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Comeback Kids #3
Long Shot
Pedro Morales has always been content helping others look great. The epitome of a point guard, he plays the game to set up his teammates—Ned, in particular, the star forward on the receiving end of Pedro’s pinpoint passes. Pedro wants to make his father proud, and so he runs for class president. Yet doing so means going one-on-one against Ned, easily the most popular boy in school. And Pedro learns the hard way that being a good teammate doesn’t mean that others will return the favor. Now Pedro wants to win more than ever—but this time, it’s for himself.
182 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2008
118 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
110 books1,212 followersMichael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
August 30, 2020
Pedro Morales is an excellent point guard, but when he decides to run for president against his 6th grade star basketball teammate, Ned, he has a falling out that leads to lessons on being a team player. the author is great at creating tension on the court and with dialogue. Pedro learns to swallow his pride and cheer from the bench while Ned learns that talent on its own can lead to superiority and it is not all about winning. Pedro's parents are immigrants who are supportive and passed on their hard-working ethic. See if Pedro manages to heal a broken team and friendship. A short and good middle grade sports book.
January 7, 2016
This is a novel called Long Shot, by Mike Lupica. This is a book that is about Pedro Morales and his basketball team. This book that takes up 182 pages and it is a realistic fiction book. Pedro Morales is an amazing kid with an amazing talent. He moved to the US from Mexico when he was little. He loves to play basketball and he cannot decide to pick either school or his basketball team. He loves his team, but he does not want to let his parents down because they really care about his education. Pedro’s parents wants him to get good grades to get a scholarship so he could get a good job. His parents love what he does, but back when they were little, they played soccer. Pedro’s mom is a professional and so is his dad. Pedro has a team and he was the second best person because there is one person that is better than Pedro. The person’s name was Ned and he was the star forward of the team. They work together to form a great team and they will not stop doing that. Ned sometimes does not communicate with Pedro because he cannot catch up with what he got for him. All together they will be great teammates and will help anyone on their team if they are down. If Pedro keeps on working harder and harder, he will have a amazing life with an amazing family. This talent that he has will make him a good person and will help others to feel alive like he did when he was little. His family believes in him and all he wants to do is make his family happy.
Long Shot is an interesting book that gives a lot of information about someone or somewhere. Mike Lupica does an amazing job at writing this book because he talks about their feelings and their emotions. On page 81, it says “The Knights played so well that Pedro, as much of a team guy as he was, started to feel even worse about being on the bench.” This shows how much pain Pedro is going through even though he is a team guy and how much the coach loved him, but now he puts him on the bench. Mike Lupica does anything that makes the book very interesting to read. The ending is very exciting because Pedro finally told his dad that he is a President for his school and his dad is very proud of him. The reason why Pedro did not want to tell his parents that he was President is that the parents will go all crazy about it and will brag about it to everyone. The dad did not say the words Pedro thought he was saying and it was “President Morales”, but he actually said “My son”. I think this book is recommended for the people who like basketball or who likes sports. This book is very interesting and people will love it when they are reading it.
December 19, 2019
You can add eleven-year-old Pedro Morales to the list of memorable, lovable characters created by Mike Lupica, an author who never runs short of wonderful, authentic kids to fill his junior novels. Pedro isn't the only winner Long Shot is blessed with, either. There's his go-to guy on their basketball team, Ned Hancock, a small forward of myriad talents who no opponent can stop on the court, a scorer and passer of unsurpassed skill on the Vernon Knights or any other team in the area. Pedro is Coach Cory's point guard for the Knights, blessed like Ned with rare vision of game action as it unfolds, keen awareness of where to put the ball when it's needed, and the soft, accurate touch to get it there almost every time, but Ned is superior even in this aspect of the game, born to deliver quick, clean passes to teammates who are wide open because Ned has drawn all the defenders his way. For any personality faults that appear when Ned's integrity is put under stress, the reader gravitates to him almost as much as Pedro, sympathizing with Ned's feelings and growing to like him despite his dubious conduct. Then there's Joe Sutter, a friend who's always got Pedro's back, a Johnny-on-the-spot shooter and reliable rebounder in game action and a much-needed sounding board for Pedro when he's feeling troubled. A pure point guard needs teammates he can give the ball to and know they're capable of getting it through the basket, and in like manner, Pedro isn't expected to carry Long Shot as the book's only interesting character. As events progress and the tension climbs for Pedro, there are several other worthy landing spots for the reader's attention. Collectively, their narratives form a compellingly unified, heartfelt story that the uninitiated can appreciate as much as the die-hard basketball fan.
We get a glimpse of the silky hardcourt rapport between Pedro and Ned as Long Shot opens, a seamless resumption of the preternatural sync they'd developed the previous season as fifth-graders. Pedro is an able distributor of the basketball to all his teammates, but he shares an intuitive connection with Ned, whose scoring instincts make him the ideal target for Pedro's neatly threaded passes. When they're clicking on all cylinders, Pedro practically reading Ned's mind and perfectly anticipating where he's going to be to send him the ball, they're an unbeatable duo. The Vernon Knights advanced to the district semifinals last year before their rivals, the Wilton Warriors, eliminated them en route to the championship, but the Knights are sitting pretty to contend for the title now that their backcourt is a year older and more experienced. With no turnover in their starting five from the previous year, the Knights have few adjustments to worry about, and their core looks to be in better rhythm than ever.
"But that is the funny thing about dreams...Just when you are sure you have a good one, an even better one comes along."
—Mr. Morales, Long Shot, P. 12
Pedro's father, though, has a lot of adjustments to make as he prepares to open his own restaurant, Casa Luis, after being a chef for years at a friend's eatery. Mr. Morales is proud of the hard work he's put into making it in America after immigrating from Mexico years ago. Soccer was his favorite sport as a kid, but he appreciates Pedro's love of basketball and blossoming talent for the game, and he's as proud of his son as of his own accomplishments in founding Casa Luis. If a poor migrant from south of the border can make good in America, then the possibilities for Pedro are boundless. He could someday be elected president, for all they know. Mr. Morales's enthusiasm may be typical for a father who so loves his only son, but the idea of becoming president lingers in Pedro's thoughts. President Morales...Is it conceivable? Ned has mentioned his plan to run for school president this year and will probably campaign unopposed, but what if Pedro throws his hat into the ring and makes it a contest? He's not likely to outpoll Ned, who's as popular among the student body as he is with fans and teammates as a basketball all-star, but Mr. Morales believes his son can achieve any goal he sets his mind to, and Pedro longs to see his father's happiness if he could tell him he's been elected school president. His faith in him would sure be confirmed then.
With the new season about to start for his Vernon Knights, Pedro reports to practice eager to reassert his rhythm with Ned, who seemed nonplussed when Pedro announced his opposing candidacy for the office of school president. But from the get-go, Pedro's nearly telepathic link with his superstar small forward is disrupted, Ned going one way and Pedro's passes heading the other, bouncing innocuously across court into the waiting hands of defenders. Pedro's frustration increases as his and Ned's inability to get on the same page in practice persists, while Ned is working much more efficiently with Dave DeLuca, the backup point guard from last year. Pedro almost senses that Ned is setting him up to look bad, going out of his way to praise Dave's effort and improved skills at the point, leaving Pedro hanging by not doing his part to close the loop on the savvy pass moves that Ned routinely cashed in for points the previous season. Does Ned resent Pedro's decision to run against him for president, enough so he'd willfully sabotage the Knights' season to exact payback? That hardly seems like the friendly, upstanding kid Pedro has known Ned to be, but something is definitely going on. Their on-court partnership is a mere shadow of the lively, perfectly cadenced act they had down cold in fifth grade, and Pedro is positive his own level of play hasn't dropped that far.
There are tense moments as the Knights begin their season with Dave starting at the one position rather than Pedro, whose inconsistency with Ned has demoted him to a backup role. The team is winning games handily, but Pedro is mired in a slump, and it started with Ned making him look inept on the court. When Pedro tries too hard to thread the needle and make spectacular passes in games, it hurts his standing with the team even more. Turnovers are a point guard's worst enemy, and compiling as many of them as he does assists is the last thing Pedro needs if he wants to be reinserted into the starting lineup as Ned's righthand man. Most troubling to Pedro, however, is his friends' skepticism that Ned is working against him. Joe Sutter insists that Pedro is just trying too hard and not allowing himself to get into his natural basketball flow, and he'll get his starting job back as soon as he relaxes and stops thinking so much. The season is turning into a nightmare, nothing like the dream run to the championship Pedro envisioned when he looked forward to rekindling his magic on offense with Ned after their success last year. Ned is the same scoring and defensive stud, pouring in points and spacing the floor like a pro, but he's evidently chosen not to take Pedro along for the ride this time. If it's the presidential race doing this to them, should Pedro quit for the good of the team? The temptation is strong, but then Pedro thinks of his father's joy if his son could ascend to the top of the political mountain, accomplishing in that venue what Mr. Morales is on the cusp of doing as owner of his own restaurant. It would mean so much for Pedro to be voted president.
You get but one chance in life to be a sixth-grade Houdini of the Hardwood, and it hurts to see Pedro losing his time to shine because of a misunderstanding with a teammate he couldn't have been on more of a roll with a year ago. When you're at the pinnacle of your game it feels like you'll be there forever, that you'll never be less than the best, but the window of opportunity is usually deceptively narrow, for individual or team. When you luck into a dynamic like Pedro and Ned have with each other, you can't know how long it's going to last, and wasting it for any reason is sad. Like Pedro's friends, we watch Ned's tactics and can't be sure if he's intentionally thwarting his superb facilitator or if Pedro is reading too much into the situation, if sensitivity to his own diminished productivity has him searching for a scapegoat. Looking for excuses isn't Pedro's style, and we desperately want to be on his side and regard Ned with indignation for hurting Pedro, but we're not certain that's what's happening until further into the story, when Joe and others pick up on Ned's purposely missed cues with Pedro and validate his suspicion that Ned is sabotaging their shot at the title. The rhythm and roll of basketball is as anything in sports, but not as sweet as friendship when it clicks right and yields its full rewards, and both are on the line as Pedro tries to rise above his personal struggles to assist his team in their championship run, while trying to comprehend how Ned can be okay with tanking in big games to get back at Pedro for the perceived slight of his presidential candidacy. Pedro's best friend was always Joe, not Ned, but he misses the days when their on-court interaction was honeyed harmony rather than discordant jumble, and he wonders if the damage can ever be undone. After all, you only get one chance to be a sixth-grade superstar, and Pedro doesn't want to squander a second of his time with Ned while they're still capable of dominating the action with their smooth moves and coordinated affinity for playing off each other. Will their season—and the school election—end the way it should?
Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids novels are intended for a slightly younger audience than most of his books. As such, they're usually shorter, but that doesn't prevent Long Shot from being a treasure trove of ideas and emotional resonance, perhaps the best of the five Comeback Kids offerings. Mr. Morales is first and foremost a soccer fan, but life has seasoned him to be a wise observer of other sports and the way things are in general, and his advice is a huge help to Pedro. Pedro purely loves basketball, the squeak of sneakers on hardwood, the feeling of racing headlong toward the opponent's basket only to stop on a dime to loft an accurate shot, the zen of knowing the game so intimately that his awareness of what his opponents and teammates are going to do before it happens is virtually precognitive, and he can respond with the perfect pass precisely when his teammate is poised to receive it. Pedro even loves running practice drills, and his father tells him this is key to being successful and happy as a player. "The more you love something...the harder you work at it. And then, if you are lucky, you finally learn the secret that I remember every time I walk through the door to what will soon be my restaurant...That being there isn't work at all." Love of the game being instrumental to greatness is a sports cliché, but it's more than that. If you enjoy not just winning, but the heady sensations of being right in the middle of high-stakes, unscripted game action regardless of scores and statistics, then you're free to love basketball for itself, with no rider expectations to weigh you down. That's the way Pedro plays basketball, and why his games are beautiful to read about. Mr. Morales has a good perspective on the mysteries of athletic talent, as well: "I don't know if you have greatness in you as a basketball player," he tells Pedro. "That is between you and basketball, because sports sorts these things out eventually, tells us all whether we are good enough to be great or not." One searches out greatness as a hoopster only over time; it's a journey of ambition and self-discovery, but if there's excellence within and you're determined to locate it, you'll find your way there eventually.
Pedro gets frustrated during the season, and at one point he expresses it to his father in a way athletes and non-athletes can relate to equally: "Papa, sometimes it's like I can't get out of my own way." That's often the case in competition: our desire to be great, or even just good, causes us to think too much and not trust the hours of disciplined practice we invested in developing a solid game. How many times do we trip over our own feet trying to get where we want to go? Pedro is a gifted point guard, able to make his team better without putting a point on the board himself, but his weakness is shooting, and his father also has perceptive advice about this: "In soccer...if you think too much, it is as if somebody keeps moving the goal." That's exactly what shooting a basketball is like. If you concentrate too much on micro-adjustments in your motion, you'll never consistently put the ball through the basket. The key is to practice until your stroke is second nature, then let it fly with conviction when it's your turn to shoot in games, knowing you've put in the hours to be good enough to sink shots when it counts. The best basketball marksmen are coldblooded assassins, putting up field goal attempts without conscience, and like most of what Mr. Morales teaches Pedro, that principle carries over to life. There's no more important lesson than to remember that in sports, everything can hinge on a single play: athletic reputations, championship seasons, fantastic personal and team accomplishments. Coach Cory drills that into his team constantly. "The point of this, he told them, was that you'd better play every play as hard as you could, because it could be the one that changed everything." No regrets, that's the best strategy for any endeavor. And Pedro and Ned, each in their own way, will learn that this season.
Long Shot hits the right emotional notes from beginning to end, as I've come to expect from the great Mike Lupica. After briefly seeing how good Pedro and Ned are on the court together in the story's opening scene, the sudden loss of their esprit de corps is all the more disheartening, and that brilliantly drives the story's emotion. We can't help but cheer for Pedro to get his groove back and ball like a champion again, so it's natural to be angry with Ned for instigating Pedro's fall from grace with the team, though Ned has enough winsome qualities of his own that it's hard to be against him. These are real boys, who are going to make mistakes and hurt each other, but that genuineness is why we ultimately can't help but love Ned. The sweetness of friendship when it's going well and in its tough times is poignantly shown in Long Shot, and I would give it at least two and a half stars, quite possibly the full three. I'll never forget what Long Shot meant to me. Thank you, Mike Lupica, for Pedro Morales, Ned Hancock, and Joe Sutter. They are a wonderful gift to readers.
We get a glimpse of the silky hardcourt rapport between Pedro and Ned as Long Shot opens, a seamless resumption of the preternatural sync they'd developed the previous season as fifth-graders. Pedro is an able distributor of the basketball to all his teammates, but he shares an intuitive connection with Ned, whose scoring instincts make him the ideal target for Pedro's neatly threaded passes. When they're clicking on all cylinders, Pedro practically reading Ned's mind and perfectly anticipating where he's going to be to send him the ball, they're an unbeatable duo. The Vernon Knights advanced to the district semifinals last year before their rivals, the Wilton Warriors, eliminated them en route to the championship, but the Knights are sitting pretty to contend for the title now that their backcourt is a year older and more experienced. With no turnover in their starting five from the previous year, the Knights have few adjustments to worry about, and their core looks to be in better rhythm than ever.
"But that is the funny thing about dreams...Just when you are sure you have a good one, an even better one comes along."
—Mr. Morales, Long Shot, P. 12
Pedro's father, though, has a lot of adjustments to make as he prepares to open his own restaurant, Casa Luis, after being a chef for years at a friend's eatery. Mr. Morales is proud of the hard work he's put into making it in America after immigrating from Mexico years ago. Soccer was his favorite sport as a kid, but he appreciates Pedro's love of basketball and blossoming talent for the game, and he's as proud of his son as of his own accomplishments in founding Casa Luis. If a poor migrant from south of the border can make good in America, then the possibilities for Pedro are boundless. He could someday be elected president, for all they know. Mr. Morales's enthusiasm may be typical for a father who so loves his only son, but the idea of becoming president lingers in Pedro's thoughts. President Morales...Is it conceivable? Ned has mentioned his plan to run for school president this year and will probably campaign unopposed, but what if Pedro throws his hat into the ring and makes it a contest? He's not likely to outpoll Ned, who's as popular among the student body as he is with fans and teammates as a basketball all-star, but Mr. Morales believes his son can achieve any goal he sets his mind to, and Pedro longs to see his father's happiness if he could tell him he's been elected school president. His faith in him would sure be confirmed then.
With the new season about to start for his Vernon Knights, Pedro reports to practice eager to reassert his rhythm with Ned, who seemed nonplussed when Pedro announced his opposing candidacy for the office of school president. But from the get-go, Pedro's nearly telepathic link with his superstar small forward is disrupted, Ned going one way and Pedro's passes heading the other, bouncing innocuously across court into the waiting hands of defenders. Pedro's frustration increases as his and Ned's inability to get on the same page in practice persists, while Ned is working much more efficiently with Dave DeLuca, the backup point guard from last year. Pedro almost senses that Ned is setting him up to look bad, going out of his way to praise Dave's effort and improved skills at the point, leaving Pedro hanging by not doing his part to close the loop on the savvy pass moves that Ned routinely cashed in for points the previous season. Does Ned resent Pedro's decision to run against him for president, enough so he'd willfully sabotage the Knights' season to exact payback? That hardly seems like the friendly, upstanding kid Pedro has known Ned to be, but something is definitely going on. Their on-court partnership is a mere shadow of the lively, perfectly cadenced act they had down cold in fifth grade, and Pedro is positive his own level of play hasn't dropped that far.
There are tense moments as the Knights begin their season with Dave starting at the one position rather than Pedro, whose inconsistency with Ned has demoted him to a backup role. The team is winning games handily, but Pedro is mired in a slump, and it started with Ned making him look inept on the court. When Pedro tries too hard to thread the needle and make spectacular passes in games, it hurts his standing with the team even more. Turnovers are a point guard's worst enemy, and compiling as many of them as he does assists is the last thing Pedro needs if he wants to be reinserted into the starting lineup as Ned's righthand man. Most troubling to Pedro, however, is his friends' skepticism that Ned is working against him. Joe Sutter insists that Pedro is just trying too hard and not allowing himself to get into his natural basketball flow, and he'll get his starting job back as soon as he relaxes and stops thinking so much. The season is turning into a nightmare, nothing like the dream run to the championship Pedro envisioned when he looked forward to rekindling his magic on offense with Ned after their success last year. Ned is the same scoring and defensive stud, pouring in points and spacing the floor like a pro, but he's evidently chosen not to take Pedro along for the ride this time. If it's the presidential race doing this to them, should Pedro quit for the good of the team? The temptation is strong, but then Pedro thinks of his father's joy if his son could ascend to the top of the political mountain, accomplishing in that venue what Mr. Morales is on the cusp of doing as owner of his own restaurant. It would mean so much for Pedro to be voted president.
You get but one chance in life to be a sixth-grade Houdini of the Hardwood, and it hurts to see Pedro losing his time to shine because of a misunderstanding with a teammate he couldn't have been on more of a roll with a year ago. When you're at the pinnacle of your game it feels like you'll be there forever, that you'll never be less than the best, but the window of opportunity is usually deceptively narrow, for individual or team. When you luck into a dynamic like Pedro and Ned have with each other, you can't know how long it's going to last, and wasting it for any reason is sad. Like Pedro's friends, we watch Ned's tactics and can't be sure if he's intentionally thwarting his superb facilitator or if Pedro is reading too much into the situation, if sensitivity to his own diminished productivity has him searching for a scapegoat. Looking for excuses isn't Pedro's style, and we desperately want to be on his side and regard Ned with indignation for hurting Pedro, but we're not certain that's what's happening until further into the story, when Joe and others pick up on Ned's purposely missed cues with Pedro and validate his suspicion that Ned is sabotaging their shot at the title. The rhythm and roll of basketball is as anything in sports, but not as sweet as friendship when it clicks right and yields its full rewards, and both are on the line as Pedro tries to rise above his personal struggles to assist his team in their championship run, while trying to comprehend how Ned can be okay with tanking in big games to get back at Pedro for the perceived slight of his presidential candidacy. Pedro's best friend was always Joe, not Ned, but he misses the days when their on-court interaction was honeyed harmony rather than discordant jumble, and he wonders if the damage can ever be undone. After all, you only get one chance to be a sixth-grade superstar, and Pedro doesn't want to squander a second of his time with Ned while they're still capable of dominating the action with their smooth moves and coordinated affinity for playing off each other. Will their season—and the school election—end the way it should?
Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids novels are intended for a slightly younger audience than most of his books. As such, they're usually shorter, but that doesn't prevent Long Shot from being a treasure trove of ideas and emotional resonance, perhaps the best of the five Comeback Kids offerings. Mr. Morales is first and foremost a soccer fan, but life has seasoned him to be a wise observer of other sports and the way things are in general, and his advice is a huge help to Pedro. Pedro purely loves basketball, the squeak of sneakers on hardwood, the feeling of racing headlong toward the opponent's basket only to stop on a dime to loft an accurate shot, the zen of knowing the game so intimately that his awareness of what his opponents and teammates are going to do before it happens is virtually precognitive, and he can respond with the perfect pass precisely when his teammate is poised to receive it. Pedro even loves running practice drills, and his father tells him this is key to being successful and happy as a player. "The more you love something...the harder you work at it. And then, if you are lucky, you finally learn the secret that I remember every time I walk through the door to what will soon be my restaurant...That being there isn't work at all." Love of the game being instrumental to greatness is a sports cliché, but it's more than that. If you enjoy not just winning, but the heady sensations of being right in the middle of high-stakes, unscripted game action regardless of scores and statistics, then you're free to love basketball for itself, with no rider expectations to weigh you down. That's the way Pedro plays basketball, and why his games are beautiful to read about. Mr. Morales has a good perspective on the mysteries of athletic talent, as well: "I don't know if you have greatness in you as a basketball player," he tells Pedro. "That is between you and basketball, because sports sorts these things out eventually, tells us all whether we are good enough to be great or not." One searches out greatness as a hoopster only over time; it's a journey of ambition and self-discovery, but if there's excellence within and you're determined to locate it, you'll find your way there eventually.
Pedro gets frustrated during the season, and at one point he expresses it to his father in a way athletes and non-athletes can relate to equally: "Papa, sometimes it's like I can't get out of my own way." That's often the case in competition: our desire to be great, or even just good, causes us to think too much and not trust the hours of disciplined practice we invested in developing a solid game. How many times do we trip over our own feet trying to get where we want to go? Pedro is a gifted point guard, able to make his team better without putting a point on the board himself, but his weakness is shooting, and his father also has perceptive advice about this: "In soccer...if you think too much, it is as if somebody keeps moving the goal." That's exactly what shooting a basketball is like. If you concentrate too much on micro-adjustments in your motion, you'll never consistently put the ball through the basket. The key is to practice until your stroke is second nature, then let it fly with conviction when it's your turn to shoot in games, knowing you've put in the hours to be good enough to sink shots when it counts. The best basketball marksmen are coldblooded assassins, putting up field goal attempts without conscience, and like most of what Mr. Morales teaches Pedro, that principle carries over to life. There's no more important lesson than to remember that in sports, everything can hinge on a single play: athletic reputations, championship seasons, fantastic personal and team accomplishments. Coach Cory drills that into his team constantly. "The point of this, he told them, was that you'd better play every play as hard as you could, because it could be the one that changed everything." No regrets, that's the best strategy for any endeavor. And Pedro and Ned, each in their own way, will learn that this season.
Long Shot hits the right emotional notes from beginning to end, as I've come to expect from the great Mike Lupica. After briefly seeing how good Pedro and Ned are on the court together in the story's opening scene, the sudden loss of their esprit de corps is all the more disheartening, and that brilliantly drives the story's emotion. We can't help but cheer for Pedro to get his groove back and ball like a champion again, so it's natural to be angry with Ned for instigating Pedro's fall from grace with the team, though Ned has enough winsome qualities of his own that it's hard to be against him. These are real boys, who are going to make mistakes and hurt each other, but that genuineness is why we ultimately can't help but love Ned. The sweetness of friendship when it's going well and in its tough times is poignantly shown in Long Shot, and I would give it at least two and a half stars, quite possibly the full three. I'll never forget what Long Shot meant to me. Thank you, Mike Lupica, for Pedro Morales, Ned Hancock, and Joe Sutter. They are a wonderful gift to readers.
