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Danny Walker #1
Travel Team
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Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court -- but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles, knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that the heart simply cannot be measured.
For fans of The Bad News Bears, Hoosiers, the Mighty Ducks, and Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestselling novels Heat , The Underdogs , and Million-Dollar Throw , here is a book that proves that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court -- but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles, knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that the heart simply cannot be measured.
For fans of The Bad News Bears, Hoosiers, the Mighty Ducks, and Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestselling novels Heat , The Underdogs , and Million-Dollar Throw , here is a book that proves that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
583 people are currently reading
4460 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
110 books1,206 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 960 reviews
May 23, 2012
Book Review
Travel Team
By:Jacob Wirth
The name of the book is Travel team and the Main character is a young boy that is small for his age. His name Danny, he is a big fan of sports and loves to play basketball. Danny finds out there are tryouts for the travel basketball team and wants to join, all he does is practice till it gets to dark and his parents tell him to come in for the night. “Danny would put chairs out there and dribble through them like he was dribbling out the clock at the end of the game”(pg.4).
I thought the author did a good job at making the book, The author made it feel like it was me in the book because of how I was treated because of my size and such. I didn’t learn anything but many people that is like the main character should listen to the book saying that it doesn’t matter about size to be good at something you love to do. “You know what you should hear when people start talking about your size? Blah Blah Blah”(pg.3). I think if you like sports books you would like it but most of my friends don’t play sports so i’m not sure if they would like it.
I would probably give this book a 4 because it made me feel like i’m not the only small person that gets made fun of because of there size, all thought I already know that but it’s nice to know it is in a good book. I liked the main character on how he never gave up during a hard time and he loved to play basketball. I also like how the story line was it was always right to the point, not just 1 thing that goes on for chapters. Overall I thought this was a good book and I would read it again if I had too.
Travel Team
By:Jacob Wirth
The name of the book is Travel team and the Main character is a young boy that is small for his age. His name Danny, he is a big fan of sports and loves to play basketball. Danny finds out there are tryouts for the travel basketball team and wants to join, all he does is practice till it gets to dark and his parents tell him to come in for the night. “Danny would put chairs out there and dribble through them like he was dribbling out the clock at the end of the game”(pg.4).
I thought the author did a good job at making the book, The author made it feel like it was me in the book because of how I was treated because of my size and such. I didn’t learn anything but many people that is like the main character should listen to the book saying that it doesn’t matter about size to be good at something you love to do. “You know what you should hear when people start talking about your size? Blah Blah Blah”(pg.3). I think if you like sports books you would like it but most of my friends don’t play sports so i’m not sure if they would like it.
I would probably give this book a 4 because it made me feel like i’m not the only small person that gets made fun of because of there size, all thought I already know that but it’s nice to know it is in a good book. I liked the main character on how he never gave up during a hard time and he loved to play basketball. I also like how the story line was it was always right to the point, not just 1 thing that goes on for chapters. Overall I thought this was a good book and I would read it again if I had too.
October 28, 2013
When I read the book Travel Team by: Mike Lupica I was shocked because it was best book I have ever read. I've read a lot of books by him, and he is by far my favorite author.
This was the best book i have ever read. Danny Walker was my favorite character because we relate so much. We both are 14, get good grades, play sports, and are pretty short. Danny doesn't make the travel team the first time because he is too short.
His parents are divorced because his dad was at a bar and got drunk and got arrested and he loves basketball. He plays it everyday in his driveway. Sometimes he puts chairs outside and dribbles the ball around all of them making a basket pretending that they are defenders. He plays until he has to go inside for dinner then comes back out until he has to go to bed. Also, he has a little light on top of the house shining on the basket so he can see at night.
Danny's dad, Richie Walker a professional basketball player, makes his own youth basketball team that Danny and his friends play on.They are called the warriors.
They start off at a bad start and then start to pick up the paste. When they play the school team Danny didn't make it for called the vikings, they are losing and the vikings are playing dirty. Danny starts to get mad, and has a talk with his teammates. They start a plan, and that is all i'm telling you.
This was the best book i have ever read. Danny Walker was my favorite character because we relate so much. We both are 14, get good grades, play sports, and are pretty short. Danny doesn't make the travel team the first time because he is too short.
His parents are divorced because his dad was at a bar and got drunk and got arrested and he loves basketball. He plays it everyday in his driveway. Sometimes he puts chairs outside and dribbles the ball around all of them making a basket pretending that they are defenders. He plays until he has to go inside for dinner then comes back out until he has to go to bed. Also, he has a little light on top of the house shining on the basket so he can see at night.
Danny's dad, Richie Walker a professional basketball player, makes his own youth basketball team that Danny and his friends play on.They are called the warriors.
They start off at a bad start and then start to pick up the paste. When they play the school team Danny didn't make it for called the vikings, they are losing and the vikings are playing dirty. Danny starts to get mad, and has a talk with his teammates. They start a plan, and that is all i'm telling you.
January 21, 2013
This book is about a young basketball player named Danny Walker. He tries hard to get on the basketball team. Danny usually makes the team, until this year. When he didn't makes the team, he felt confused. He later found out that he didn't make the team because he was to small. Danny's dad decides to make a team for him. Danny's dad used to play basketball until he got in a car crash. They then won a couple of games and eventually made playoffs. Danny's dad then gets in another car crash. After that, the best player, who breaks his wrist later on, joins the Middletown Vikings.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you love basketball. The book is very suspenseful. Every chapter has its own problem to be solved. The characters are very relate able, which makes the book even better. Once you pick the book up, you can't put it down.
The theme of this book, is not to give up. Even though Danny was cut from his team, he still kept going. Even through the darkest times, Danny still has hope for his team. A quote that shows this is, "Keep your eyes on the prize little man,’ Coach Kel said when he got out of the car. ‘I’m trying, Coach K' Danny said."(182) It shows that Danny keeps trying.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you love basketball. The book is very suspenseful. Every chapter has its own problem to be solved. The characters are very relate able, which makes the book even better. Once you pick the book up, you can't put it down.
The theme of this book, is not to give up. Even though Danny was cut from his team, he still kept going. Even through the darkest times, Danny still has hope for his team. A quote that shows this is, "Keep your eyes on the prize little man,’ Coach Kel said when he got out of the car. ‘I’m trying, Coach K' Danny said."(182) It shows that Danny keeps trying.
March 6, 2019
A clear theme in this book was Victory for the underdogs. At least three references are made in the book to classic underdog stories, the fictional "Bad News Bears" and the real-life basketball underdog Hoosiers. Danny is an underdog in both life and sports; he is the underdog in school where he is surrounded by kids with both parents in the home, who wear the latest NBA player-endorsed sneakers, whilst he lives with his mom and has holes in his sneakers because she cannot afford to replace them. Being the underdog at basketball is a new concept for Danny who has always been the favorite due to his prodigious talents; his short stature turns him into an underdog as his team of travel-team rejects is constantly losing. However, it is impossible not to root for Danny's Warriors, who despite losing a coach and having children step into the role,still fight hard to outplay their opponents. When they win, and make the tournament finals, it is a classic underdog tale that makes the reader feels hat the correct people won in the end.
