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Hoops
An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young AdultsNew Bonus with Walter Dean Myers-Q&A with screenwriter John Ballard-Teaser chapter from On a Clear Day-Excerpt from 145th StreetAll eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance—but sold out.As the tournament nears, Lonnie learns that some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick away, Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 1983
297 people are currently reading
2196 people want to read
About the author
Walter Dean Myers
224 books1,198 followerspseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
December 14, 2012
I have always hated reading because I thought it was a waste of time. I have been learning that reading helps me with my grammar and comprehension. A few weeks ago, Mr. Welsh told me to pick a “Good read” book. I picked a book that looked interesting to me called “Hoop`s”, I choose this book because I am a fan and love the sport of basketball. This book turned out to be interesting because it taught some important skills that I can apply in this basketball season. “Hoop’s” also talks about a lot of life lessons that make you think about living life. I recommended that basketball players and fans read this book because it will teach you lessons about basketball and life together in one book.
The story “Hoops” by. Walter Dean Myers is about a High School basketball player that wants to fulfill his dreams of going to college and even to the pro`s ( N.B.A). This High School player name is Lonnie, he is a poor and lives in the hoods of Harlem, New York. Even though his surrounding is filled with poverty, he still can come from out the hood and become a successful individual. Also, Lonnie doubts his new coach at first, but he begins to appreciate what he has learned coach has done in the past for other players. Once he realized his coach was all about helping Lonnie become successful, Coach Cal began to have a gigantic effect on Lonnie. This book has taught me how to be a better basketball player and has shown me how to face hard challenges in life.
I think that everyone should read this book because it illustrations that no matter how bad life may be for someone, there still remains hope to make something positive out of themselves. This is great for kids because it shows how to face challenges and problems that some kids face in life.
Walter Dean Myers
The story “Hoops” by. Walter Dean Myers is about a High School basketball player that wants to fulfill his dreams of going to college and even to the pro`s ( N.B.A). This High School player name is Lonnie, he is a poor and lives in the hoods of Harlem, New York. Even though his surrounding is filled with poverty, he still can come from out the hood and become a successful individual. Also, Lonnie doubts his new coach at first, but he begins to appreciate what he has learned coach has done in the past for other players. Once he realized his coach was all about helping Lonnie become successful, Coach Cal began to have a gigantic effect on Lonnie. This book has taught me how to be a better basketball player and has shown me how to face hard challenges in life.
I think that everyone should read this book because it illustrations that no matter how bad life may be for someone, there still remains hope to make something positive out of themselves. This is great for kids because it shows how to face challenges and problems that some kids face in life.
Walter Dean Myers
June 13, 2018
I love sports biographies and this story was definitely one of my favorites. Even though it is fictional is still displays the many things that happen on and off the court that shape the character and his values.
March 16, 2017
Hoops is about a teenager that is 17 years young and his name is Lonnie Jackson, he is practicing for a championship basketball tournament. I think his friend is Cal and he believed that Lonnie is capable of joining the National Basketball Association. This book was sort of intense because I personally kind of like when you barely have any choices like in this book, it was either they take the chance that will most likely happen once or forget about it.
July 28, 2024
Favorite Quote: “That was the thing with losing. You had to live with it until you won, and you could never be sure when you were going to win.”~Lonnie
Myers writing style reminds me of James Baldwin. We are introduced to Lonnie who has a serious chip on his shoulder and I can understand how with the cards that life as delay him and he’s only 17 at this point. His father left, he is a supplemental adult in his home, having to work and worry about rent payments and his only saving grace is basketball and with a major tournament coming up that could change his life forever will he move that chip on his shoulder or let it keep him from dreams he doesn’t even realize he has.
I love how the Cal character is introduced and what he brings into Lonnie’s life.
Myers writing style reminds me of James Baldwin. We are introduced to Lonnie who has a serious chip on his shoulder and I can understand how with the cards that life as delay him and he’s only 17 at this point. His father left, he is a supplemental adult in his home, having to work and worry about rent payments and his only saving grace is basketball and with a major tournament coming up that could change his life forever will he move that chip on his shoulder or let it keep him from dreams he doesn’t even realize he has.
I love how the Cal character is introduced and what he brings into Lonnie’s life.
August 7, 2024
This was in no way a bad book. However, the book was written in the 80s and the vernacular definitely reflects that. The book also seemed rushed. Enjoyable read nonetheless.
February 21, 2012
The book "Hoops" was a absolutely fantastic book. When I looked at its cover I thought it would be full of sports action, but it is not full of all basketball. Walter Dean Myers tries to take the sport of basketball and put it into life. It is a life changing book because it shows how a kid that lives in a poor neighborhood can still fulfill their dreams. It is about a 17 year old teenager that loves basketball, but lacks guidannce in life. But when a man names Cal, former NBA player and now coach of high-school team, comes into his life, Lonnie can learn how to become a better man. This book kept me reading to the end. It was full of exciting events like the high-school tournament that Lonnie was in. I reccomend this book to anyone who likes basketball or a great story about a person's life.
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February 3, 2009 Every on is watching Lonnie Jackson while him and his team practices for a city-wide basketball Tournament. Lonnie Jackson’s head coach, Cal knows Lonnie has what he needs to be a pro-basketball player, but warns him about everything he needs to know. Cal knows because he once had the chance-but failed and screwed up.
As the last seconds of the game clock runs away Lonnie and Cal must make a choice. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime? You will haft to read the book to find out what is next. I rate this book a 9 out of 10 and I recommend this book for people that like to read about sports.
As the last seconds of the game clock runs away Lonnie and Cal must make a choice. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime? You will haft to read the book to find out what is next. I rate this book a 9 out of 10 and I recommend this book for people that like to read about sports.
May 19, 2025
What would you do if you had everything you wanted as a basketball player, besides money? Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a fiction book about a kid who is an amazing basketball player but is poor. The main character is a kid who started playing basketball at a young age who was shorter than everyone but then got older and taller and became better but is poor. So it leads him to steal to get money. I chose to read this topic because basketball interests me and I like reading about basketball more than anything else.
I liked this book a lot because it really is a good book to read and teaches an important life lesson. The main character is Gran. Gran is an amazing basketball player but he doesn’t have any money. Gran works at a place called Grant Motel. He goes there sometimes when he just wants to get away. This leads to Gran seeing a liquor store getting robbed. Gran hurriedly ran and stole the alcohol and hid it because he was gonna sell it to get money. What happens next is shocking. This book has taught me that stealing doesn’t get you anywhere out of a hole except farther down. I would recommend it to others because it's a really good basketball book. Age level is young adult.
What would you do if you had everything you wanted as a basketball player, besides money? Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a fiction book about a kid who is an amazing basketball player but is poor. The main character is a kid who started playing basketball at a young age who was shorter than everyone but then got older and taller and became better but is poor. So it leads him to steal to get money. I chose to read this topic because basketball interests me and I like reading about basketball more than anything else.
I liked this book a lot because it really is a good book to read and teaches an important life lesson. The main character is Gran. Gran is an amazing basketball player but he doesn’t have any money. Gran works at a place called Grant Motel. He goes there sometimes when he just wants to get away. This leads to Gran seeing a liquor store getting robbed. Gran hurriedly ran and stole the alcohol and hid it because he was gonna sell it to get money. What happens next is shocking. This book has taught me that stealing doesn’t get you anywhere out of a hole except farther down. I would recommend it to others because it's a really good basketball book. Age level is young adult.
I liked this book a lot because it really is a good book to read and teaches an important life lesson. The main character is Gran. Gran is an amazing basketball player but he doesn’t have any money. Gran works at a place called Grant Motel. He goes there sometimes when he just wants to get away. This leads to Gran seeing a liquor store getting robbed. Gran hurriedly ran and stole the alcohol and hid it because he was gonna sell it to get money. What happens next is shocking. This book has taught me that stealing doesn’t get you anywhere out of a hole except farther down. I would recommend it to others because it's a really good basketball book. Age level is young adult.