April 3, 2017
Long Shot by Mike Lupica is about a Mexican boy named Pedro Morales who plays basketball on his middle school team. Pedro is a quiet guy and he isn't the superstar like Ned Hancook. When Pedro wants to run for class president he finds out that he is going against the most popular guy in school, Ned. His teammates start to make fun of him once they find out he's going against Ned. In the end it turns out that not everyone wants to pass the ball to him.
I personally enjoyed this book because it is very realistic. The details in the book are very relatable and interesting. The way the character tells his story is very heartfelt. I can relate to when Pedro says he feels at home when he's on the basketball court because I feel that way when I play on a soccer field. If I could change something in this book I would change the beginning. I would change the beginning because it is slow and it really didn't get my attention.
I would recommend this book to any other reader interested in sport experiences. I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books by Mike Lupica and for middle school readers. This story is great for motivation.
I personally enjoyed this book because it is very realistic. The details in the book are very relatable and interesting. The way the character tells his story is very heartfelt. I can relate to when Pedro says he feels at home when he's on the basketball court because I feel that way when I play on a soccer field. If I could change something in this book I would change the beginning. I would change the beginning because it is slow and it really didn't get my attention.
I would recommend this book to any other reader interested in sport experiences. I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books by Mike Lupica and for middle school readers. This story is great for motivation.
March 10, 2009
pedro plays basketball and is on team suddenly theres a election for what you say. to be prisident of the united states of america. just kidden its to be class prisident and pedro has to run against one of his owen teammates hes called "ned hancock" and pedro acts like he dont see the light he calls him MR.perfect in his mind sadly. hes not even confident about himself so read to find out whos going to win Pedro V.S "MR.perfect".
TO BE Continued (im not writing more about this)
TO BE Continued (im not writing more about this)
October 21, 2014
I thought this book was awesome by the fact that it did show a moral/lesson to like it doesn't if your'e the popular kid or the star player in a team your still a team player whether you score a butch of points or not you should still have sportsmanship. I like how Ned apologized Pedro for being a jerk to him since he was in the basketball team. Another reason why i liked it was when Ned voted for Pedro for class president because he knew he was going to be the better leader when he was elected.
November 10, 2016
Long Shot by Mike Lupica, is about a boy Pedro who lives in a small city of Vernon. Ned Hancock, the best player in the city runs for class president. They used to be friends but now they are foes. Then Pedro wins and they both win the basketball championship and Ned apologizes for being mean.
I liked this book, because I have actually gone through the same struggles as Pedro. I didn't like how the book didn't go in depth with the election.
I liked this book, because I have actually gone through the same struggles as Pedro. I didn't like how the book didn't go in depth with the election.
March 4, 2016
The book Long Shot was very good. It follows a young kid, Pedro Morales, playing basketball and attempting to run for president against the most popular, most athletic kid in the whole town, Ned Hancock. But, does the presidential election gets to Ned's head? Does Pedro face basketball struggles? FInd out and read Long Shot by Mike Lupica
December 15, 2015
I think it was a very good book. There was competition in many ways, basketball, school president, and many more. If you love reading sport books, I suggest thins book to you... it might take a while to get in to though, other wise it is a great book!
November 6, 2017
I really liked this book. It shared the hardships of what kids can do to each other physically and mentally. I am a really big fan of Mike Lupica books and this was definitely one of the better ones I read.
February 27, 2016
I rate this 3.5 Stars. It was actually a pretty great book. :) It is about a 11 year old boy named Pedro who plays basketball.
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March 20, 2012Long Shot
By: Mike Lupica
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Realistic Fiction
This book is about a kid in 6th grade that is named Pedro Morales. He loves to play basketball on his city’s travel team. He has a very loving and caring family, especially his dad. Pedro isn’t the most outgoing person. He is sort of shy and just does not go on with his business in a fashionable way. Another kid in his grade, Ned Hancock, is the opposite. He is the star basketball player that everybody likes. Ned is very well liked in his school by everyone. Pedro liked him and really liked to play basketball with him because Ned is a scorer and he was a passer. The two of them were both good friends until the school president election came. Usually it would just be Ned running and he would usually win everybody over, but this year Pedro decided to run for president also. This was a shock to many people. Ned took it the wrong way and his friendship with Pedro kind of faded away. This affected them on the basketball court a lot. It really affected Pedro’s play on the court though mostly. He just wasn’t playing the game he usually does and got beat out for the starting position. This went on for a while until Pedro’s dad helped him get back on track and start to play better. This inspired Pedro to do better in everything, including the election. They both gave speeches but it seemed as if Pedro’s was a lot better than Ned’s. During one of the biggest games of the season against their rivals, the game came down to the very end but it also seemed as if Pedro and Ned were getting along a lot better. They had won that game against the best team in town. Then it was Election Day. Before the results were announced, Ned and Pedro talked and Ned had even voted for Pedro. They were friends again. Pedro also had one something else, the election. This story takes place during November in the small town of Vernon. It takes place in present time.
The theme of this book is to never count yourself out of something and to never give up on anything. This is shown in the book because everybody just thought that Ned would easily win the election, but Pedro had a different idea. He never counted himself out and eventually won the whole election. Pedro also never gives up by not giving up on the election when he didn’t believe he could win. He just kept on working and that turned out in a good way for him. Another way the theme is developed is when Pedro gets beaten out of his starting position. He had doubts about himself but still never gave up and eventually started to play better towards the end of the season. This is a very important and good teaching theme.
This is a very good book that I really liked. I think I liked it so much because it was about sports. People who enjoy sports, especially basketball, would really like this book in my opinion. Also people who like a good story about life in general would really like this book as well because of its theme. I love reading Mike Lupica books because he is a very detailed writer. That style of writing helps me understand the story a lot better. “Ned was a small forward, even though he wasn’t small. He was tall enough to play center and a good enough shooter to play shooting guard.” I like this quote from the book because it shows how descriptive the author is in his writing. This quote is on page 4 of the book. This is one of my favorite books compared to others that I have read. I say this because I really like books with good background stories but also that include sports in them which is what this book did. I liked this book a lot.
I can relate to this book in many ways. One of those ways is because I play basketball just like Pedro and his team. I also love the game of basketball just like Pedro. Another way is because I also go to middle school just like Pedro and all of his friends in this book. I can also relate to the theme. I can relate to that because I also believe that you should never give up or never count yourself out of something no matter what it is. This book has affected me in many ways. One way is because now I can see that never giving up will lead to good things happening rather than just stopping and quitting. This book has taught me many lessons as a reader. In my opinion, this is an amazing book. I think that because it is about sports but also because the author used an event in life to also go along with sports and how it can affect someone. This book is a very very good book that I really enjoyed reading and I think that if you read it, you would like it too.
By: Mike Lupica
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Realistic Fiction
This book is about a kid in 6th grade that is named Pedro Morales. He loves to play basketball on his city’s travel team. He has a very loving and caring family, especially his dad. Pedro isn’t the most outgoing person. He is sort of shy and just does not go on with his business in a fashionable way. Another kid in his grade, Ned Hancock, is the opposite. He is the star basketball player that everybody likes. Ned is very well liked in his school by everyone. Pedro liked him and really liked to play basketball with him because Ned is a scorer and he was a passer. The two of them were both good friends until the school president election came. Usually it would just be Ned running and he would usually win everybody over, but this year Pedro decided to run for president also. This was a shock to many people. Ned took it the wrong way and his friendship with Pedro kind of faded away. This affected them on the basketball court a lot. It really affected Pedro’s play on the court though mostly. He just wasn’t playing the game he usually does and got beat out for the starting position. This went on for a while until Pedro’s dad helped him get back on track and start to play better. This inspired Pedro to do better in everything, including the election. They both gave speeches but it seemed as if Pedro’s was a lot better than Ned’s. During one of the biggest games of the season against their rivals, the game came down to the very end but it also seemed as if Pedro and Ned were getting along a lot better. They had won that game against the best team in town. Then it was Election Day. Before the results were announced, Ned and Pedro talked and Ned had even voted for Pedro. They were friends again. Pedro also had one something else, the election. This story takes place during November in the small town of Vernon. It takes place in present time.