November 15, 2019
The realistic-fiction book Travel Team by Mike Lupica is a book about a small boy named Danny Walker who loves basketball. The book shows what Danny must go through to play basketball at his size. Danny has a lot of pressure to play already because of his dad. Richie Walker led the same travel team Danny is on to the national championship on ESPN when Richie was Danny’s age. Despite Danny’s size he is great at passing the ball and getting it in the toughest spots, he has a higher IQ for basketball then most kids. When Danny tries out for the best basketball team in his town (the Vikings), he doesn’t make it because of his size. The coaches think he won’t be able to keep up so Danny has a choice of not playing the game he loves or play on a team that he thinks will not be successful. His dad wants him to feel better about the team, so he coaches the Warriors (Danny’s team). Ty, a friend of Danny is on the Vikings and during the season Danny must play them and show to the other team and his town that he isn’t just the son of Richie Walker. Danny is often viewed differently for being on a team with a girl on it. But when the team picks up a 7th grader Colby, she makes the game a whole lot easier for Danny. Colby is a center that can move the ball up the court faster than other kids, helps Danny out a lot because she can catch passes that the other kids can’t catch.
Some things I like this book because it is about basketball and it something all basketball players can relate to. Like the having to lead a team or deal with team problems like players not being on the same page. The book is good for people who like sports in general, with the anticipation of Danny having the ball with 30 seconds to go to take the lead or lose. The book does a good job of showing how Danny gets better as he leads the team on game after game up until the playoffs. The author Mike Lupica has written other books about sports, so he has experience and I recommend it because of that also.
I would rate this book 4/5 stars because the speed of it is a little slow, but it tells the story. The book starts in September and ends around June, so you get to see what Danny during the holidays and his birthday.
Some things I like this book because it is about basketball and it something all basketball players can relate to. Like the having to lead a team or deal with team problems like players not being on the same page. The book is good for people who like sports in general, with the anticipation of Danny having the ball with 30 seconds to go to take the lead or lose. The book does a good job of showing how Danny gets better as he leads the team on game after game up until the playoffs. The author Mike Lupica has written other books about sports, so he has experience and I recommend it because of that also.
I would rate this book 4/5 stars because the speed of it is a little slow, but it tells the story. The book starts in September and ends around June, so you get to see what Danny during the holidays and his birthday.
November 12, 2017
This was an absolutely stunning book. Also being another sports book, I enjoyed reading it throughout the night. When I was finished with the book, I looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly midnight. IT WAS SO EXCITING! Overall, I definitely would recommend it to all those basketball lovers out there.
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May 11, 2020This bbok was very good and realatable.
March 19, 2018
Personal Response
This was a really good basketball book. I liked it because you never really new what was going to happen next. You would think everything would be going good, then out of nowhere something bad would happen. This was one of those books where you would start reading it then want to keep reading it, you wouldn't want to just read a couple pages then be done.
Plot Summary
This book is about a young boy named Danny who loved to play basketball. It all started when Danny didn't make the towns travel team called the Vikings. Danny was pretty bummed that he didn't make the team because he was to small. Danny knew he should've made the team because he was one of the best players in town. The Vikings coach had a son named Ty and he even thought Danny should've made the team. Dannys mom and dad where divorced and Danny didn't really see his dad much, and when he did it wouldn't last long. Dannys dad was a player for the Vikings, then eventually went pro and played for Warriors. Dannys dad decided to come back once he heard the news Danny didn't make the team. His dad knew he should've made that team because of Danny's skill. His dad decided to create his own team, with all the other players who didn't make the cut for the Vikings. Danny got a small group of guys together. None of them really had much skill in basketball besides Danny. Later on they decided to recruit a girl named Colby. She was actually good at basketball. The Vikings started out with a really rough season losing a lot of games, but something tragic happened. Dannys dad was coming back from a game and got into a car accident. He went into the hospital and had surgery. The Warriors decided to put Danny as there coach. The Warriors got Ty to join there team a little bit before there big game against the Vikings. Ty used to play for the Vikings because his dad was the coach, but Ty never had any fun. The day came where the Warriors had to play the Vikings. It was an intense game and it came down to the final seconds. Danny was running down the court and made the final game winning shot.
Characterization
Danny Walker started out as just a boy who wanted to play basketball. He worked his butt of in tryouts and would even practice at home. He tried out for the Vikings and didn't get accepted because of his height. He was really bummed because he knew he should have been on the team. He didn't want to play basketball for a little bit because of it, but then his dad showed up. He got back into it and got a team together. Off the court Danny's dad was the coach, but on the court Danny was. Danny slowly became a leader and then the coach of the team. He thought he wasn't good enough to compete but then realized he was.
Recommendaton
I would recommend this book to kids who like sports and like to read a lot. This would be a good book for middle schoolers to high schoolers. It is a good book if you like a long book and a good story line.
This was a really good basketball book. I liked it because you never really new what was going to happen next. You would think everything would be going good, then out of nowhere something bad would happen. This was one of those books where you would start reading it then want to keep reading it, you wouldn't want to just read a couple pages then be done.
Plot Summary
This book is about a young boy named Danny who loved to play basketball. It all started when Danny didn't make the towns travel team called the Vikings. Danny was pretty bummed that he didn't make the team because he was to small. Danny knew he should've made the team because he was one of the best players in town. The Vikings coach had a son named Ty and he even thought Danny should've made the team. Dannys mom and dad where divorced and Danny didn't really see his dad much, and when he did it wouldn't last long. Dannys dad was a player for the Vikings, then eventually went pro and played for Warriors. Dannys dad decided to come back once he heard the news Danny didn't make the team. His dad knew he should've made that team because of Danny's skill. His dad decided to create his own team, with all the other players who didn't make the cut for the Vikings. Danny got a small group of guys together. None of them really had much skill in basketball besides Danny. Later on they decided to recruit a girl named Colby. She was actually good at basketball. The Vikings started out with a really rough season losing a lot of games, but something tragic happened. Dannys dad was coming back from a game and got into a car accident. He went into the hospital and had surgery. The Warriors decided to put Danny as there coach. The Warriors got Ty to join there team a little bit before there big game against the Vikings. Ty used to play for the Vikings because his dad was the coach, but Ty never had any fun. The day came where the Warriors had to play the Vikings. It was an intense game and it came down to the final seconds. Danny was running down the court and made the final game winning shot.
Characterization
Danny Walker started out as just a boy who wanted to play basketball. He worked his butt of in tryouts and would even practice at home. He tried out for the Vikings and didn't get accepted because of his height. He was really bummed because he knew he should have been on the team. He didn't want to play basketball for a little bit because of it, but then his dad showed up. He got back into it and got a team together. Off the court Danny's dad was the coach, but on the court Danny was. Danny slowly became a leader and then the coach of the team. He thought he wasn't good enough to compete but then realized he was.
Recommendaton
I would recommend this book to kids who like sports and like to read a lot. This would be a good book for middle schoolers to high schoolers. It is a good book if you like a long book and a good story line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2016
Danny is the best basketball player in town, the thing that separates him from all the other kids is hard work and heart. He gets cut from the Vikings basketball team and is thinking about leaving the game behind him. Danny's dad has not been to his sons house for 5 months, but is willing to commit to a basketball team. Although, Danny's dad has not visited basketball for a while, since he was in the NBA. He has dedication to his family, and has to prove a lot to his son and his wife. The start of the season does not go so well for the Warriors, but heading into the playoffs, they get a chance to play the team that cut Danny. The game gets down to the wire but the Warriors end up polling it off with 5 seconds left. Even though the Vikings are bigger in size Dannys' team has heart and the want to get better!
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April 9, 2017Travel Team by Mike Lupica is about a short basketball player named Danny Walker who gets cuts from his travel team. Danny's dad (former NBA player) decides to coach a new travel team for Danny but gets in a car accident and is unable to coach the rest of the season. Danny decides to step up and lead his team. Travel team is a good book if you like sports or underdogs and I recommend it.
February 14, 2021
r u kidding me this book is so cute. it’s abt a dad who comes back to his hometown and helps his son start his own basketball team after he gets rejected from his school team for being too short. and will probably make u cry but in a good way. it’s kind of a rollercoaster of emotions and it has a rlly good, fulfilling ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2021
it was a pretty good book
November 11, 2024
I'm a huge basketball fan. Basketball is my life. I love playing and watching everything about basketball, but my favorite basketball team of all is the Boston Celtics, without a doubt. The Celtics are everything to me. I watched all their games and even went to the parade when they won last year. I had read this book before in middle school, as I have always been a huge Mike Lupica fan. However, I didn't remember what this book was about because many of his books blend together, and I hadn’t really picked up a book and read in a while before the start of this school year. But obviously, the cover is really catchy and aesthetically pleasing, at least in my opinion. So just based on looks alone, I wanted to re-read this book. And aside from the cover, anything involving basketball is something I will most likely love. If not love, then never hate. So this book was an easy choice for me.
The book starts with the main character, Danny Walker, who is very small and lives with his mom, Ali Walker (his parents are divorced), in a small town called Middletown. Middletown’s claim to fame is when Danny's dad, Richie Walker, led his 7th-grade travel basketball team to a national championship on live television. Danny is out in his driveway alone in the dark, with only the street lights and a light above the hoop that his mom helped him install for nights when he wanted to play late. Except tonight is different. Danny’s mom has just gotten a call from Mr. Ross, the president of the basketball association in Middletown and coach of the 7th-grade team. He calls to tell Danny and his mom that Danny was unfortunately cut from the team after being on it for the past two years. This devastates Danny, and he resorts to playing basketball to work off his emotions. Then, unexpectedly, Danny's dad, Richie Walker, appears at their house. Richie had played in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors before a career-ending car crash that nearly took his life. Richie talks with Danny, and after a bit, Ali Walker invites him inside and tells him about what happened to Danny.
The next day is very hard for Danny, as he has to go to school knowing everyone knows he didn’t make the team. His mom, who works at his school, St. Pat’s, tells him to be tough and not to let it get to him. His friend, Will Stoddard, who Danny mentions never stops talking, tries to help Danny get over it, knowing how much it means to him. Although Will also tried out, Danny knew he would get cut, as he did last year; he was more just trying out to try out. Danny’s friend Tess Hewitt, who he likes, messages him on their computers, trying to help him cope with the situation. Later that day, Danny has to wait for his mom, who is helping with the drama club, so he goes to the gym to shoot hoops with Will. Ty Ross, the best player in Middletown and son of Mr. Ross, walks in. Ty says he’s sorry Danny didn’t make the team and that he definitely should have, but Danny brushes it off and leaves before the rest of the Middletown Vikings team arrives, avoiding embarrassment.
Next, Danny and Tess are at the town fair when Ty Ross spots Danny while picking teams for a pickup game and says he wants Danny on his team. Danny and Ty play amazingly well together, with Danny's dad watching from a distance. Mr. Ross approaches Richie Walker, and they start talking. Richie asks how Danny didn’t make the team, pointing to Danny as he makes an impressive crossover, a shot, and a pass to Ty for a basket. Mr. Ross’s grudge against Richie—stemming from their 7th-grade rivalry—becomes apparent when they argue, and then Mr. Ross walks away.
Later in the book, Richie suggests forming a second 7th-grade team for kids who didn’t make the Vikings. He wants to coach it and gathers a few players, including Danny, his friend Will, Bren, Matt (a tall kid), and Colby, a skilled player from the girls' 7th-grade team. They begin their season with some losses but manage to win a game. Danny’s dad’s team, the Warriors, eventually scrimmages the Vikings, led by Ty and his dad. During the scrimmage, Danny gets frustrated with Teddy Morgan, a kid he previously argued with, and accidentally causes an injury to Ty. Later, after a win, the Warriors celebrate at a restaurant, but Danny’s dad doesn’t show up. Ali receives a call saying Richie has been in another car crash. With Richie in the hospital, the Warriors need a new coach. Danny’s dad and the team agree Danny should step up as player-coach.
Ty’s wrist heals, and he decides to join Danny’s team, rather than rejoining the Vikings. In his first game with the Warriors, they faced the Vikings in a close match. With 30 seconds left, Danny makes the game-winning shot, defeating the team that once said he was too small and not good enough.
What I enjoyed about this book was the descriptive details about certain locations in the book. There was something about the way Mike Lupica described the places in the book that I can literally imagine. For example places like Danny's house with his basketball court and the light on the hoop and then the foldable chairs he uses to push to. I feel like he does an amazing job describing them. Or even St. Pats Danny's school and the gym where they practice or the court at the fair. I can imagine all the people standing around it cheering Danny and Ty on as they played together. Another part I liked about the book was the parts where Danny and Tess were texting each other. I thought it was a cool way that it was formatted and gave you a break from just the big paragraphs after big paragraphs.
There weren't really any parts that I didn't not like so 2 more things that I did enjoy was Mike Lupica’s story telling. It took me a bit to start really reading it but im being serious when I got to the meat of the book I literally could not put it down. I was so intrigued on what was going to happen next and each page was a next piece to the puzzle of this amazing story. Finally Mike lupica's character development and overall sentence structure and variation was very good. For example if I flip to any random page I can find a variety in sentence length throughout the page. All in all I would recommend this book to middle schoolers to high schoolers who love the game of basketball.
The book starts with the main character, Danny Walker, who is very small and lives with his mom, Ali Walker (his parents are divorced), in a small town called Middletown. Middletown’s claim to fame is when Danny's dad, Richie Walker, led his 7th-grade travel basketball team to a national championship on live television. Danny is out in his driveway alone in the dark, with only the street lights and a light above the hoop that his mom helped him install for nights when he wanted to play late. Except tonight is different. Danny’s mom has just gotten a call from Mr. Ross, the president of the basketball association in Middletown and coach of the 7th-grade team. He calls to tell Danny and his mom that Danny was unfortunately cut from the team after being on it for the past two years. This devastates Danny, and he resorts to playing basketball to work off his emotions. Then, unexpectedly, Danny's dad, Richie Walker, appears at their house. Richie had played in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors before a career-ending car crash that nearly took his life. Richie talks with Danny, and after a bit, Ali Walker invites him inside and tells him about what happened to Danny.
The next day is very hard for Danny, as he has to go to school knowing everyone knows he didn’t make the team. His mom, who works at his school, St. Pat’s, tells him to be tough and not to let it get to him. His friend, Will Stoddard, who Danny mentions never stops talking, tries to help Danny get over it, knowing how much it means to him. Although Will also tried out, Danny knew he would get cut, as he did last year; he was more just trying out to try out. Danny’s friend Tess Hewitt, who he likes, messages him on their computers, trying to help him cope with the situation. Later that day, Danny has to wait for his mom, who is helping with the drama club, so he goes to the gym to shoot hoops with Will. Ty Ross, the best player in Middletown and son of Mr. Ross, walks in. Ty says he’s sorry Danny didn’t make the team and that he definitely should have, but Danny brushes it off and leaves before the rest of the Middletown Vikings team arrives, avoiding embarrassment.
Next, Danny and Tess are at the town fair when Ty Ross spots Danny while picking teams for a pickup game and says he wants Danny on his team. Danny and Ty play amazingly well together, with Danny's dad watching from a distance. Mr. Ross approaches Richie Walker, and they start talking. Richie asks how Danny didn’t make the team, pointing to Danny as he makes an impressive crossover, a shot, and a pass to Ty for a basket. Mr. Ross’s grudge against Richie—stemming from their 7th-grade rivalry—becomes apparent when they argue, and then Mr. Ross walks away.
Later in the book, Richie suggests forming a second 7th-grade team for kids who didn’t make the Vikings. He wants to coach it and gathers a few players, including Danny, his friend Will, Bren, Matt (a tall kid), and Colby, a skilled player from the girls' 7th-grade team. They begin their season with some losses but manage to win a game. Danny’s dad’s team, the Warriors, eventually scrimmages the Vikings, led by Ty and his dad. During the scrimmage, Danny gets frustrated with Teddy Morgan, a kid he previously argued with, and accidentally causes an injury to Ty. Later, after a win, the Warriors celebrate at a restaurant, but Danny’s dad doesn’t show up. Ali receives a call saying Richie has been in another car crash. With Richie in the hospital, the Warriors need a new coach. Danny’s dad and the team agree Danny should step up as player-coach.
Ty’s wrist heals, and he decides to join Danny’s team, rather than rejoining the Vikings. In his first game with the Warriors, they faced the Vikings in a close match. With 30 seconds left, Danny makes the game-winning shot, defeating the team that once said he was too small and not good enough.
What I enjoyed about this book was the descriptive details about certain locations in the book. There was something about the way Mike Lupica described the places in the book that I can literally imagine. For example places like Danny's house with his basketball court and the light on the hoop and then the foldable chairs he uses to push to. I feel like he does an amazing job describing them. Or even St. Pats Danny's school and the gym where they practice or the court at the fair. I can imagine all the people standing around it cheering Danny and Ty on as they played together. Another part I liked about the book was the parts where Danny and Tess were texting each other. I thought it was a cool way that it was formatted and gave you a break from just the big paragraphs after big paragraphs.
There weren't really any parts that I didn't not like so 2 more things that I did enjoy was Mike Lupica’s story telling. It took me a bit to start really reading it but im being serious when I got to the meat of the book I literally could not put it down. I was so intrigued on what was going to happen next and each page was a next piece to the puzzle of this amazing story. Finally Mike lupica's character development and overall sentence structure and variation was very good. For example if I flip to any random page I can find a variety in sentence length throughout the page. All in all I would recommend this book to middle schoolers to high schoolers who love the game of basketball.
March 24, 2017
Mike Lupica. Travel Team. The theme is to never give up because in the beginning of the book, Danny doesn't make the Vikings, a travel basketball team that he has been on the past 3 years. He ends up creating his own travel team and beating the Vikings in the end. This is important because it lets the reader understand the theme and that you can accomplish anything if you never give up. In the story, Danny Walker, the main character, gets cut from the town travel team because he is too short. Danny is one of the best players in the town. Since Danny gets cut from the travel team, his dad decides to coach his own travel team with Danny on it. After the first practice, their team looks very bad, and Danny is certain that they will not win a game. Danny was about to quit the team, but then Colby Danes, the best girl basketball player in their league, and Ty Ross, joined his team. Ty Ross is the best basketball player in their league and he quit the travel team that cut Danny to play with him at the end of the season. Danny’s team then beat the travel team that cut him and made it to the state championship. Danny’s dad gets in a car accident and cannot coach at the championship game. This leaves Danny alone to coach his own team. Will Danny's team win the championship? You are going to have to read this book to find out what happens. The genre of this book is realistic fiction and is set in Danny's house and a variety of basketball courts. Mike Lupica does a good job of making me feel like I'm in the book because he uses a large amount of description and sensory details. The main characters are Danny, a small 12 year old boy that loves basketball, his mom and dad, Ty ross, his friend that is on the Vikings but later joins Danny's team, and Tess, the girl Danny likes. These main characters are very believable and fit well together in the story. This is a very good book with many positive aspects to it. Travel Team is very well written and the plot is well thought through. This book is also very inspirational and has great dialogue that progresses the story. The only aspect of this book that I believed needed some work was the author's vocabulary. Even though each scene is well described, Mike Lupica does not use enough higher-level vocab to enhance the story. I like how the author uses a lot of dialogue which moves the story along in a necessary way because it fits well into the book and is enjoyable. For example, on page 112 it reads, "How about the Warriors?" He looked up at his dad. "As in the Golden State Warriors."
For a moment, a blink of an eye, it was as if it were just the two of them, getting ready to play one-on-one in the driveway. His dad looked back at him and winked. "Works for me," he said. "Warriors okay with the rest of you guys?"
"Why not?" Will said." In this example of Mike Lupica's type of dialogue, it moves the story along by ending with Danny's team creating a team name for themselves and it is also enjoyable to read. I believe that all people ages 10 to 16 would love this book if they are in to sports. Travel Team is a perfect mix of basketball, friendship, overcoming hardships, and comedy. If you are a small or underrated athlete, then I definitely recommend you to read this book because the main character is a very small kid who gets overlooked and doesn't make a travel basketball team. By the end, he defies all odds and beats the Vikings on his own team. If you are looking for some inspiration, a time to laugh, or simply to just read a great book, you will do so by reading Travel Team by Mike Lupica.
For a moment, a blink of an eye, it was as if it were just the two of them, getting ready to play one-on-one in the driveway. His dad looked back at him and winked. "Works for me," he said. "Warriors okay with the rest of you guys?"
"Why not?" Will said." In this example of Mike Lupica's type of dialogue, it moves the story along by ending with Danny's team creating a team name for themselves and it is also enjoyable to read. I believe that all people ages 10 to 16 would love this book if they are in to sports. Travel Team is a perfect mix of basketball, friendship, overcoming hardships, and comedy. If you are a small or underrated athlete, then I definitely recommend you to read this book because the main character is a very small kid who gets overlooked and doesn't make a travel basketball team. By the end, he defies all odds and beats the Vikings on his own team. If you are looking for some inspiration, a time to laugh, or simply to just read a great book, you will do so by reading Travel Team by Mike Lupica.
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January 16, 2020Travel Team
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I enjoyed Travel Team by Mike Lupica because it deals with a serious subject that most teenagers can relate to. This story is organized by how the young teenager every year he has something going on or something that affects him. I like how the author gives the reader a little information at a time to try and discover what happened to him during the year and why he reacts so different around his father. As the story progresses, Danny gets better and better at basketball and it seems like he gets closer to his father.
PLOT:
The main events in the story are about how Danny gets better and better for the team that he tries to go for but sadly gets cut out of it. The way he starts with his father and how he thinks of him each time they see each other. When he gets home he spends time researching his father when he was younger. When he looks at photos and videos of his father playing basketball he feels like they are videos of himself playing because they look so alike.
CHARACTERIZATION:
The book is told through the third-person point of view. Danny’s character experiences many of the ups and downs teenagers can relate to such as Sport practice, parents who struggle being parents, and how teammates can also get mad and leave you in the back. Danny’s character is very likable because he has a great blend of sarcasm, humor. He handles things very well and calmed when he is in bad situations.
Danny’s father is a big part of the book he comes in and out of Danny’s life and it really affects him because his parents are divorced and he never sees his father. He was a really big basketball player when he was his age. His father looked just like Danny and when Danny looks at old basketball videos of his father. When he watches him he feels like it’s a video of himself on the court.
SETTING:
Travel Team takes place in New York during modern times. The setting is important to the storyline because his travel team is a big team around the area. There are references to New York culture and landmarks that a reader can easily find in a larger city. The time period is significant because the issues discussed are universal concepts relatable to today's teens that are in sports.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend Travel team to freshmen and beyond because some of the language, subject matter, and actions is more mature. Both males and females would enjoy this book even though the main thing is basketball. Travel Team has a lot of intense moments where the reader wants to read more and more to know what happens next to Danny.
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I enjoyed Travel Team by Mike Lupica because it deals with a serious subject that most teenagers can relate to. This story is organized by how the young teenager every year he has something going on or something that affects him. I like how the author gives the reader a little information at a time to try and discover what happened to him during the year and why he reacts so different around his father. As the story progresses, Danny gets better and better at basketball and it seems like he gets closer to his father.
