022
This is the first book in the series, and after reading Name Your Mountain, I went back and read all the ones my library had.
They all feature basketball, which is always a plus around our house, and they're super short -- some less than 150 pages, even though they're young adult (YA). They're what I'd call hi-lo readers, high interest, low reading level, so they're super accessible to all readers.
They feature a Choctaw freshman in high school whose father is abusive, but basketball, a tight knit community and determination stops the cycle of family dysfunction.
Ninth grade Choctaw Bobby escapes from his abusive alcoholic father by digging a hole in his backyard, covering it with a door and piles of leaves, and living in the hole for weeks.
He gets help from some thoroughly unexpected places: the girl next door, his best friend Johnny, and the coach of the high school basketball team.
The coach invites Bobby to play on the team. Coach Robison is also a member of the community and recognizes what Bobby's father's going through. More importantly, Coach Robison realizes how it's impacting Bobby.
He tells Bobby the story of No Name, a Choctaw youth who earns his name on his own terms. It's the metaphor for Bobby's story, but as the series progresses, I can see how the author uses it with the other boys on the team, as well.
With help from Coach and Johnny, Bobby and his dad come to a new fragile sense of trust in each other, and Bobby's father starts on his long road to recovery.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
They all feature basketball, which is always a plus around our house, and they're super short -- some less than 150 pages, even though they're young adult (YA). They're what I'd call hi-lo readers, high interest, low reading level, so they're super accessible to all readers.
They feature a Choctaw freshman in high school whose father is abusive, but basketball, a tight knit community and determination stops the cycle of family dysfunction.
Ninth grade Choctaw Bobby escapes from his abusive alcoholic father by digging a hole in his backyard, covering it with a door and piles of leaves, and living in the hole for weeks.
He gets help from some thoroughly unexpected places: the girl next door, his best friend Johnny, and the coach of the high school basketball team.
The coach invites Bobby to play on the team. Coach Robison is also a member of the community and recognizes what Bobby's father's going through. More importantly, Coach Robison realizes how it's impacting Bobby.
He tells Bobby the story of No Name, a Choctaw youth who earns his name on his own terms. It's the metaphor for Bobby's story, but as the series progresses, I can see how the author uses it with the other boys on the team, as well.
With help from Coach and Johnny, Bobby and his dad come to a new fragile sense of trust in each other, and Bobby's father starts on his long road to recovery.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
February 5, 2019
First in a series of Hi Lo books about a Choctaw teen boy, by the celebrated Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle. Great storytelling flow, short easy read with a satisfying conclusion, but interesting enough to try the next book in the series. Lots of basketball action along with family drama, an abusive and drunken father, a little romance, racism, supportive friends and coaches, and the use of the Choctaw folktale "No Name" to help the main character through his problems.
One of the better hi/lo books I've read.
One of the better hi/lo books I've read.
November 7, 2018
Bobby's father is abusive and when his mother leaves it gets worse. Bobby is afraid to return home to face his father, but he has no where else to go. Then he gets the idea to dig a hole in his backyard and cover it with an old door he found in a field. He tops it with leaves and he now has a hideout. Only, he isn't as clever as he hoped. People seem to find him, like his neighbor and the high school basketball coach, who wants Bobby on the team. Bobby's father wants to change, but can he?
December 20, 2023
Oh my gosh. Such a good book. Such a quick read. And it’s a series!! I can’t wait to read the others and find out what happens to the family. There is a little bit of history intertwined with lessons on forgiveness, repentance, trust, and relationships all juxtaposed with unbelievable yet realistic story elements!! I am so glad I picked up this book during a visit to the library with my students.
January 21, 2019
It kept me intrigued. Short book.
January 11, 2020
Short, compelling, and intense, a little disjointed and the ending felt unrealistic. Recommended for ages 14+ who need hi/lo materials.
September 30, 2021
I think the book was really good.I like how the book is about basketball.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 15, 2021very great
January 12, 2016
High interest/low reading level (2.5), but such an interesting story, I'm not sure a reader would notice. A Choctaw teen whose dad is an abusive alcoholic, creates an underground hideout for himself. Overriding themes include ongoing struggles with his dad, the importance of loyal friends, forgiveness and redemption.
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October 24, 2015Really loved this book. Well, except for the ending, because I wanted it to keep going. I wanted to hang out with Bobby for a while longer.
October 25, 2016
Quick, poignant read!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews