Pull

D-Bow High School Hoops #3

by Kevin Waltman

"As a childrens/YA bookseller, I LOVED THIS BOOK. The language, the characters, the basketball—they are all spot on perfect . . . I am so excited about this series."—Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books, Zionville, Indiana

Junior year. Derrick Bowen has put in two good years getting ready for this season. He put in the work and earned his coach's trust and his role as the starting point guard for Marion East. Marion has never won the Indiana state championship, but this year the team is Derrick's. And Derrick is good. Opponents worry when Derrick—D-Bow when he's pounding the rock—steps onto the court. Major colleges work feverishly to recruit him. Derrick is ready to run teams off the court.

If only he could get on the court and stay on it.

Old school coach Bolden suspends Derrick for the first game of the season after Derrick's best friend Wes gets busted for carrying a joint while in Derrick's car. Even after that, Marion High's team just doesn't quite click. They don't want to follow Derrick's lead as squad's dominant player. Dissension and selfishness are threatening to tear the team apart. And then Derrick hears a thickening snap as he lands awkwardly after a thunderous dunk.

Can Derrick lead the team to victory from the bench?

Kevin Waltman is an instructor at The University of Alabama. He lives in Coker with his wife Jessica and their dog Henry. Pull is the third book in his D-Bow High School Hoops series.

Genres: Sports, African American

216 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

Kevin Waltman was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and spent his teens and twenties in Indiana--time spent mostly around basketball courts and political events. He moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2001 to get his MFA in fiction at The University of Alabama. There, he met his wife, Jessica Kidd. He now lives in Coker, Alabama, with Jessica, their daughter Calla, and their dog Henry. He teaches. He writes. He gardens. He cuts kudzu from their woods.

He is the author of four y.a. novels. The first two are Nowhere Fast and Learning the Game. The two most recent--Next and Slump--are the first two parts of a four-part series from Cinco Puntos Press. The third in the series, Pull, will be out in late 2015.

You can see more about Kevin, or find teaching guides to some of his work, at kevinwaltman.com..

Reviews

[Muneeb Iqbal · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who has read and criticized many fictional and nonfictional stories and books, I have a certain expectation of what a good book or story should consist of. Pull by Kevin Waltman truly captures all the good aspects and qualities of a good fictional book. It contains a very emotional, yet exciting chain of events that take place in such suspense. Waltman does a phenomenal job of sequencing such events that lead to excitement and enthusiasm. Throughout the book, the reader can see the many aspects of life in which the main character portrays his perspective of life and others around him.
The main character Derrick Bowen, better known as D-Bow is a junior in high school and has a strong passion for basketball. He starts off the season without his beloved teammate Moose who is graduated.This season D-Bow’s coach, Coach Bolden has placed him in the starting five. This shows that his new responsibilities of being a leader of the team must be improved to continue his current starting position. D-Bow is a phenomenal basketball player, so much to where he is confident colleges will start being in contact with him. Coach Bolden constantly reminds him that the key to getting such letters are all rode among how he acts upon being a leader. However, Waltman does not make life easy on Derrick. His success is not ever guaranteed. Many obstacles are in the way of D-Bow as he continues his journey doing what he loves to do.
I strongly admire the realistic storyline of this book. The book represents how life can really hit you, and how you should always stay focused on your goals. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Realistic Fiction, or just any fan of sports. The book is composed of many great qualities of a Realistic fictional book.

[Jose Baca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed “Pull” by Kevin Waltman. It is the 3rd book of the series. It’s very relatable, it is about a high school basketball prospect that has problems with friends, family, girls and problems on the basketball team. Most people have a high school life like this except for being a basketball prospect. Throughout the book Derrick Bowen stays positive throughout all the problems he has to face and he has to learn to adjust to new things.
Derrick Bowen’s passion is basketball that’s what he loves. He wants to become a professional basketball player. But as a junior he’s being asked from his teammates, coaches, and parents where he wants to go. That decision is still too difficult for him to choose from but as the book goes on that decision starts to get easier. He runs into some trouble that he didn’t want to find in the beginning and because of it he was suspended for a few games. This isn’t the last time he misses games that season as he gets in injury and has to adjust from being the star, to being supportive from the bench. Because of the trouble and injury it hurts his college options, for now anyways. In the end Derrick is still recovering and he’s happy with the way life is going and he can’t wait for senior year when he’s fully recovered.
After every chapter you just want to keep on reading to find out what happens next. I’ve read the first 3 of the 4 from this series and everyone just keeps getting better and better. I would recommend this series to anyone that really just enjoys basketball. But these books aren’t all about basketball. You read throughout Derrick Bowen’s high school life. Most of these things are very relatable to the average high school student.