PLOT:
The main events in the story are about how Danny gets better and better for the team that he tries to go for but sadly gets cut out of it. The way he starts with his father and how he thinks of him each time they see each other. When he gets home he spends time researching his father when he was younger. When he looks at photos and videos of his father playing basketball he feels like they are videos of himself playing because they look so alike.
CHARACTERIZATION:
The book is told through the third-person point of view. Danny’s character experiences many of the ups and downs teenagers can relate to such as Sport practice, parents who struggle being parents, and how teammates can also get mad and leave you in the back. Danny’s character is very likable because he has a great blend of sarcasm, humor. He handles things very well and calmed when he is in bad situations.
Danny’s father is a big part of the book he comes in and out of Danny’s life and it really affects him because his parents are divorced and he never sees his father. He was a really big basketball player when he was his age. His father looked just like Danny and when Danny looks at old basketball videos of his father. When he watches him he feels like it’s a video of himself on the court.
SETTING:
Travel Team takes place in New York during modern times. The setting is important to the storyline because his travel team is a big team around the area. There are references to New York culture and landmarks that a reader can easily find in a larger city. The time period is significant because the issues discussed are universal concepts relatable to today's teens that are in sports.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend Travel team to freshmen and beyond because some of the language, subject matter, and actions is more mature. Both males and females would enjoy this book even though the main thing is basketball. Travel Team has a lot of intense moments where the reader wants to read more and more to know what happens next to Danny.
January 24, 2017
I just read the book Travel Team by Mike Lupica it was 930 lexile and the genre was sports. This book was about a boy named Danny Walker and his struggles through life and basketball. He had some ups and some downs, but overall he came out okay. His dad, Richie Walker, use to play in the NBA and was a Middletown legend. He got in a bad car accident though and that ruined his career. He was never the same after that. Richie married a girl named Ali and they had a son named Danny. Richie then left Ali and Danny by themselves in a run down house without much money in the town of Middletown. Danny was always playing basketball as a kid, so he tried out for travel team and made it the first 5 years. Then when he was 12 years old he didn’t make it and everyone was really surprised and made fun of him about it. He thought about just quitting basketball, but his mom wouldn’t let him do that. Danny was very upset and that is when his father came back. He saw how good Danny was and didn’t know how he didn’t make travel. So Richie made a basketball team for all the kids who didn’t make travel team. He coached them and they had a scrimmage against the travel team he didn’t make. They lost by a lot, luckily for Danny’s team (The Warriors) they didn’t keep score. They got into the travel team league and they didn’t want to face Danny’s old team so they faced other teams twice. They lost their first 3 games and only one of them was a close game. They then faced Scotford and beat them really easily. Then they lost the next game against Hansborough. Then they finished the season on a 3-0 run beating Hansborough, Hartford, and Scotford. They then played in the playoffs against Middletown Vikings and they beat them and it was a cinderella story. I thought this book was really good and you thought something else was going to happen and then something completely different happened. There was a lot of twists and turns, but not too many. I thought this was a good book and I think a lot of people who like good sports books with a lot of twists and turns should read this.
March 5, 2018
How would you feel if you were cut from the game you've been playing your whole life? This question is raised in the novel Travel Team by Mike Lupica. This book is sports fiction. Because of the made up characters and the made up plot. The setting is almost always on the basketball court. Danny gets most of his talent from his father Richie Walker, who was drafted by the NBA team the Golden State Warriors. But Danny was missing one thing, height.
There were 2 main characters in this book: Danny Walker and Richie Walker. The location of the story is almost always on a basketball court. Danny is the best basketball player at St Patrick's School and one of the best in the whole state of Indiana. His dream is to be like his father and play in the NBA. He has all the skills, there is only one issue though. He did not get his dad's height. He has been the shortest guy on his team ever since he started playing. This year Danny got cut from his travel team because they wanted a bigger kind of squad. Danny is very upset by this. Of course, everyone in school knew about it and they made fun of him for it. His father made a rare visit home to try and cheer him up. He surprised Danny with the idea of him coaching his own team. Danny is very excited by this. Soon after they form their team, Danny and his father Richie get into a horrible car crash. Danny had a minor arm injury but his father had to be rushed to the hospital. The accident rendered Richie unable to coach against Danny's former team the Vikings. Danny and Richie end up making a very memorable run in the state tournament together. Even if you are small, it doesn't mean you can't do the big things in life.
I give this book a four out of five stars. It kept me entertained the entire time I read in a good way. I liked how the author used his vocabulary in sports terminology. However if you don't play basketball and if you don't watch basketball, this book would be difficult to understand. I would've given it a five out of five, but I didn't like how it ended. The lesson I learned after reading this book is that even if you’re not the best, strongest, or smartest, one can still thrive in life. All in all it was a good book to read.
There were 2 main characters in this book: Danny Walker and Richie Walker. The location of the story is almost always on a basketball court. Danny is the best basketball player at St Patrick's School and one of the best in the whole state of Indiana. His dream is to be like his father and play in the NBA. He has all the skills, there is only one issue though. He did not get his dad's height. He has been the shortest guy on his team ever since he started playing. This year Danny got cut from his travel team because they wanted a bigger kind of squad. Danny is very upset by this. Of course, everyone in school knew about it and they made fun of him for it. His father made a rare visit home to try and cheer him up. He surprised Danny with the idea of him coaching his own team. Danny is very excited by this. Soon after they form their team, Danny and his father Richie get into a horrible car crash. Danny had a minor arm injury but his father had to be rushed to the hospital. The accident rendered Richie unable to coach against Danny's former team the Vikings. Danny and Richie end up making a very memorable run in the state tournament together. Even if you are small, it doesn't mean you can't do the big things in life.
I give this book a four out of five stars. It kept me entertained the entire time I read in a good way. I liked how the author used his vocabulary in sports terminology. However if you don't play basketball and if you don't watch basketball, this book would be difficult to understand. I would've given it a five out of five, but I didn't like how it ended. The lesson I learned after reading this book is that even if you’re not the best, strongest, or smartest, one can still thrive in life. All in all it was a good book to read.
November 1, 2021
I found the realistic fiction novel Travel Team by Mike Lupica to be a bit cheesy and overrated.
This book was about a boy named Danny who was small for his age and therefore struggled to make a basketball team he tried out for. This makes Danny’s father very upset and together they form a basketball team with a few of the other boys who wanted to play but couldn’t. The book goes through all the challenges they face together on and off the court. I really liked the overall theme of this book. I love basketball and the book was all about that sport, which was perfect for me. However, the book was a little too sappy and depressing for me at some points. The main character, Danny is a brown haired 12-year-old boy who is very short for his age. Danny loves to play basketball and he is dedicated to growing taller. His best friend Will is the class clown and loves to joke around. Richie Walker is Danny’s dad. He left when Danny was little because he got drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Richie is a recovering alcoholic who had a career-ending injury after driving drunk and crashing. Danny’s mother, Ali Walker, is all Danny grew up with and she has dedicated her life to making Danny happy. Even though she doesn’t care for Danny’s father, she still wants Danny to have a relationship with him.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys watching or playing sports, but I think people who love the game of basketball would enjoy reading this book. Mike Lupica has written about 50 books, which are all about sports and meant for kids to read. He says he does this because he wants children to enjoy reading like he does and also for them to enjoy what they are reading.