What would you do if you had everything you wanted as a basketball player, besides money? Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a fiction book about a kid who is an amazing basketball player but is poor. The main character is a kid who started playing basketball at a young age who was shorter than everyone but then got older and taller and became better but is poor. So it leads him to steal to get money. I chose to read this topic because basketball interests me and I like reading about basketball more than anything else.
I liked this book a lot because it really is a good book to read and teaches an important life lesson. The main character is Gran. Gran is an amazing basketball player but he doesn’t have any money. Gran works at a place called Grant Motel. He goes there sometimes when he just wants to get away. This leads to Gran seeing a liquor store getting robbed. Gran hurriedly ran and stole the alcohol and hid it because he was gonna sell it to get money. What happens next is shocking. This book has taught me that stealing doesn’t get you anywhere out of a hole except farther down. I would recommend it to others because it's a really good basketball book. Age level is young adult.
October 2, 2021
People around the world strive and work hard for the sport they love. Sports such as soccer, football , and basketball, are few of the many sports that millions of kids dream to go far with.
Hoops , by Walter Dean Myers, stars the life of a teenager , Lonnie Jackson. Lonnie Jackson was a struggling senior from Harlem, New York. He dreamt of going pro in basketball because he had no clear decisions on what to do in life. Basketball is something that stuck with Lonnie for his entire life and is something that took him away from stress , frustration , and loss , in life. Fortunately for him , Lonnie was one of the best basketball players in Harlem , and his dream of going pro in basketball was not the most unimaginable concept. I do recommend the book Hoops.
Lonnie Jackson had many important people around him in his high school career. The most important character to him was Cal. Coach Cal was a former professional basketball player who was deposed from the league from gambling , and is the coach of Lonnie’s basketball team. Cal , who is an almost - homeless alcoholic , is caring enough to coach Lonnie and his team. At first , Lonnie thinks of Cal as a worn down , useless man desperate for a job. But , as time goes on , he learns that Cal is a man with a broken past , who is trying to help lead his team to victory. Cal turns out to have much care for Lonnie , and supports Lonnie’s belief of going far in basketball. Although Cal is Lonnie’s basketball coach , he cares for Lonnie much , and helps him to become a better man when it does not come down to basketball. In the novel , Cal says , “You need somebody to tell you how good your game can be(23)”. This shows that Cal is always trying to teach Lonnie and humble him. It shows how Cal values Lonnie , to become a wiser man. This gives Lonnie courage , and builds his relationship with Coach Cal.
Although Lonnie is a very talented basketball player , he faces problems due to the environment he is surrounded in. Harlem is a place where violence commonly occurs. Violence and incidents including gangs , are things that paint a picture of Lonnie's circumstances. Malicious packs of gangs that run the streets , are an influence to Lonnie, and interfere with his vision of going far in basketball. Lonnie has an arrangement with a manager of a hotel called The Grant. He rarely sees and stays with his mother. Lonnie lives in the hotel , and his exchange with the manager is that when he cleans , he gets a place to sleep. As said before , lots of violence occurs in the streets of Harlem. The first conflict that Lonnie experienced was right across the street from his hotel. At a liquor store , a robbery occurred , and while the criminals were moving the customers and staff to one place in the store , Lonnie , a seventeen year old , decides to steal a case of scotch to sell. This occasion is an example of conflict that Lonnie faced , due to where he lived.
To Lonnie , basketball is an escape from life problems. In the novel , Lonnie says , “ I got the ball again and shot and shot until I was too tired to shoot anymore…(9)”. This shows how dedicated Lonnie was to the game. At a highly competitive , tournament basketball game , mob leaders order Cal to sit out Lonnie for the entirety of the game. They do this because of how gifted and talented Lonnie was , so the other team could win. Knowing this , Cal benches Lonnie , but as the game goes on , he puts Lonnie back in the game , which leads to a close , down to the wire game. After the game , because he put Lonnie into the game , Cal gets into an argument with the mob leaders. This leads to a fight which occurs in the locker rooms. This shows how in Harlem , basketball games had more meaning than just winning the game. Winning a game was taken so seriously to the point where people were getting hurt over it. This shows how Lonnie Jackson struggled , because he lived in the ghetto , where peace was not a valid option , and competitions were greater than what they should have been.