The theme of this book is to never count yourself out of something and to never give up on anything. This is shown in the book because everybody just thought that Ned would easily win the election, but Pedro had a different idea. He never counted himself out and eventually won the whole election. Pedro also never gives up by not giving up on the election when he didn’t believe he could win. He just kept on working and that turned out in a good way for him. Another way the theme is developed is when Pedro gets beaten out of his starting position. He had doubts about himself but still never gave up and eventually started to play better towards the end of the season. This is a very important and good teaching theme.
This is a very good book that I really liked. I think I liked it so much because it was about sports. People who enjoy sports, especially basketball, would really like this book in my opinion. Also people who like a good story about life in general would really like this book as well because of its theme. I love reading Mike Lupica books because he is a very detailed writer. That style of writing helps me understand the story a lot better. “Ned was a small forward, even though he wasn’t small. He was tall enough to play center and a good enough shooter to play shooting guard.” I like this quote from the book because it shows how descriptive the author is in his writing. This quote is on page 4 of the book. This is one of my favorite books compared to others that I have read. I say this because I really like books with good background stories but also that include sports in them which is what this book did. I liked this book a lot.
I can relate to this book in many ways. One of those ways is because I play basketball just like Pedro and his team. I also love the game of basketball just like Pedro. Another way is because I also go to middle school just like Pedro and all of his friends in this book. I can also relate to the theme. I can relate to that because I also believe that you should never give up or never count yourself out of something no matter what it is. This book has affected me in many ways. One way is because now I can see that never giving up will lead to good things happening rather than just stopping and quitting. This book has taught me many lessons as a reader. In my opinion, this is an amazing book. I think that because it is about sports but also because the author used an event in life to also go along with sports and how it can affect someone. This book is a very very good book that I really enjoyed reading and I think that if you read it, you would like it too.
December 20, 2019
This was a short book but had a really good message.
December 18, 2011
Long Shot
Mike Lupica
Book Response By Naglis
My book response is Long Shot by Mike Lupica in the Comeback Kids series. The main character is Pedro. The setting mostly takes place in a town named Vernon in the present day. The plot of the story is that Ned, one of Pedro’s best friends, excels at athleticism, especially in basketball and is also the most popular kid in Vernon Middle School. He plays excellently with Pedro, like they have linked minds on the basketball court and are good friends overall. But Pedro opposes him when the school president elections come up and he soon realizes Ned is not as friendly as he had thought before and makes Pedro look bad on the basketball court when they usually are in perfect sync, and off of it. So Pedro is stuck in the middle: he has to choose whether to run for school president, where he is very unlikely to succeed, or to give it up and down his dream but stand away from a possible humiliation. So will Pedro succeed? Or will he have an upsetting failure? Read this book to find out what goes wrong, what goes right, and what is all of the unpredictability and tension in this book!
Mike Lupica is a sports author and some other books in the Comeback Kids series are Two Minute Drill and Hot Hand. Some of his famous books include Summer Ball, Heat, Miracle on 49th Street, and The Big Field. He has won the Jim Murray Award from the NFF in 2003 and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
My opinion about Ned is that he is too used to winning and is overconfident. What I mean is that when school president elections came, the book says Ned was so confident he would win the elections he didn’t even make a speech! I quote: “There was no paper in his hands, no paper on the podium in front of him, no nothing, making Pedro think that maybe Ned had memorized his speech so well that he didn’t even need a copy in case he lost his place. But as soon as he started, Pedro realized that Ned hadn’t prepared a speech. He was clearly making it up as he went along.” That is overconfidence and Ned acted so mean to Pedro on the basketball court, making him look bad by stopping when Pedro passed the ball to him, making the ball out of bounds so the other team gets the ball, making Pedro feel small.
So I realized this book is about how anyone can betray you, even a good friend and that if someone gets a small chance to follow their dreams, they should do it. If you like sports and real life situations, I recommend this book.
Mike Lupica
Book Response By Naglis
My book response is Long Shot by Mike Lupica in the Comeback Kids series. The main character is Pedro. The setting mostly takes place in a town named Vernon in the present day. The plot of the story is that Ned, one of Pedro’s best friends, excels at athleticism, especially in basketball and is also the most popular kid in Vernon Middle School. He plays excellently with Pedro, like they have linked minds on the basketball court and are good friends overall. But Pedro opposes him when the school president elections come up and he soon realizes Ned is not as friendly as he had thought before and makes Pedro look bad on the basketball court when they usually are in perfect sync, and off of it. So Pedro is stuck in the middle: he has to choose whether to run for school president, where he is very unlikely to succeed, or to give it up and down his dream but stand away from a possible humiliation. So will Pedro succeed? Or will he have an upsetting failure? Read this book to find out what goes wrong, what goes right, and what is all of the unpredictability and tension in this book!
Mike Lupica is a sports author and some other books in the Comeback Kids series are Two Minute Drill and Hot Hand. Some of his famous books include Summer Ball, Heat, Miracle on 49th Street, and The Big Field. He has won the Jim Murray Award from the NFF in 2003 and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
My opinion about Ned is that he is too used to winning and is overconfident. What I mean is that when school president elections came, the book says Ned was so confident he would win the elections he didn’t even make a speech! I quote: “There was no paper in his hands, no paper on the podium in front of him, no nothing, making Pedro think that maybe Ned had memorized his speech so well that he didn’t even need a copy in case he lost his place. But as soon as he started, Pedro realized that Ned hadn’t prepared a speech. He was clearly making it up as he went along.” That is overconfidence and Ned acted so mean to Pedro on the basketball court, making him look bad by stopping when Pedro passed the ball to him, making the ball out of bounds so the other team gets the ball, making Pedro feel small.
So I realized this book is about how anyone can betray you, even a good friend and that if someone gets a small chance to follow their dreams, they should do it. If you like sports and real life situations, I recommend this book.
April 30, 2015
Have you ever been nice to other people, but they aren't nice to you? If you have then "Long Shot" a book that is about it, but in sports. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. I think this is one of my most favorite books from the author Mike Lupica.
The setting is mostly in a school and basketball courts. It is where the problem starts and where the problem goes away or is solved. Pedro Morales wanted to be class president and be one of the starters in the basketball team, for the season, but Ned made him look bad while playing basketball,since Pedro was running against him for class president. So, Pedro tries to keep his position as a starter for the season and Pedro and Ned give their speeches for class president. Then, Pedro makes Ned realize that he is acting like his enemy. The type of conflict is person vs. person because Pedro wants to be class president, but Ned goes against him by making him look bad while playing basketball.
The main character fights back to get his starter position by playing better against Ned. According to the book, Pedro plays much better during practice with his team and for the first time, he makes his coach give Ned advice for playing, when he stole the ball from Ned, which is rare because he was the best player in the team. I understand why Ned was getting revenge on Pedro for going up against for class president. Ned was getting revenge at Pedro because it was the first time there was someone who could beat him at being class president for the first time.
The main character's problem is that Ned is making Pedro lose his starter position in basketball, since he was going up against him for class president. So, Pedro has to try to keep his starter position and become class president. The character's motivation is his dad, Luis Morales, because he made Pedro believe that he could become class president, or be able to do anything as long as he believed he could do it.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because I like how the author made it so that Pedro overcame the problem. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about basketball. I think this is my most favorite book from the author Mike Lupica.
The setting is mostly in a school and basketball courts. It is where the problem starts and where the problem goes away or is solved. Pedro Morales wanted to be class president and be one of the starters in the basketball team, for the season, but Ned made him look bad while playing basketball,since Pedro was running against him for class president. So, Pedro tries to keep his position as a starter for the season and Pedro and Ned give their speeches for class president. Then, Pedro makes Ned realize that he is acting like his enemy. The type of conflict is person vs. person because Pedro wants to be class president, but Ned goes against him by making him look bad while playing basketball.
The main character fights back to get his starter position by playing better against Ned. According to the book, Pedro plays much better during practice with his team and for the first time, he makes his coach give Ned advice for playing, when he stole the ball from Ned, which is rare because he was the best player in the team. I understand why Ned was getting revenge on Pedro for going up against for class president. Ned was getting revenge at Pedro because it was the first time there was someone who could beat him at being class president for the first time.
The main character's problem is that Ned is making Pedro lose his starter position in basketball, since he was going up against him for class president. So, Pedro has to try to keep his starter position and become class president. The character's motivation is his dad, Luis Morales, because he made Pedro believe that he could become class president, or be able to do anything as long as he believed he could do it.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because I like how the author made it so that Pedro overcame the problem. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about basketball. I think this is my most favorite book from the author Mike Lupica.