This book was about a boy named Danny who was small for his age and therefore struggled to make a basketball team he tried out for. This makes Danny’s father very upset and together they form a basketball team with a few of the other boys who wanted to play but couldn’t. The book goes through all the challenges they face together on and off the court. I really liked the overall theme of this book. I love basketball and the book was all about that sport, which was perfect for me. However, the book was a little too sappy and depressing for me at some points. The main character, Danny is a brown haired 12-year-old boy who is very short for his age. Danny loves to play basketball and he is dedicated to growing taller. His best friend Will is the class clown and loves to joke around. Richie Walker is Danny’s dad. He left when Danny was little because he got drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Richie is a recovering alcoholic who had a career-ending injury after driving drunk and crashing. Danny’s mother, Ali Walker, is all Danny grew up with and she has dedicated her life to making Danny happy. Even though she doesn’t care for Danny’s father, she still wants Danny to have a relationship with him.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys watching or playing sports, but I think people who love the game of basketball would enjoy reading this book. Mike Lupica has written about 50 books, which are all about sports and meant for kids to read. He says he does this because he wants children to enjoy reading like he does and also for them to enjoy what they are reading.
November 9, 2017
I selected this book because I am a fan of basketball. I enjoy playing it with my friends and even played organized basketball when I was younger. With the enjoyment of basketball I stumbled upon this book in class and thought it was interesting. I started to read the book and got really hooked on to it.
This book is about Danny Walker. He is the best player at his school (St. Patrick's School) and he excels at passing and finding the open teammate. Danny is just like his father, Richie Walker who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1st round but his career was tragically ruined from a car accident that rendered him to retire very early in his career. In the book Danny tries out for his local travel basketball team but he unfortunately is overlooked because of his very short size. The travel team was looking to "go bigger" this year. Danny falls into a depression and his father comes to visit him. His father visits once in a while but Danny loves when he comes. Richie decides that he will coach a new travel team with Danny on it and Danny's best friend Will. This new team is mediocre at best. One day while the team was waiting to practice they watch the girls team play and thier best player Colby Danes is obviously very good. The team decides to recruit her to the team adding more talent to their squad. As the season comes to an end playoffs begin. With the absence of Richie, their coach, from another unfortunate car accident the Warriors have to play a playoff game against the team that had cut Danny. Who will take the victory and advance to the finals?
What worked in this book was how the plot of the story was always moving. It was very enjoyable to not feel bored while reading this book because something new and interesting was always happening. Sometimes I would find myself lost and 50 pages later I would come back.
What didn't work was how once in a while the dialogue would become tedious and a little boring. Also, SPOILER ALERT, I thought the underdog Cliche of Danny's team winning the playoff game against his rival team was too predictable. I would have preferred maybe a twist at the end which made the ending turn out differently. That is why I only gave this book 3 stars.
This book is about Danny Walker. He is the best player at his school (St. Patrick's School) and he excels at passing and finding the open teammate. Danny is just like his father, Richie Walker who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1st round but his career was tragically ruined from a car accident that rendered him to retire very early in his career. In the book Danny tries out for his local travel basketball team but he unfortunately is overlooked because of his very short size. The travel team was looking to "go bigger" this year. Danny falls into a depression and his father comes to visit him. His father visits once in a while but Danny loves when he comes. Richie decides that he will coach a new travel team with Danny on it and Danny's best friend Will. This new team is mediocre at best. One day while the team was waiting to practice they watch the girls team play and thier best player Colby Danes is obviously very good. The team decides to recruit her to the team adding more talent to their squad. As the season comes to an end playoffs begin. With the absence of Richie, their coach, from another unfortunate car accident the Warriors have to play a playoff game against the team that had cut Danny. Who will take the victory and advance to the finals?
What worked in this book was how the plot of the story was always moving. It was very enjoyable to not feel bored while reading this book because something new and interesting was always happening. Sometimes I would find myself lost and 50 pages later I would come back.
What didn't work was how once in a while the dialogue would become tedious and a little boring. Also, SPOILER ALERT, I thought the underdog Cliche of Danny's team winning the playoff game against his rival team was too predictable. I would have preferred maybe a twist at the end which made the ending turn out differently. That is why I only gave this book 3 stars.
September 9, 2025
The Travel Team is a fictional book by Mike Lucpia. This book was published in 2004. In the book, the setting is Middletown, a fictional town. The main character in this book is Danny, a 12-year-old basketball player. Then there is Danny's father, who is a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors. Other characters are Will Storrard and Colby Danes, and Danny is friends with them from basketball. In this book, it is about Danny, a young guy who tries out for a basketball player, but he is very small for his age. he is a really good basketball player, but has a tough time trying out for the team. His dad played for the team when he was Danny's age. The theme of the travel team is about perseverance and the importance of hard work and determination, and just because you're small doesn't automatically mean you're not a good athlete. Some of the best athletes in the world are small players, but they are still some of the best athletes in the world.
The Travel Team is one of the best books I have read, and it's really relatable and is a very good book for athletes to read. I really like this book because it shows that things can get hard in sports, but if you always keep trying, you will succeed. Danny is a great athlete and is a very good basketball player, but he does not make the team his dad played for because he's so small, and the coach thinks that being tall and big matters. Danny's dad, Charles, plays for the Golden State Warriors. Still, he gets into a car accident and can't play basketball anymore, so he decides to make a team called the Warriors for his son, so he can play on a team. His friends join the team, then they start winning games, and they end up playing the team he did not make in the state finals, but Danny's dad, Charle,s gets in a car accident right before the finals and can't coach, so Danny decides he will coach the team for the finals, and they end up winning the finals. Overall, I think this book is excellent and would recommend it to anyone. It has a lot of detail and is one of my favorite books.
The Travel Team is one of the best books I have read, and it's really relatable and is a very good book for athletes to read. I really like this book because it shows that things can get hard in sports, but if you always keep trying, you will succeed. Danny is a great athlete and is a very good basketball player, but he does not make the team his dad played for because he's so small, and the coach thinks that being tall and big matters. Danny's dad, Charles, plays for the Golden State Warriors. Still, he gets into a car accident and can't play basketball anymore, so he decides to make a team called the Warriors for his son, so he can play on a team. His friends join the team, then they start winning games, and they end up playing the team he did not make in the state finals, but Danny's dad, Charle,s gets in a car accident right before the finals and can't coach, so Danny decides he will coach the team for the finals, and they end up winning the finals. Overall, I think this book is excellent and would recommend it to anyone. It has a lot of detail and is one of my favorite books.
June 3, 2015
A Review of Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Danny Walker was different from all of the other basketball players. Danny had known is whole life how small he was compared to everybody in his grade, from first grade on. How he had been put in the front row, front and center of every class picture taken. That didn't stop him from doing what he loves. Basketball.
In the novel Travel Team by Mike Lupica, the main characters are believable because Danny was the smallest kid in his grade and is one of the best basketball players in his league. Everyone makes fun of him by calling him "little guy," and "little man." Although he is used to it by now in sixth grade, the book inspired me to believe in myself and no matter what your shape and size is you can do anything you really want to. For example, Danny practices in his backyard everyday and he is a really good basketball player. The most specific move he practices that he wants to use in games is the double crossover, through the legs spin move. Most of the action in the book takes place either at his school (St. Pat's), the basketball court, and Danny's backyard. For that reason, the author does a good job of making me feel like I'm there. Mike Lupica does a good job of making me feel like I'm there because Danny has a basketball court in his backyard that he likes to call "Madison Square Garden," and I've been there so I can picture it in my head.
All of a sudden, Danny was going to quit basketball because he didn't make his school team. I highly disagree with that decision. Basketball is who Danny is, and that is what made me want to keep reading. Danny didn't pick up a basketball for a week, Friday to Friday, a personal best for him. He didn't touch a basketball since his Dad started to make a team so Danny would keep playing basketball and not quit because he didn't make his school team. He didn't play the weekend after the Vikings (his opponent) first practice at St. Pat's. Suddenly, one night, Danny and his friend Tessa, from school, were messaging each other. So then Danny messages Tessa saying that he might quit basketball this season. Tessa disagrees by saying "NO, NO, NO...NO!" Her point of view is how she knows basketball is who he is, so she tells him that and says "Like taking pictures is for me. It's your gift." So as you can see she tried really hard to tell Danny how he doesn't need to worry about quitting basketball yet, but Danny was still going to quit.