In the novel , the author , Walter Dean Myers , uses language to better describe , and give characters a certain picture. The author often uses the first person point of view to show what life was like for Lonnie. Lonnie shows his emotions in the first person point of view , and his thoughts and feelings are shown through conflicts , and problems between people , and often revolve around basketball.
Hoops , by Walter Dean Myers , expresses the ups and downs of a young teenager. Although it is mainly about basketball , Hoops shows how the people who surround you can have a great impact on your life. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions , and was definitely worth the read. I do recommend this book , especially to people who play sports.
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January 21, 2023the book hoops by Walter dean Myers is an amazing read. the book follows Lonnie Jackson, a kid from Harlem who has had some troubles in his life. he has been dealing with drugs, alcohol and jail he also had to see his father leave his mother. the book is mainly about his basketball team's journey in a tournament. it also shines light on his love life with his girlfriend Marry-Ann. Lonnie tries to find success and happiness in his life throughout the book. this book is a great read. there's always a challenge the characters have to face to ensure you'll never get bored reading
the book isn't afraid to show some tough situations. Myers shines light on problems with black kids in cities. he talks about Lonnie's problems with drinking, selling drugs and going to jail. Myers also covers assault on women by their bosses which is also a problem in the world. Myers adds these sensitive events to play with the reader's emotions. you start to feel a connection to the characters. you start to feel bad for them and what they have to deal with. Myers also helps the reader connect to the character by making the book very relatable for many people. anyone dealing with any one of the problem Lonnie deals with, anyone in the same boat of Mary-Ann who are being taken advantage of by an authoritative figure or just anyone who is on a team who can't seem to work well together. the author seems to add all these relatable elements to widen the spectrum of potential readers.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. this book isn't boring and shows a kid who has a genuine tough life. the book will leave you sitting at the end of your seat throughout the whole thing. you will not be able to put the book down without seeing what happens to Lonnie next.
the book isn't afraid to show some tough situations. Myers shines light on problems with black kids in cities. he talks about Lonnie's problems with drinking, selling drugs and going to jail. Myers also covers assault on women by their bosses which is also a problem in the world. Myers adds these sensitive events to play with the reader's emotions. you start to feel a connection to the characters. you start to feel bad for them and what they have to deal with. Myers also helps the reader connect to the character by making the book very relatable for many people. anyone dealing with any one of the problem Lonnie deals with, anyone in the same boat of Mary-Ann who are being taken advantage of by an authoritative figure or just anyone who is on a team who can't seem to work well together. the author seems to add all these relatable elements to widen the spectrum of potential readers.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. this book isn't boring and shows a kid who has a genuine tough life. the book will leave you sitting at the end of your seat throughout the whole thing. you will not be able to put the book down without seeing what happens to Lonnie next.
February 8, 2019
Hoops is about a 17 year old basketball player named Lonnie Jackson who is one of the best basketball players in the state and is trying to live up to his dreams. Lonnie and a couple of his friends try playing in the tournament where all the scouts are but they need a coach. They find Cal who everyone later founds out used to be a NBA player but he had a short career after associating with gamblers. After practicing for the tournament, Cal and Lonnie get a call from one of the tournament officials. His name was O'Donnel and he didn't want Lonnie to play in a championship game because he thought Cal's team was to good and it can make some bettors mad. Cal had an idea to say that Lonnie is hurt during the game and when their are a few minutes left and the bettors make their bet they will put Lonnie back in the game and he could help his team win. The bettors were Tyrone and his friends who has gotten in to some trouble with Cal, Lonnie, and his friends. Cal's team was down by 12 and Tyrone's friend made his bet and when they came back Lonnie, helped the team win the championship. After losing the bet Tyrone and his friends Stabbed Cal which ended up killing him.