[Ben Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pull is the third book in a four part series about Derrick Bowens journey through high school basketball. Pull in my opinion is the best out of the series that i have read so far. The book does a much better job than the other two at explaining the life and the struggles that he is going through as a high school athlete. In this book instead of talking about the playing time and the coaching, it focuses on telling the story of his future career. This is a good idea from the author in my opinion because it is relatable for high schoolers who are close to graduating. Also the growth of Derrick is very notable in this book then any other because we see emotional moments which is different because in other books we didn't see as much emotional moments and in this book the emotional moments are some of the best parts of the story so far. What I dislike about this book is a small problem because again it can be a little long like the story can have a lot of dialogue and pages which just don't need to be apart of the story. It feels like the story can benefit from having fewer pages. This is a problem throughout the whole series so I am used to it but to a new reader I can see this problem. Even with this small problem this book still is amazing and I can definitely see that they are improving with the books and are not just staying the same.

[Rafael Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, be aware that this book comes with violent themes, mentions of drugs, sex, and profanity, and should be limited to a more mature audience. But with all that aside, this book is like the embodiment of fresh air; most books just feel the same and have the same essence to them. But this book in particular hits different in every way: story, vibe, language, everything about it makes me love it. One thing that made this book stand out is the way it feels pure; it doesn't feel like some old grandpa made it, but an actual teen baller, which makes it really unique. Speaking of ball, the story centers around basketball (the best sport ever), and personally feels intriguing to read along with learn about balling from a high schooler perspective. Even if it does feel slightly empty without context/background as well as pretty long, this is a must read for young hoopers and athletes like me.

[Ryan Quach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basketball novel Pull by Kevin Waltman really pulled (haha get it) me in as a reader. The main character of this book is Derrick, who has to face the difficulties of growing up (coming of age). He tries his best to juggle family, friends, the fame of being a top point guard in the state, injuries, and school. If you enjoy reading about basketball success, this is definitely the book for you. I, for one, liked this book a lot. I enjoyed the twists and turns of Derrick’s junior season. It was interesting to see how Derrick adapted to his obstacles on and off the court. A big message I got from this book is to know when to walk away from a situation. For example, Derrick should have gotten away from his relationship with his ex-bestfriend, Wes. However, because he stayed around too long, something daunting happened to him.

[Evan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan P,
This was a very good read, and I thought that it really captured everything. It really captures what happens during the game, and gave a great perspective on what goes through the players head, and what he sees. This is by far one of the greatest books I've read purely because of how well the author is able to capture the game. He was spot on with the practices and the coaches, and how things work. It gave really good detail into everything which is what made it feel like you were playing at that moment. I highly recommend reading this book due to the spot-on accuracy of what goes on.

[Hendo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did it with my low-level seniors. They enjoyed it.

[Adam]

Adam Bergschneider
English 231
B2

The author wrote this book is to continue the "D Bow High School Hoops" series. This is the third book in the series. The purpose of this book is to tell about a high school student who is on the school's varsity basketball team and is one of the highest recruiting players in the nation. Derrick Bowen is put in a tough situation as a junior, he must start narrowing down his colleges choices for his basketball career. Derick nearly hurts his recruiting chances when getting caught driving a friend who had marijuana on him.
The theme of this book is high school sports and the rules of recruiting. This book explains the situations kids go through when they are a top athlete in a sport. The author explains all the different scenarios that could happen when a kid is getting recruited by a university. In today's world this is becoming a bigger deal because colleges and university are willing to break NCAA recruiting rules just to get an athlete to attend their school. The author talks about all of this in his book.
The style this book was written was descriptive. The author always uses specific dates and times in his book. The author describes the different types of surroundings Derick finds himself in. For example the author describes the different types of moods characters have and how they act, along with their physical description. With all the details this author uses it makes it easy to visualize what is happening in the book at that time. The author also relates his book to real topics in today's world, which makes it easier and more interesting to read. Overall this book was very descriptive and in a effective way.
My opinion of this book is that it is a great book. I like the way the author keeps me interested in the book and doesn't make it become boring like some books. There was nothing I disliked about this book. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys sports and especially basketball. This is one of the best sports books I've read and will be looking forward to reading his next book.