Although I thought this book was amazing and inspiring, I thought it had a slow pace, but it was exciting and that is what made me feel eager to keep reading. In the end of the book Danny's team, the Middletown Warriors were in a good game. Their opponent (The Vikings) had a ten point lead at half. 28-18. Towards the end of the game, the game came down to this, Vikings 37, Warriors 33. Three minutes left. Danny's friend Ty Ross came back into the game for the fourth quarter and as soon as he did, Danny set him up for three straight baskets. Then, his opponent Da-Rod Rodriguez put it up and in. Now they had to find a way to make up those four points in three minutes. The Warriors haven't been in the lead since Danny's first basket that made it 2-0. His teammate Bren fouled out with by now, and so has his teammate Colby. "The whole game, Danny had been telling himself -- and the Warriors -- they'd find a way to win." Ty scored off a steal. Then, Danny had called his second-to-last timeout with a minute and thirty. He told everybody to get a drink. "All you could hear now was everybody's breathing in what was suddenly a fairly quiet gym at St. Pat's." Vikings 39, Warriors 37. The huddle broke, and during the next play Danny fell on his already hurt shoulder that he injured in a scrimmage. "Deep Breaths," Ty said. Teddy Moran, the player that fouled him got thrown out of the game for his flagrant foul on him. Two shots for Danny. Made the first, missed the second, but due to the flagrant foul the Warriors get to keep the ball. Vikings 39, Warriors 38. Warriors tried to inbound it, but they turned it over. "Vikings ball. They called their last timeout, came out of it, tried to run out the clock." But when they finally swung the ball to Da-Rod in the corner, Danny and Ty ran at him at the same time, trapping him. Da-Rod tried to throw it off Danny's leg, and Danny jumped out of the way and threw it out of bounds instead. Warriors ball. One minute left. Danny called his last timeout. Instead of going to his bench, he walked across the court to where his dad was. Danny wanted to know if his dad had a play to run. As soon as his dad started to describe one, Danny cut him off because he had known the play his entire life. The team would be looking for Danny to pass to. He ran back across the court, and told the Warriors the play. Ty and Michael Harden were on opposite sidelines, just inside the mid-court line. Will and Oliver Town went to the corners. Danny had the ball at mid-court. He dribbled toward the free throw line straight down the middle of the court. He got double-teamed and dribbled right back outside. Forty seconds left. "He dribbled to his left, toward Ty, just as Ty ran toward him." Danny was about to pass it to him. "Except Danny didn't pass, just put the ball through his legs, spun around again, came back to the middle." Thirty. He ran out the clock a little bit. With ten seconds left, Will and Oliver ran out of the corners the way they were supposed to. Danny made his move down the middle and once agin he got double teamed. He did a perfect double crossover to split the two defenders. He was wide open for an instant until Da-Rod came over. Danny made a no look pass to Ty Ross for the win, and made the layup that beat the Vikings. Warriors 40, Vikings 39. His teammates put Danny on their shoulders. "Danny looked down on the day and thought: So this is what everything looks like from up here."
This book was amazing and inspiring. If you are a young adult and you like reading sport novels, this would be perfect book for you.
Danny Walker was different from all of the other basketball players. Danny had known is whole life how small he was compared to everybody in his grade, from first grade on. How he had been put in the front row, front and center of every class picture taken. That didn't stop him from doing what he loves. Basketball.
In the novel Travel Team by Mike Lupica, the main characters are believable because Danny was the smallest kid in his grade and is one of the best basketball players in his league. Everyone makes fun of him by calling him "little guy," and "little man." Although he is used to it by now in sixth grade, the book inspired me to believe in myself and no matter what your shape and size is you can do anything you really want to. For example, Danny practices in his backyard everyday and he is a really good basketball player. The most specific move he practices that he wants to use in games is the double crossover, through the legs spin move. Most of the action in the book takes place either at his school (St. Pat's), the basketball court, and Danny's backyard. For that reason, the author does a good job of making me feel like I'm there. Mike Lupica does a good job of making me feel like I'm there because Danny has a basketball court in his backyard that he likes to call "Madison Square Garden," and I've been there so I can picture it in my head.
All of a sudden, Danny was going to quit basketball because he didn't make his school team. I highly disagree with that decision. Basketball is who Danny is, and that is what made me want to keep reading. Danny didn't pick up a basketball for a week, Friday to Friday, a personal best for him. He didn't touch a basketball since his Dad started to make a team so Danny would keep playing basketball and not quit because he didn't make his school team. He didn't play the weekend after the Vikings (his opponent) first practice at St. Pat's. Suddenly, one night, Danny and his friend Tessa, from school, were messaging each other. So then Danny messages Tessa saying that he might quit basketball this season. Tessa disagrees by saying "NO, NO, NO...NO!" Her point of view is how she knows basketball is who he is, so she tells him that and says "Like taking pictures is for me. It's your gift." So as you can see she tried really hard to tell Danny how he doesn't need to worry about quitting basketball yet, but Danny was still going to quit.
Although I thought this book was amazing and inspiring, I thought it had a slow pace, but it was exciting and that is what made me feel eager to keep reading. In the end of the book Danny's team, the Middletown Warriors were in a good game. Their opponent (The Vikings) had a ten point lead at half. 28-18. Towards the end of the game, the game came down to this, Vikings 37, Warriors 33. Three minutes left. Danny's friend Ty Ross came back into the game for the fourth quarter and as soon as he did, Danny set him up for three straight baskets. Then, his opponent Da-Rod Rodriguez put it up and in. Now they had to find a way to make up those four points in three minutes. The Warriors haven't been in the lead since Danny's first basket that made it 2-0. His teammate Bren fouled out with by now, and so has his teammate Colby. "The whole game, Danny had been telling himself -- and the Warriors -- they'd find a way to win." Ty scored off a steal. Then, Danny had called his second-to-last timeout with a minute and thirty. He told everybody to get a drink. "All you could hear now was everybody's breathing in what was suddenly a fairly quiet gym at St. Pat's." Vikings 39, Warriors 37. The huddle broke, and during the next play Danny fell on his already hurt shoulder that he injured in a scrimmage. "Deep Breaths," Ty said. Teddy Moran, the player that fouled him got thrown out of the game for his flagrant foul on him. Two shots for Danny. Made the first, missed the second, but due to the flagrant foul the Warriors get to keep the ball. Vikings 39, Warriors 38. Warriors tried to inbound it, but they turned it over. "Vikings ball. They called their last timeout, came out of it, tried to run out the clock." But when they finally swung the ball to Da-Rod in the corner, Danny and Ty ran at him at the same time, trapping him. Da-Rod tried to throw it off Danny's leg, and Danny jumped out of the way and threw it out of bounds instead. Warriors ball. One minute left. Danny called his last timeout. Instead of going to his bench, he walked across the court to where his dad was. Danny wanted to know if his dad had a play to run. As soon as his dad started to describe one, Danny cut him off because he had known the play his entire life. The team would be looking for Danny to pass to. He ran back across the court, and told the Warriors the play. Ty and Michael Harden were on opposite sidelines, just inside the mid-court line. Will and Oliver Town went to the corners. Danny had the ball at mid-court. He dribbled toward the free throw line straight down the middle of the court. He got double-teamed and dribbled right back outside. Forty seconds left. "He dribbled to his left, toward Ty, just as Ty ran toward him." Danny was about to pass it to him. "Except Danny didn't pass, just put the ball through his legs, spun around again, came back to the middle." Thirty. He ran out the clock a little bit. With ten seconds left, Will and Oliver ran out of the corners the way they were supposed to. Danny made his move down the middle and once agin he got double teamed. He did a perfect double crossover to split the two defenders. He was wide open for an instant until Da-Rod came over. Danny made a no look pass to Ty Ross for the win, and made the layup that beat the Vikings. Warriors 40, Vikings 39. His teammates put Danny on their shoulders. "Danny looked down on the day and thought: So this is what everything looks like from up here."