October 29, 2020
At first i thought this book was plain about basketball, until when i reached the third chapter i found out this book also talks about friendship and collaboration. The main character Paul had made a huge progress overall on his basketball skills and how should you collaborate with your team mates. Personally this Book also inspired me on how you should react to situations with friends. Lastly the theme of the book was great and "Hoops" reminded me of Victor in "7th grade" all of his determination and how competitive making his crush to his women.
April 16, 2018
I liked the book hoops because I am a sports fanatic and the book shows a theme in life if you make one mistake everything you have worked for can be taken away. Also one of the themes is to always listen to your elders because they know from experience. The only way the book could have been better if it was a little longer so it could use more time to develop more of the side characters who actually played a reasonably sized role in the book
August 12, 2018
Gripping story. Couldn't put it down!
February 7, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book but some of the dialogue was kind of hard to understand but other than that it was a great book and I really enjoyed it.
December 17, 2017
Awful book with an unsatisfying ending. Very inappropriate (violence,language...etc.) Uses slang terms. 1 star... Beware page 127
Edit: Changed my review to 3 stars because of the true emotional impact and deeper meaning at the end of the book. At first glance I thought this book was about just basketball (which is was for 80% of the book), but the other 20% was VERY valuable, (only at the end and other certain parts)
Edit: Changed my review to 3 stars because of the true emotional impact and deeper meaning at the end of the book. At first glance I thought this book was about just basketball (which is was for 80% of the book), but the other 20% was VERY valuable, (only at the end and other certain parts)
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September 28, 2014Gavin Woods 9/16/14
Schleifer 9H Book Essay
What if you were a discarded child, living in the slums of Harlem? What if all you had was a mother who didn’t care for you, and corrupted and juvenile kids that you call your friends have influenced all of your life decisions? If this sounds familiar to you, then you live a similar lifestyle as Lonnie, the main character in the book, Hoops by Walter Dean Myers, if not then consider yourself lucky. A poor student who is pleased with getting by with a passing grade, Lonnie doesn’t have much going for him. His life seems to slowly deteriorate as the days go by. But there is always something that makes life worth living for everybody.
People don’t move to Lonnie’s town for the education. No child ever graduates to top-notch schools. As Myers has Lonnie say on page 27, “Nobody who comes outa’ this town ever does anything big in the world.” Myers includes this to further convey this town’s poverty. Education isn’t nearly as well funded here as in wealthier towns. Hence there not being anybody that graduated into good schools. Obviously, school wasn’t Lonnie’s hobby that made life worth living for him. Although school wasn’t a priority for him, Lonnie had other, more preferred, ways of passing the time.
There was one universal activity that all the children could partake in together: basketball. Lonnie includes on page 15 “All along, though, I had my game, and my game was my fame.” You can now see that Lonnie, and most other kids in this town, prioritize basketball over all the other aspects of their lives. For these kids basketball wasn’t just an activity, it was a life style. Lonnie didn’t have much to live for, and basketball seemed to be his only talent. And although it doesn’t seem like basketball will take him anywhere with his life, it will soon give Lonnie appreciation and recognition from people from his town and beyond.
Lonnie is invited to play on a select statewide basketball tournament as he is starting his senior year, partially for something to do and partially for his passion for basketball. Lonnie plays and lights up the court as he always does, but this time, people are watching, fans are watching, college scouts are watching. Lonnie basks in his supremacy over his teammates and opponents and the love and appreciation from the crowd, a foreign feeling for him. Lonnie goes from being unloved and unappreciated, with little to live for, to now being looked at by colleges and having a future, all through his passion for basketball.
Through his father’s abandonment of him, and his mother’s neglect, Lonnie truly finds happiness in the one thing that makes life worth living, basketball. Basketball has brought him a future and the love and appreciation he lacked and longed for at home and most importantly, happiness. Through this, all readers can learn that there is always something that makes life worth living for everybody.