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November 16, 2015Adam Strom
Mr. Dean
ELA 2nd hour
November 3rd, 2015
Comeback kids
Pedro was the starting point guard for vernon middle school team all his time playing basketball. But this year is different. Pedro´s dad had the idea of him running for president. After practice Perdo and 2 of his friends would meet at either of their houses and create banners and papers to put on the walls of the school. there was only one problem. Pedro was running for president against Ned Hancock, the coolest kid in school, the star of the basketball team and class president for the past years. When Ned found out about this, Ned would look bad when Pedro passed him the ball or throw a seemingly good, but bad pass to Pedro causing him to mess up. At the beginning of the season Pedro lost his starting spot at point guard and is stressing to get it back while running for president at Vernon middle school.
The best part of this book is the title. The title grabs all different types of athletes no matter the sport. The series comeback kids fits this book perfectly because Pedro has to comeback and regain his starting point guard spot while in the race for class president. The title Long Shot also fits in with this book because Ned has won class president every year they had a race for it. Pedro deciding to run for president is a longshot because he never has before, this causing conflict on the court.
The theme of this book matches up with the series perfectly, comeback kids. Pedro losing his starting spot because his teammates aren't cooperating with him on the court because of off the court problems. The theme changed in chapter 4 when Pedro went from wanting to be the best basketball player ever to focusing in becoming class president all because of his dad's words ¨Pedro Morales.¨ This made every characters act more influential to the story because every act mattered so much more with less time.
This is a great book for anyone who loves sports and loves suspense. Pedro teaches that if you are on the top it's easy to fall and hard to get back up. This also a lesson for all middle school and elementary kids to keep trying and don't give up. You will not want to stop reading.
Mr. Dean
ELA 2nd hour
November 3rd, 2015
Comeback kids
Pedro was the starting point guard for vernon middle school team all his time playing basketball. But this year is different. Pedro´s dad had the idea of him running for president. After practice Perdo and 2 of his friends would meet at either of their houses and create banners and papers to put on the walls of the school. there was only one problem. Pedro was running for president against Ned Hancock, the coolest kid in school, the star of the basketball team and class president for the past years. When Ned found out about this, Ned would look bad when Pedro passed him the ball or throw a seemingly good, but bad pass to Pedro causing him to mess up. At the beginning of the season Pedro lost his starting spot at point guard and is stressing to get it back while running for president at Vernon middle school.
The best part of this book is the title. The title grabs all different types of athletes no matter the sport. The series comeback kids fits this book perfectly because Pedro has to comeback and regain his starting point guard spot while in the race for class president. The title Long Shot also fits in with this book because Ned has won class president every year they had a race for it. Pedro deciding to run for president is a longshot because he never has before, this causing conflict on the court.
The theme of this book matches up with the series perfectly, comeback kids. Pedro losing his starting spot because his teammates aren't cooperating with him on the court because of off the court problems. The theme changed in chapter 4 when Pedro went from wanting to be the best basketball player ever to focusing in becoming class president all because of his dad's words ¨Pedro Morales.¨ This made every characters act more influential to the story because every act mattered so much more with less time.
This is a great book for anyone who loves sports and loves suspense. Pedro teaches that if you are on the top it's easy to fall and hard to get back up. This also a lesson for all middle school and elementary kids to keep trying and don't give up. You will not want to stop reading.
February 28, 2013
Mike Lupica’s Longshot
Pedro is the type of point guard that makes others on his team better than him. His buddy Ned is the star forward and usually receives the great passes to make him look good even though Ned makes Pedro look really bad in everything. Ned goes out of his way to make Pedro a bad player, he probably does this because he is afraid that Pedro is better than him. Pedro wants to impress his dad so he runs for class president. His opponent is his buddy Ned and neither of them back down in this battle for class president, usually Pedro would help Ned but this time he wants to win for himself. “There was no paper in his hands, no paper on the podium in front of him, no nothing, making Pedro think that maybe Ned had memorized his speech so well that he didn’t even need a copy in case he lost his place. But as soon as he started, Pedro realized that Ned hadn’t prepared a speech. He was clearly making it up as he went along.”(Lupica 97) This shows Neds overconfidence and how he was thinking Pedro could not beat him.
In this book the author did a great job by keeping the reader involved and not leaving out needed information. The book did not move me at all because the story had a minor problem and no big problem. The lesson I learned was that everything that you do should be for yourself and along the way you should help others. Ned was too overconfident that he is going to win and he goes out of his way in basketball to make Pedro look bad. Such as when Ned is running down the floor and Pedro throws him the ball and Ned slows down so it will go out of bounds on purpose to make Pedro look bad.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 because it was a very interesting story and keeps you reading. The problem is that in a good book there should be a problem and a solution and in this book the problem is minor compared to things that the other good have made. The audience should read this book if they enjoy sports and a reality lifestyle because this is an interesting story and will keep you involved.
Pedro is the type of point guard that makes others on his team better than him. His buddy Ned is the star forward and usually receives the great passes to make him look good even though Ned makes Pedro look really bad in everything. Ned goes out of his way to make Pedro a bad player, he probably does this because he is afraid that Pedro is better than him. Pedro wants to impress his dad so he runs for class president. His opponent is his buddy Ned and neither of them back down in this battle for class president, usually Pedro would help Ned but this time he wants to win for himself. “There was no paper in his hands, no paper on the podium in front of him, no nothing, making Pedro think that maybe Ned had memorized his speech so well that he didn’t even need a copy in case he lost his place. But as soon as he started, Pedro realized that Ned hadn’t prepared a speech. He was clearly making it up as he went along.”(Lupica 97) This shows Neds overconfidence and how he was thinking Pedro could not beat him.
In this book the author did a great job by keeping the reader involved and not leaving out needed information. The book did not move me at all because the story had a minor problem and no big problem. The lesson I learned was that everything that you do should be for yourself and along the way you should help others. Ned was too overconfident that he is going to win and he goes out of his way in basketball to make Pedro look bad. Such as when Ned is running down the floor and Pedro throws him the ball and Ned slows down so it will go out of bounds on purpose to make Pedro look bad.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 because it was a very interesting story and keeps you reading. The problem is that in a good book there should be a problem and a solution and in this book the problem is minor compared to things that the other good have made. The audience should read this book if they enjoy sports and a reality lifestyle because this is an interesting story and will keep you involved.
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February 19, 2014Pedro is a point gaurd on his schools basketball team. Pedro likes to practice a lot so he can be good at basketball. the genre of this book is realistic fiction because it can really happen. I think this is a good book because Im in to sport books especially basketball books. I also like this book because Mike Lupica wrote it and he's a good writer.
In the beginning of this book Pedro is playing basketball with some boys that are on the basketball team. they practice for about 2 hours and then they have to leave. their principle lets them practice for 30 more minutes because he really likes them. Pedro doesn't have any brothers or sisters so hes always bored. all he does is play basketball or read every day maybe even watch tv. Pedro is a A student he gets good grades in every subject. he has to get good grades in order to be on the basketball team. he studies every day even though he doesn't have a test. the authors purpose was to entertain to people that like basketball.
I was surprised when their principle let them practice for 30 more minutes. I was angry about how when Pedro didnt get to get the ball in his hands because his teammates said he sucks. I like the way the author wrote this book I like it a lot. I dont get why the author made Pedro look like he sucks. the main character Pedro is a nice kid and is really good at basketball. I got left out in fifth grade the kids didnt like me because I was new to that school.
this is a really good book I like basketball books. I didn't like the way the kid's treated Pedro. I give this book a 10 because its a really good book. I would recommend this book to people who like basketball books. this book is the second best book I ever read I really liked it a lot. im going to read more of Mike Lupicas books because they are really good.
In the beginning of this book Pedro is playing basketball with some boys that are on the basketball team. they practice for about 2 hours and then they have to leave. their principle lets them practice for 30 more minutes because he really likes them. Pedro doesn't have any brothers or sisters so hes always bored. all he does is play basketball or read every day maybe even watch tv. Pedro is a A student he gets good grades in every subject. he has to get good grades in order to be on the basketball team. he studies every day even though he doesn't have a test. the authors purpose was to entertain to people that like basketball.