This book was amazing and inspiring. If you are a young adult and you like reading sport novels, this would be perfect book for you.
January 5, 2018
"Travel Team" by Mike Lupica is about a boy named Danny Walker who loves the game of ball but has one set back, his height. Danny wanting to make his state travel team but doesn’t is left sad. Without Richie, Danny's father he has to grow up without a father figure. Danny's dad comes back and starts up a travel team with the other kids that didn’t make the team. Danny has to go through many obstacles getting to know his dad and making up for missed times. Danny's father is a tremendous athlete when he was younger. Now Danny is stuck in a situation where he doesn’t want to let his father down.
"Travel Team" is most definitely a great book for anyone who is into sports, especially basketball. I liked how I was able to make a lot of connections throughout the book. The author did a good job making the reader understand the way Danny felt when going through hard times or grief. One thing the author could have done better is the ending of the story and explaining more of Danny and his father and their relationship towards the end of the story.
"Travel Team" is most definitely a great book for anyone who is into sports, especially basketball. I liked how I was able to make a lot of connections throughout the book. The author did a good job making the reader understand the way Danny felt when going through hard times or grief. One thing the author could have done better is the ending of the story and explaining more of Danny and his father and their relationship towards the end of the story.
March 1, 2018
Everyone has a struggle in life. Some even embrace their own struggle, which brings a challenge to something they are passionate about. When someone uses the challenge to motivate themselves, they produce an outcome that they are proud of. During reading days in class, I read Mike Lupica’s Travel Team. This sports fiction novel’s theme refers to those who face the struggles in their own life and overcome them to make something great.
In Travel Team, Danny is a devoted basketball player. He is the best in St. Patrick’s school, and one of the best in all of Middletown. His skill is his strong suit. What is holding him back? His size has always been his weakness. His short stature occasionally brings him down. When Danny tries out for the travel team, he is pulled aside on cut day. The travel team coaches decide that they don’t want Danny on their team. Danny is devastated, and goes home to his mom. His dad does not live with Danny and his mom. His dad too was an amazing basketball star, until he was in a car crash that ended his career. Danny’s father decides to lend a hand in the community. He tells Danny that they can start their own travel team and he will coach Danny and the other players. Everything goes as planned until Danny’s father is in yet another car accident, and is sent to the hospital. In respect for everyone who wants to read this novel, I won’t spoil how everyone handles the situation after the accident.
I give two out of five stars to this book. The story and entertainment is there, but the plot seems very amature with a lack of complexity. That being said, I would still recommend this novel to young readers, especially those who may have an insecurity.
In Travel Team, Danny is a devoted basketball player. He is the best in St. Patrick’s school, and one of the best in all of Middletown. His skill is his strong suit. What is holding him back? His size has always been his weakness. His short stature occasionally brings him down. When Danny tries out for the travel team, he is pulled aside on cut day. The travel team coaches decide that they don’t want Danny on their team. Danny is devastated, and goes home to his mom. His dad does not live with Danny and his mom. His dad too was an amazing basketball star, until he was in a car crash that ended his career. Danny’s father decides to lend a hand in the community. He tells Danny that they can start their own travel team and he will coach Danny and the other players. Everything goes as planned until Danny’s father is in yet another car accident, and is sent to the hospital. In respect for everyone who wants to read this novel, I won’t spoil how everyone handles the situation after the accident.
I give two out of five stars to this book. The story and entertainment is there, but the plot seems very amature with a lack of complexity. That being said, I would still recommend this novel to young readers, especially those who may have an insecurity.
January 23, 2018
The book "travel team" by mike lupica is based on a 7th grade basketball player named Danny. Danny is a great kid with a big heart who was very skillful at the game. Danny played two years for the vikings basketball team but was heart broken after being cut his 7th grade year. Danny's father also played for the vikings and was very skillful and one of the best on the team. Danny's father and mother ran into some problems and sadly got divorced. I can relate to Danny because my parents are also divorced. Danny's father returned to town to coach a second travel team called the warriors.
I gave this book three stars because I enjoyed the topic. On the negative side I gave it three stars because it moves way too slow, if the book went a little faster it had potential to be five stars. The story became a little more interesting when the Warriors and Vikings set up a game. Than, the star of the Vikings, Ty, switched sides to play for the Warriors. This related to me a little because the NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, also got a new player who switched teams. I gave the book three stars because of this as well.
The book " Travel team" by mike lupica was a decent book but I didn't enjoy it completely. I think the book would've been much better if it moved a little quicker. In conclusion, the book was a solid three stars and a somewhat enjoyable book.
I gave this book three stars because I enjoyed the topic. On the negative side I gave it three stars because it moves way too slow, if the book went a little faster it had potential to be five stars. The story became a little more interesting when the Warriors and Vikings set up a game. Than, the star of the Vikings, Ty, switched sides to play for the Warriors. This related to me a little because the NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, also got a new player who switched teams. I gave the book three stars because of this as well.
The book " Travel team" by mike lupica was a decent book but I didn't enjoy it completely. I think the book would've been much better if it moved a little quicker. In conclusion, the book was a solid three stars and a somewhat enjoyable book.
October 15, 2018
This book was an amazing book because it showed that we can achieve anything. In this book Travel Team by Mike Lupica, Danny (Protagonist) comes among many different problems first he gets dropped out of his varsity team at the start of the year. Danny is filled with anger. Danny starts practicing every day for countless hours on his form, on his release, and on his muscles. Later Danny comes to the varsity practice. The coach is confused but he gives the kid the chance and proves to everyone that height does not matter. He breaks everyone's ankles and he does not miss. This book was very motivational to me, and I am ready to have a good season with my basketball team.
May 29, 2018
Travel Team by Mike Lupica is a book that I enjoyed. I was able to relate to the main character Danny in a lot of his situations. Danny is a small kid that wants to play basketball, but his height is a huge struggle for him. I remember when people always told me that height doesn't matter. "Look at spud Webb. Look at Nate Robinson," people would always tell me that when I was younger. People said the same thing to Danny in the book. It was interesting to read about another kid that was so similar to me. This book is a 4 out of 5
May 22, 2017
Danny walker is a really good basketball player. The only problem is that he is small. The famous middle town 7th grade travel team is "going bigger this year" so Danny doesn't make it. His dad comes home and tries to cheer him up. His dad then says he will make a travel team just for Danny. They go around recruiting players and they start off not very good. But throngs hard work they become good.
June 16, 2017
Mike Lupica's Travel Team is a great story about a kid Danny who has talent but is very short for his age and he gets cut from his travel team. His father Richie, who is an ex- NBA player, creates a new travel team and Danny is the star player of it. The book is a good basketball story of a kid who is the underdog because of his lack of height.
January 4, 2019
Travel team is a very relatable book if you've ever felt like you had a disadvantage against someone in anything. Danny Walker is tough as nails loves basketball but gets cut from the travel team his dad puts a team together around him and a couple of his friends. Overall the book was great and really made basketball fun and brought the sport to me in a different perspective.
April 4, 2020
I think the theme of this book is don't let your height get in the way of what you love because Danny was short but love basketball and the coach for the team he was trying out for said he was to short for the team.
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