Schleifer 9H Book Essay
What if you were a discarded child, living in the slums of Harlem? What if all you had was a mother who didn’t care for you, and corrupted and juvenile kids that you call your friends have influenced all of your life decisions? If this sounds familiar to you, then you live a similar lifestyle as Lonnie, the main character in the book, Hoops by Walter Dean Myers, if not then consider yourself lucky. A poor student who is pleased with getting by with a passing grade, Lonnie doesn’t have much going for him. His life seems to slowly deteriorate as the days go by. But there is always something that makes life worth living for everybody.
People don’t move to Lonnie’s town for the education. No child ever graduates to top-notch schools. As Myers has Lonnie say on page 27, “Nobody who comes outa’ this town ever does anything big in the world.” Myers includes this to further convey this town’s poverty. Education isn’t nearly as well funded here as in wealthier towns. Hence there not being anybody that graduated into good schools. Obviously, school wasn’t Lonnie’s hobby that made life worth living for him. Although school wasn’t a priority for him, Lonnie had other, more preferred, ways of passing the time.
There was one universal activity that all the children could partake in together: basketball. Lonnie includes on page 15 “All along, though, I had my game, and my game was my fame.” You can now see that Lonnie, and most other kids in this town, prioritize basketball over all the other aspects of their lives. For these kids basketball wasn’t just an activity, it was a life style. Lonnie didn’t have much to live for, and basketball seemed to be his only talent. And although it doesn’t seem like basketball will take him anywhere with his life, it will soon give Lonnie appreciation and recognition from people from his town and beyond.
Lonnie is invited to play on a select statewide basketball tournament as he is starting his senior year, partially for something to do and partially for his passion for basketball. Lonnie plays and lights up the court as he always does, but this time, people are watching, fans are watching, college scouts are watching. Lonnie basks in his supremacy over his teammates and opponents and the love and appreciation from the crowd, a foreign feeling for him. Lonnie goes from being unloved and unappreciated, with little to live for, to now being looked at by colleges and having a future, all through his passion for basketball.
Through his father’s abandonment of him, and his mother’s neglect, Lonnie truly finds happiness in the one thing that makes life worth living, basketball. Basketball has brought him a future and the love and appreciation he lacked and longed for at home and most importantly, happiness. Through this, all readers can learn that there is always something that makes life worth living for everybody.
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September 7, 2018Very well written. Had many exciting points to the book.
November 17, 2009
So...technically I liked this book. It definitely kept my interest, and I couldn't put it down. I started reading it at night, and didn't go to sleep until I had finished the entire thing. It's about a boy who lives in Harlem, Lonnie. Lonnie loves to play basketball and in the spring of his senior year, he gets the opportunity to play in a tournament with college scouts. At first, Lonnie isn't really sure if he wants to play because he doesn't really like the coach. However, after a while, Lonnie and his coach, Cal, become very close. It's obvious that Lonnie looks up to Cal as a father figure. However, we find out Cal is a former NBA star who was kicked out for shaving points off games. Surprisingly this doesn't hurt Lonnie's admiration for Cal as much as it probably should. Cal and Lonnie take the Harlem team through the tournament, but have to make a big decision in the end. Will Cal repeat the same mistakes and risk Lonnie's career??
After reading this book, I'm surprised its on my grade levels' reading list. I definitely think some of the themes and situations in the book are for older students. While it's not as bad as some books out there as far as language and sexual content, I think students in my class would not be able to relate to the feeling of your senior year in high school. It's a time of change and growing up, something my little 7th graders won't have to do for a while.
I thought this story was interesting. Like most sports novels, the action is there and you really can't stop reading when a game starts. The only thing I didn't like was the ending to this story. I'm not going to give anything away, but I felt like I was a little cheated at the end. Maybe I just like stories that get wrapped up with bows, but I just hate it when a book just...ends. No loose strings tied up or anything. It annoys me, and for that I give this a 3 out of 5 :)
After reading this book, I'm surprised its on my grade levels' reading list. I definitely think some of the themes and situations in the book are for older students. While it's not as bad as some books out there as far as language and sexual content, I think students in my class would not be able to relate to the feeling of your senior year in high school. It's a time of change and growing up, something my little 7th graders won't have to do for a while.