I was surprised when their principle let them practice for 30 more minutes. I was angry about how when Pedro didnt get to get the ball in his hands because his teammates said he sucks. I like the way the author wrote this book I like it a lot. I dont get why the author made Pedro look like he sucks. the main character Pedro is a nice kid and is really good at basketball. I got left out in fifth grade the kids didnt like me because I was new to that school.
this is a really good book I like basketball books. I didn't like the way the kid's treated Pedro. I give this book a 10 because its a really good book. I would recommend this book to people who like basketball books. this book is the second best book I ever read I really liked it a lot. im going to read more of Mike Lupicas books because they are really good.
November 25, 2014
Have you ever wanted to be good at something really bad? If you have here is a story you could relate to. Long shot is a realistic fiction by Mike Lupica. I think this is a really good book.
The setting of the book is in the city of Vernon. Pedro is a sixth grader who wanted to be school president but there was also a sixth grader named Ned who was a more popular than Pedro. So Pedro ran for president. Then Pedro wins the election. This is a person vs person conflict because Ned was mad at Pedro for running for president.
I was angry when Ned started to act different with Pedro because he was mad that he ran for president. Also I was angry because he wasnt trying to catch the passes that Pedro threw at practice so he wouldnt start in the line up for the first game. Also because it wasnt fair that for somebody else's mistake you had to pay the consequences. My favorite part was when Pedro won the election. It was my favorite because after that Ned treated him with respect. Also because Pedro gave a really good speech to say why he should be president and that he didnt care if he wasnt number one.
I was moved by Pedros speech of why he should be president. One reason is that he said he may not be the best in a sport but that he will always be the best teammate. Another reason he said, "I dont think I'm better than every body else." I had predicted that Ned would win the elections but it turned out that Pedro won. One reason that I thiugh Ned would one is because he was really popular. Also he was a really good athlete and the best in basketbal.
I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars becasue Pedro stood up on the speech for the election. I recommend this book to any body who has problems with thier friends. Follow your dreams just like Pedro because he wanted to be class presient and he became president.
The setting of the book is in the city of Vernon. Pedro is a sixth grader who wanted to be school president but there was also a sixth grader named Ned who was a more popular than Pedro. So Pedro ran for president. Then Pedro wins the election. This is a person vs person conflict because Ned was mad at Pedro for running for president.
I was angry when Ned started to act different with Pedro because he was mad that he ran for president. Also I was angry because he wasnt trying to catch the passes that Pedro threw at practice so he wouldnt start in the line up for the first game. Also because it wasnt fair that for somebody else's mistake you had to pay the consequences. My favorite part was when Pedro won the election. It was my favorite because after that Ned treated him with respect. Also because Pedro gave a really good speech to say why he should be president and that he didnt care if he wasnt number one.
I was moved by Pedros speech of why he should be president. One reason is that he said he may not be the best in a sport but that he will always be the best teammate. Another reason he said, "I dont think I'm better than every body else." I had predicted that Ned would win the elections but it turned out that Pedro won. One reason that I thiugh Ned would one is because he was really popular. Also he was a really good athlete and the best in basketbal.
I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars becasue Pedro stood up on the speech for the election. I recommend this book to any body who has problems with thier friends. Follow your dreams just like Pedro because he wanted to be class presient and he became president.
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December 20, 2017Long Shot by Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids. It is about a kid named Pedro and his dad like soccer, and Pedro likes basketball more than soccer. His dad doesn’t like that though because his dad likes him in soccer more than basketball. His dad is also going to try to keep him in soccer, because he was a soccer Champion. The book level of this book is 5.2.
The main idea of this book is to never give up and keep on trying. He starts out as a regular kid and then goes and runs for president for their school, against the hardest school president and tries to win but then the he had troubles in basketball with Ned. Ned made him look bad because he would throw the ball in front of him to far but it was possible to get. So then he would have to run a little bit faster to get to it but when he got to it and shot the ball he was under the hoop so the ball hit the bottom of the rim. Then Pedro would get mad at himself and want to quit.
Pedro's first game went pretty bad for him because he was not in the starting line up and wanted to leave because Dave starts first and Pedro knows he is better than him he just hasn't been showing it. Then when Pedro got to go in he got the ball and he was in a bad place, but instead of passing the ball to a wide open player he shot the ball and missed. At the end of the book Pedro scores a buzzer beater and wins the game. What I think of this book was it was entertaining. Why I think that is because you never knew what was going to happen with Pedro or Ned because it seemed like they were always in some sort of predicament. The words in this book are pretty easy to read and the book itself was easy to understand. These are my reasons why I like this book.
The main idea of this book is to never give up and keep on trying. He starts out as a regular kid and then goes and runs for president for their school, against the hardest school president and tries to win but then the he had troubles in basketball with Ned. Ned made him look bad because he would throw the ball in front of him to far but it was possible to get. So then he would have to run a little bit faster to get to it but when he got to it and shot the ball he was under the hoop so the ball hit the bottom of the rim. Then Pedro would get mad at himself and want to quit.
Pedro's first game went pretty bad for him because he was not in the starting line up and wanted to leave because Dave starts first and Pedro knows he is better than him he just hasn't been showing it. Then when Pedro got to go in he got the ball and he was in a bad place, but instead of passing the ball to a wide open player he shot the ball and missed. At the end of the book Pedro scores a buzzer beater and wins the game. What I think of this book was it was entertaining. Why I think that is because you never knew what was going to happen with Pedro or Ned because it seemed like they were always in some sort of predicament. The words in this book are pretty easy to read and the book itself was easy to understand. These are my reasons why I like this book.
July 23, 2014
Pedro and Ned are teammates on their 6th grade basketball team. When they hit the court, they make each other and everybody on the team better. Ned is a natural athlete, and is chosen to be a starter over Pedro. After talking with his dad about making a difference in the world, Pedro decides to run for class president. As luck would have it, Ned is the opposing candidate! Their competitive nature becomes apparent on the basketball court and during the campaign. Ned and Pedro show their true colors in how they each respond to the pressure of trying to win. Ned continually sabotages Pedro on the court and in the race for presidency. Pedro takes the high road, and continues to persevere in being his best self.
This is book #3 in the Comeback Kid series. There is a great deal of basketball lingo, which makes it an appealing choice for sports-minded readers. For instance, “Let’s try a pick-and-roll, but without the roll.” There is an abundance of sports chatter, but it is fairly accessible to the basketball novice. The sentence structure is simple and this creates a very quick read. This book is high interest, and low reading level. I would recommend it to 5th – 9th graders who crave a male protagonist. The relationship between Pedro and his father is admirable and this is such a treat in any YA literature. Pedro wants to make his father proud, and is highly successful.
This is book #3 in the Comeback Kid series. There is a great deal of basketball lingo, which makes it an appealing choice for sports-minded readers. For instance, “Let’s try a pick-and-roll, but without the roll.” There is an abundance of sports chatter, but it is fairly accessible to the basketball novice. The sentence structure is simple and this creates a very quick read. This book is high interest, and low reading level. I would recommend it to 5th – 9th graders who crave a male protagonist. The relationship between Pedro and his father is admirable and this is such a treat in any YA literature. Pedro wants to make his father proud, and is highly successful.
Want to read
December 7, 2016Mike Lupica is one of my favorite authors. I like all of his books because he writes about sports and other stuff and pretty much every book that he writes is about something that I like to do. I like the book "Long Shot" because it is a book written about this kid named Pedro that plays basketball and he and one of his teammates are both running for president and they act like they are arch nemesis.
In the book "Long Shot" Pedro the character was their starting Point Guard for the team and then the coach did not put him at starting Point Guard the next year. And then Pedro did not like that so he decided to step his game up and try to become the starting point guard again. And towards the end of the book he does become his teams starting Point Guard again. And him and Ned Hancock were both running against each other for the President of the school. But at the end of the book Ned told Pedro that he hopes he wins and that he wants Pedro to win. And then he said that he voted for Pedro because he deserved to be the President.
My favorite part about the book is that he inspired himself to try to get back onto the starting lineup by motivating himself to step his game up. I liked that part because it is just cool that he motivated himself to become the schools basketball starting point guard again. You should read this book because it is a very cool and interesting book to read and Mike Lupica could be one of your favorite authors if you like sports.