[Matt Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author wrote this book to entertain readers with a sports book about a kid playing high school basketball. The purpose of this book is to tell about a high school athlete, who is on the varsity basketball team, and is one of the top ranked players in the nation. Derrick Bowen is put in a tough situation as a junior, he decide which college he wants to continue at for his basketball career. Derick almost hurts his chances at college ball, when getting into some trouble with a friend and some drugs.
The theme of this book is high school sports and the process of signing for college basketball. This book explains the situations kids go through when they are an athlete in a sport. The author explains all the different problems that could happen when a kid is getting recruited by a university. In today's world this is becoming a bigger deal because colleges and university are willing to do just about anything to get a top ranked player to sign and play for them.
This book was written in third person narrative. The narrator explains what is happening and knows how people feel and act. Kevin Waltman is very descriptive when it comes to the exact days in this book. The author tells us all the different experiences that Derrick finds himself getting into. He talks about descriptive things like how a character feels, acts, and even how they look. Because the other does all those things, it’s very easy to paint a picture in the readers head about what goes on and to whom it happens to. The author does a good job trying to make the book as up to date and realistic as possible.
I really liked this book and how well the author explains it to the reader. He is a very good author and makes books realistic to a high school athlete. I would recommend this book to any high schoolers, athletes, or anyone who likes vivid, and descriptive books. I like reading Kevin Waltman’s books and look forward to reading more like this in the future.

[Fernando Vences · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author wrote this book to entertain readers with a sports book about a kid playing high school basketball. The purpose of this book is to tell about a high school athlete, who is on the varsity basketball team, and is one of the top ranked players in the nation. Derrick Bowen is put in a tough situation as a junior, he decide which college he wants to continue at for his basketball career. Derick almost hurts his chances at college ball, when getting into some trouble with a friend and some drugs.
The theme of this book is high school sports and the process of signing for college basketball. This book explains the situations kids go through when they are an athlete in a sport. The author explains all the different problems that could happen when a kid is getting recruited by a university. In today's world this is becoming a bigger deal because colleges and university are willing to do just about anything to get a top ranked player to sign and play for them. Review#1

[Galaan Omar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great story. It was a great follow-up to it's two predecessors ("Next" and "Slump"). My favorite part of the book was when Derrick injures his calf against Evansville Harrison, the team that beat Marion East in the state championship last year. I know that you are wondering why that is my favorite part, sounds weird right? Well, the reason is that it added a lot to the plot and always had me wondering when he would be coming back to the hardwood. I would recommend this book to another reader, but only if they read the first two first. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waltman delivers again with his third installation of this excellent series. I appreciate that he can involve the reader in the minutiae of basketball games and practices and still manage to make them on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting, while also fleshing out real characters adolescents can relate to. The Bowen family is authentic as it gets, and their struggles and minor victories are what keep me coming back for more. Highly recommend for reluctant/adolescent male readers.

[Carter Devert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book begins by telling us the struggles of a high school athlete. From the start of his basketball career high school and the friends that move in and out of his circle. In the beginning he is very cautious and has feelings of doubt when the team changes from the year before. Soon he realizes he is now the leader and the responsibilities that follow. The author tells you a story of a high school basketball player who becomes one of the top recruited players for college.

The theme of the book is high school sports and how the athletes are recruited for college teams. The authors tell how the kids can get in trouble and how this will affect their chances of going to a good school. They talk about how students feel the pressure of high school along with the pressure of colleges and the teachers. It also explains how colleges will go to great lengths to get a good player to attend their school.

The book is narrated in third person. The narrator explains how D-Bow feels and how he reacts to situations. The book is very descriptive and tells you exactly where D-Bow is, what it looks like, time of day and how he feels about it. There are edges of your seat page turning sections of the book that keep it exciting. It also tells you about the characters specifically so you understand who they are and how they relate to D-Bow.
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I really liked this book. It was realistic and felt like it was current with the times. I didn’t feel like I was reading an old story. As you read it you feel like you know exactly what is going on and how everything looks. I would recommend this to any of my athlete friends.

[Josmeer]

This book begins by telling us the struggles of a high school athlete. Its Derricks junior year in high school and it’s about time for him to make a decision on where he wants to go play college basketball. Although he doesn’t have his go to teammate moose it’s time for Derrick to take full charge of the basketball team. Jasmine and Derrick are better than ever she’s thinking about going to college wherever Derrick goes so their relationship can grow. Wes which is Derrick’s best friend is still going down the wrong path which leads Derrick and him friendship in a pickle. Marion will go undefeated and head to the playoffs where they will face head to head with teams that have knocked them off in the past years. First round playoff was a tough one for Marion but they managed to make a run all the way to the championship. Marion plays team Sierra canyon which has nothing but division 1 players. Fourth quarter comes around and Marion is down by eight as a minute is left to go they are down by two. Derrick has three seconds before he has to chuck up a half quarter. Derrick couldn’t believe that he made the shot what a cool way to end your junior year. The next book will be about his college life with basketball and Jasmine he’s now back at the bottom of the food chain. I really enjoy this book I feel like I can relate to some of the things in Derricks life.