I thought this story was interesting. Like most sports novels, the action is there and you really can't stop reading when a game starts. The only thing I didn't like was the ending to this story. I'm not going to give anything away, but I felt like I was a little cheated at the end. Maybe I just like stories that get wrapped up with bows, but I just hate it when a book just...ends. No loose strings tied up or anything. It annoys me, and for that I give this a 3 out of 5 :)
November 16, 2014
Lonnie Jackson is a 17 year old basketball star. Well, at least in the area he's from. Him and his team are participating in a citywide basketball tournament that will give players who didn't make a college team already to be looked at by college scouts. Cal, their teams coach, believes that Lonnie can make it all the way to the NBA. If he works hard and doesn't get into trouble. Why does Cal know this? Because he had a chance to be a superstar in the NBA, but blew his shot. The tournament is getting closer, so that means the stakes are getting higher. When Cal hears that some heavy bettors want Lonnie to sit out of the championship game, will he take the bait and not only ruin his life, once again, but ruin a possible future stars? The clock is ticking down, minutes to seconds, and both Lonnie and Cal need to make a decision that could change both of their lives for the better or worse.
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a great book, not only about smart decisions, but work ethic. Anybody who likes sports, basketball, or in general reading, will like this book. It never gets boring and there is always something new to add a twist. "...dialogue rings with authenticity, on court action is colorful, and the authors dramatic conclusion is handled with poignancy and power." - Booklist, Starred.
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a great book, not only about smart decisions, but work ethic. Anybody who likes sports, basketball, or in general reading, will like this book. It never gets boring and there is always something new to add a twist. "...dialogue rings with authenticity, on court action is colorful, and the authors dramatic conclusion is handled with poignancy and power." - Booklist, Starred.
April 5, 2016
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers is a realistic fiction book about a 17-year-old named Lonnie Jackson who is always playing basketball and struggles to live in the ghetto. Lonnie who has a ton of talent in basketball, dreams of playing in professional basketball. Lonnie’s basketball coach, a former professional basketball player, named Cal tries to mentor Lonnie to become a pro basketballer like himself. Cal then enters Lonnie and his team into a basketball tournament that could turn Lonnie’s life around. After reading this book, I found it interesting that the book was not only about sports, but was equally about a teenagers life and challenges outside of basketball. I did very much enjoy the character of Cal. He had a good backstory and the interactions among Lonnie and Cal were pretty interesting. On the other hand, I didn’t really enjoy slow moving this book was. It just was not as “action-packed” as I would have hoped. This book is for readers that enjoy books with the theme of “struggles in athletes,” which is the theme of this book. This is the theme because as Lonnie is playing basketball and he has to face the struggles in basketball and outside of the sport. I recommend this book that enjoy realistic fiction and books relating to sports specifically basketball.
August 21, 2011
This book is about a boy a young man named Lonnie that is growing up in the ghetto living a hard life. But the thing that he loves the most is basketball. He is very good at it and it have been around him his whole life. He is growing up with a mother that they always get in arguments and the only thing that he will ever do to cheer himself up is play basketball. Then one day he saw a man named Cal laying down on the basketball court. But it turns out he becomes a basketball coach for a couple for Lonnie and a couple of his friends. But it turns out that Cal turns out to be an old basketball star named “Spider Jones”. They enter this very big tournament with college scouts looking at every move that they do. Will there team be good enough and win the championship ot lose and drop out?
I think that Walter Dean Myers did a very good job at writing the book called Hoops. He used very good vocabulary and it was easy to understand. I had a good time reading this book, also I had fun reading this book. Hoops is a non-fiction book. For anyone who likes basketball or reality books you should read it.
I think that Walter Dean Myers did a very good job at writing the book called Hoops. He used very good vocabulary and it was easy to understand. I had a good time reading this book, also I had fun reading this book. Hoops is a non-fiction book. For anyone who likes basketball or reality books you should read it.