In the book "Long Shot" Pedro the character was their starting Point Guard for the team and then the coach did not put him at starting Point Guard the next year. And then Pedro did not like that so he decided to step his game up and try to become the starting point guard again. And towards the end of the book he does become his teams starting Point Guard again. And him and Ned Hancock were both running against each other for the President of the school. But at the end of the book Ned told Pedro that he hopes he wins and that he wants Pedro to win. And then he said that he voted for Pedro because he deserved to be the President.
My favorite part about the book is that he inspired himself to try to get back onto the starting lineup by motivating himself to step his game up. I liked that part because it is just cool that he motivated himself to become the schools basketball starting point guard again. You should read this book because it is a very cool and interesting book to read and Mike Lupica could be one of your favorite authors if you like sports.
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August 20, 2011Buzzer Beater, the shot goes up and swish he scores for the win. The book that I read is about a boy named Pedro Morales who's dad is a famous soccer player. Pedro morales and his familly has legally crossed the the border and ready to begin a new journey in the United states Of America. For the second year straight year Pedro has made the cross country basketball team for veron middle school. Everybody on the team knew that Pedro was the greatest passer on their Veron Middle school basketball team. But pedro never had a jumpshot from anywhere on the court until he makes the game play.
Ned Hancock was the best player in the school, he could do almost everything he ran for class president, the smartest kid in class, and all the girls thought that he was the most handsomest in school. Pedro knew right away that he had to step his game up so he decided to run for class president agaisnt the one and only Ned Hancock. 90% of people in Veron Midlle was shocked, then thought that Pedro would not even have a chance, or even get one vote going for him.
You have to read the book to see for youself what Pedro has done to change his life around from bottom of the list to the top, maybe above Ned Hancock. I reccomend this to anyone who likes to read about sports in particular basketball.
Long Shot
By Mike Lupica
Ned Hancock was the best player in the school, he could do almost everything he ran for class president, the smartest kid in class, and all the girls thought that he was the most handsomest in school. Pedro knew right away that he had to step his game up so he decided to run for class president agaisnt the one and only Ned Hancock. 90% of people in Veron Midlle was shocked, then thought that Pedro would not even have a chance, or even get one vote going for him.
You have to read the book to see for youself what Pedro has done to change his life around from bottom of the list to the top, maybe above Ned Hancock. I reccomend this to anyone who likes to read about sports in particular basketball.
Long Shot
By Mike Lupica
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October 26, 2014Long Shot by Mike Lupica
One of the main characters is Pedro Morales, an eleven-year old point-guard on the Vernon Middle School basketball team. The other main character is Ned Hancock, a very popular boy and star of the basketball team. They are both in the sixth grade.
Pedro and Ned are students at Vernon Middle School. They start out as very good friends, but when they run against each other for class President, the election threatens their relationship. The boys, who were once great teammates on the basketball court, have difficulty working together once the election makes them competitors off the court. Ned makes playing basketball difficult for Pedro because he stops treating him like a teammate and more like an enemy.
Ned is used to being the star on and off the court. He is Captain of the Basketball Team and thinks he should be President of the Class as well. When his good friend Pedro challenges him, Ned becomes more of a bully than a friend. Ned has to learn how to share the spotlight and work with others.
Long Shot is a very entertaining book, especially for people who enjoy basketball. The changes that occur in Ned and Pedro’s friendship held my attention and made me want to read more. The book taught me that if you want to do something you should do it, no matter what obstacles stand in your way
One of the main characters is Pedro Morales, an eleven-year old point-guard on the Vernon Middle School basketball team. The other main character is Ned Hancock, a very popular boy and star of the basketball team. They are both in the sixth grade.
Pedro and Ned are students at Vernon Middle School. They start out as very good friends, but when they run against each other for class President, the election threatens their relationship. The boys, who were once great teammates on the basketball court, have difficulty working together once the election makes them competitors off the court. Ned makes playing basketball difficult for Pedro because he stops treating him like a teammate and more like an enemy.
Ned is used to being the star on and off the court. He is Captain of the Basketball Team and thinks he should be President of the Class as well. When his good friend Pedro challenges him, Ned becomes more of a bully than a friend. Ned has to learn how to share the spotlight and work with others.
Long Shot is a very entertaining book, especially for people who enjoy basketball. The changes that occur in Ned and Pedro’s friendship held my attention and made me want to read more. The book taught me that if you want to do something you should do it, no matter what obstacles stand in your way
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June 6, 2019Choice book #4 Quarter #4
This book Long Shot be Mike Lupica is a fiction book.
This book is a great book and I really like it because it is about basketball and I love basketball.
The book is about a boy who plays basketball and loves the sport basketball. He is really good at basketball and one of the best in his city. The problem is though is he has compotion and wants to be the best but has hard compiton to be the best in the city. He has the skill to be the best but also other people to. It is a good book because you learn how to deal with problems and how even if your not the best you can always work towards it and try your best to be the best. It is a great read and fun to read to. I would recomend this book to more people to. If I would make any recomendtion to the author I would not make any at all because I really liked the book and it was a fun book to read. I really liked this book.
This book Long Shot be Mike Lupica is a fiction book.
This book is a great book and I really like it because it is about basketball and I love basketball.
The book is about a boy who plays basketball and loves the sport basketball. He is really good at basketball and one of the best in his city. The problem is though is he has compotion and wants to be the best but has hard compiton to be the best in the city. He has the skill to be the best but also other people to. It is a good book because you learn how to deal with problems and how even if your not the best you can always work towards it and try your best to be the best. It is a great read and fun to read to. I would recomend this book to more people to. If I would make any recomendtion to the author I would not make any at all because I really liked the book and it was a fun book to read. I really liked this book.
June 1, 2017
I truly liked this book and its story. The author does a really good job at showing each characters feeling and emotions. This story is about a boy named Pedro who had recently moved to the US from Mexico, Pedro loves playing basketball but also wants to focus on education for his family. Another boy named Ned whose the best player on their basketball team runs for class president as well as Pedro. Knowing that Pedro is running against Ned, Ned often doesn't communicate with Pedro while on the court. As the story progresses it gets better and better. It shared the hardships of what kids can do to each other physically and mentally. This was my first book I have ever read by Mike Lupica but I do plan on reading more books by him. I suggest you read this book if you like sports or any kind of novel that has a nice story to it.
May 31, 2017
I recommend reading Long shot if you enjoy sports especially basketball. Long shot was a very good book and I enjoyed all of it. I enjoyed the plot and the author added some controversy and then a solution to make a happy ending. One thing I didn't really like is that the author didn't involve some other people's opinions on the situation and problem. Long shot is mainly about how a kid named Pedro is a really good basketball player and he runs for president for his school. Pedro ran for president against one of his friends and basketball became tough for Pedro but once there problem was solved everything got better. I really recommend reading many Mike Lupica books because he's a great author. Overall Long shot was an incredible book to read.
November 10, 2016
"Long Shot" By Mike Lupica was about Pedro and his struggles with Ned. Ned has always been one of his great friends on and off the basketball court. When Pedro decides to run for class president Ned starts to sabotage Pedro on the basketball court and he loses his starting spot. In this book find out how Ned overcomes this.
I liked this book a lot because I really like basketball and it always made me want to keep reading. It made me want to keep reading because of the exciting cliffhangers at the end of chapters.
I would recommend this book to any basketball fans. Also I would recommend this to any middle schoolers or young high schoolers who like sports and inspirational books.
I liked this book a lot because I really like basketball and it always made me want to keep reading. It made me want to keep reading because of the exciting cliffhangers at the end of chapters.
I would recommend this book to any basketball fans. Also I would recommend this to any middle schoolers or young high schoolers who like sports and inspirational books.
June 27, 2010
I am not necessarily a sports fiction gal, but this was a little like a "Hoosiers" sort of story. Our main character, though a bit unrealistic at times as a sixth grade boy, is a likeable young man with intelligence, integrity, and basketball skills. He decides to run against the super-star of the school for class president and the story goes from there. Lupica writes with his usual flair and I think both boys and girls will enjoy the story. A bit idealistic at times, but still has you rooting for the characters throughout the story.
May 18, 2011
Well to start this book defies comback and kids perfectly. This book is about a guy named Pedro who decides to run for class president. There is only one problem and its name is Ned and he is the most popular kid in there grade decides to run for class president to. So this book shows how some people aren't how they appear to be. My opinoins are this book was great a new standard for Mike Lupica. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars only because in my opinion no book is perfect it always has some flawes.
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