February 28, 2013
Hoops was about high school student Lonnie Jackson, who's life is all about basketball. Lonnie has what it takes to go to the NBA if he focuses on it. Lonnie is playing for a city-wide basketball Tournament and is coached by an old basketball player named Cal. Cal never went to the NBA because of choices he made and he regrets what he did and he wants Lonnie to do the opposite. In one of the last games of the tournament, there are these betters who tell Cal to bench Lonnie for them to win the bet, and if Cal does not he could get seriously injured by the betters. Would Cal hurt Lonnie's basketball career or risk his own life? I think that Hoops is a great book about basketball and it has some good lessons to it. I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars because It was a little slow at the beginning. I found this book at my school library and you could find it in any public library as well.
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October 10, 2016Hoops is a great book, it’s about a boy who has dreams to play college basketball or maybe even pro. He is a pretty good ball player and this book takes some twisted turns and is a thriller to read. Like last second shots,hard fouls and some drama from players and coaches. He also gets looked at by many schools they come to his games and he has to play well to get recruited.
He also deals with a lot of struggle there is violence at every corner,drugs,alcohol and families get tore apart it has suspense and action and some drama i think teens should read this book.He is getting help along the way from a pro basketball player who had to quite the league and he's trying to help them so they don't make the same mistakes he did when he was young and old. So I would give this book a 9.5/10 if I had to grade it I would recommend it to any ages more for teens that like sports but anyone could read it, it's a great book and it's worth you time.
February 27, 2012
I think this was a wonderful book to read especially since i was in the middle of basketball season. I can definitely relate to Lonnie whom is the main character of the story, a 17 year old kid who has a chance of a life time because i also have a chance and it could be the only chance ill ever get. That is to do really great in basketball and try to achieve so much. Even though, Lonnie in the story goes through tough times and gets into peer pressure i can definitely relate myself to him because we are both in high school and we both get into peer pressure and it is up to us to make the right choices in life. I wonder if other kids read this book , if they can relate to the story and listen to the message that this book brings which is to take advantage of the opportunities in life. I really love this book, and its a wonderful sports story to read.
October 8, 2015
I overall thought this book was a very good read for many reasons. One reason was because of the characters in this book. The main character Lonnie Jackson was very interesting because he is around my age and goes through many challenges while chasing his dream at the same time. He has a strong connection with his coach which was very interesting to me. I think it was very special how a coach can make an impact on someone as a person and as a player. The coach cal was very helpful to him making sure he doesn't make the same mistakes he did when he was Lonnie's age. Cal had confidence in Lonnie but he didn't want him to be too much over his head. Also, Lonnie's friends had an impact during the story, one was by simply by always being there for him no matter how his home life was like at home.
October 20, 2014
A boy named Lonnie was a seven teen year old kid from a poor neighborhood and didn't have a fantastic life. all he had in his life was basketball. A man named cal a former nba player now his teams coach. Lonnie didn't have much guidance in his life, since his coach came into the picture a lot has been going right for him and he is guiding Lonnie to the right path. read to find out if Lonnie succeeds or messes up! I give this book 5 star raising because this book has kept me reading up until the end! really enjoy it!
October 9, 2014
The book, Hoops, by Walter Dean was a good book I liked it. But I didn’t love it either, it did have its ups and downs. One down was that, it was constantly changing topics. But one of the ups was that, the book was very descriptive it had many details included. For example, ”While I was in the center, I got a call from MaryAnn. She was worried”. I thought that sentence was a very descriptive one because it could’ve just said something plane and not included the extra detail. This book really did keep me flipping the pages, I would recommend it to whoever likes exciting and funny books.
March 10, 2017
This book was very interesting and very humorous. It can relate to many people in the world struggling to make it out and achieve their dreams. Its about this young man who is trying to achieve a basketball dream and he's from the hood. This book shows partnership and love is important in life.I would recommend this book to people who loves sports.
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October 26, 2009Hoopz is a great book from the beginig to the end. Lonnie the main character in the book was my favorite. Hoopz had some intense scene like when he held a gun to a coach.I would reccomend this book to bouys in middle school to highschool.
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