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The Hoop Con
YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T PLAY Raam Patel is eager to prove himself ever since he didn’t make the middle school’s basketball team. So, when Hoop Con comes to town he is determined to be there and take his shot. His big moment proves to be unforgettable… but not in the way he’d hoped. Raam gets schooled by the camp’s golden boy right in front of his NBA idol. To make matters even worse, this fail goes viral. Raam is used to being the underdog, but becoming the newest meme might be something even he can’t overcome alone. He skips town in an effort to lay low and take a break from basketball. However, he’s met with new courts, fresh kicks, and tough new competition, changing his whole outlook on the game. Raam has the skills, but now it’s time to unlock the mental game.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2024
16 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 4, 2024
A terrific beginning to a new basketball-focused series. I loved the way this one dug into the all-too-familiar tween emotions of humiliation and how this low point fueled Raam's comeback. I'm always a fan of the home-away-home story structure, and even more when it comes with an unlikely mentor. Raam's connection with his baller cousin in LA was one of my favorite parts of the story. Replete with PLENTY of basketball references, this one holds a ton of appeal for the basketball-obsessed nine to thirteen year old. Can't wait to see what happens over the course of this series.
January 2, 2025
The first in a new MG series from AS about a boy eager to prove himself.
🏀
Meet Raam Patel. He didn’t make the middle school basketball team so now he’s got something to prove. His moment happens at Hoop Con, but it doesn’t turn out the way he planned. Being embarrassed by the camp’s golden boy is hard enough, but it happened in front of his basketball idol AND captured for social media infamy. Raam skips town to get away from everything, but finds it’s not so easy to outrun your problems.
🏀
I’ve been waiting to get this from the library ever since I read the author’s graphic memoir last month. My thoughts: This generation will absolutely relate to Raam’s social media notoriety, as it’s something many see daily on various platforms. I hate that (unlike my generation and those before me), these things can be captured forever because of the internet. I think this book will teach kids about sportsmanship, perseverance and not giving up when you’re at your lowest.
CW: cyberbullying, divorce issues
3.5 ⭐️
🏀
Meet Raam Patel. He didn’t make the middle school basketball team so now he’s got something to prove. His moment happens at Hoop Con, but it doesn’t turn out the way he planned. Being embarrassed by the camp’s golden boy is hard enough, but it happened in front of his basketball idol AND captured for social media infamy. Raam skips town to get away from everything, but finds it’s not so easy to outrun your problems.
🏀
I’ve been waiting to get this from the library ever since I read the author’s graphic memoir last month. My thoughts: This generation will absolutely relate to Raam’s social media notoriety, as it’s something many see daily on various platforms. I hate that (unlike my generation and those before me), these things can be captured forever because of the internet. I think this book will teach kids about sportsmanship, perseverance and not giving up when you’re at your lowest.
CW: cyberbullying, divorce issues
3.5 ⭐️
January 21, 2024
This is a great story of a personal journey for a basketball-loving kid who learns some hard but important lessons about being a team player. Raam is pretty good a basketball player, but his overly competitive nature and his tendency to go for his own glory rather than be a team player cost him his pride. Raam goes on a journey (both literally and figuratively) to gain skills, learn sportsmanship, and reinvent himself. Basketball lovers, and everybody really, will find humor, heart, hope, and inspiration in this awesome book.
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January 24, 2024Reviewing for a professional magazine.
April 21, 2024
The Hoop Con follow Raam Patel who is eager to prove himself ever since he didn’t make the middle school’s basketball team. When he is schooled in front of his NBA idol, he skips town in an effort to lay low and take a break from basketball. He is met with new competition and a new outlook on the game. Raam has the skills, but now it’s time to unlock the mental game.
I am always looking for more in the sports genre. Amar Shah was a teen sports reporter and got to hang out with the Chicago Bulls. He even landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated with Shaquille O’Neal. I think you are going to enjoy the first installment of his basketball trilogy.
I am always looking for more in the sports genre. Amar Shah was a teen sports reporter and got to hang out with the Chicago Bulls. He even landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated with Shaquille O’Neal. I think you are going to enjoy the first installment of his basketball trilogy.
October 7, 2024
Love basketball and this will definitely appeal to anyone who does: friendship, family, social media, basketball, and so much more!
December 10, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Raam Patel is very interested in playing basketball, and takes every opportunity to play in his Orlando, Florida area community. At the end of 6th grade, he and his friend, Cake, are also into basketball celebrities, merchandise, and the Hoop Con that is coming to their area. Cake's parents get tickets for him, but since they cost at least $500, Raam's dancing instructor mother and father who works for a relative are reluctant to buy him tickets. They would rather he attend Spelling Bee camp at the community center, especially since they have already paid for it. Through a contact, however, Raam's mother manages to get entry level tickets that don't have the same level of swag as Cake's. They still include court time with the star, Aron Hardaway, but Raam has difficulty on the court when it comes to sportsmanship. He doesn't like to pass to others, even when it is best for the team, which has led to problems in his previous experiences. When he gets drawn into a competition with a celebrity tween player, things get ugly. He not only doesn't do well, but he embarasses himself on the court. His antics are caught on camera, the player he idolizes shakes his head at Raam, and the videos go viral. To add insult to injury, Cake shares the video and refuses to take it down when Raam asks, because having it on his social media platform results in many more followers. Raam doesn't want to leave the house because everyone knows of his defeat. His parents, who are having work and relationship struggles themselves, have no patience for his hystrionics. They make him go to the Spelling Bee camp, but eventually make a concession; he can go to California to spend time with an aunt, uncle, and older cousin (actually an aunt, but nearer his age) Trina while the parents take time to work through their difficulties. While some people in California have seen the video, it's not as bad as being at home, and he has the opportunity to explore California and hang out with Trina. When new opportunities for competition present themselves, will Raam be able to work out the issues that are holding him back from being a winner?
Strengths: Readers who are fascinated by sports AND social media will definitely love Raam's embarassing brush with internet fame, and enjoy all of the opportunities that Raam has to see celebrities and revel in designer shoes and swag. There is plenty of basketball as well, and the cover alone will sell this story. The family dynamics and history are interesting, and I especially liked the difficulties with Cake, since middle schoolers seem to lose at least one good friend. Having Trina also be interested in basketball gives this appeal to wider audiences. This is a great middle grade debut by Shah, whose background as a sports writer imbues this book with a lot of authenticity. This is like Fred Bowen's books, but with a sort of less traditional, social media feel to it.
Weaknesses: While I am decently knowledgeable with the sport of basketball, I am woefully deficient in knowledge of its celebrity culture and all its trappings of clothing, gear, and NFT. For me personally, Raam wasn't as sympathetic a character as he could have been, but perhaps we will see him become a better person in the next books.
What I really think: Sports book are a fantastic way to teach the life lessons that many language arts teachers and librarians wish to impart to students. The difference is that sports book actually get read, while award winners (especially ones that don't take student affection for the title into consideration) gather dust on their shiny stickers. While I didn't personally like Raam very much, he is a very relatable character, and middle grade readers who like a little schadenfreude dusted on the basketball court will empathize with Raam's embarassment and root for his comeback. I am looking forward to the next two purported books in the series. (Take the Shot is slated for publication on October 15, 2024.)
Raam Patel is very interested in playing basketball, and takes every opportunity to play in his Orlando, Florida area community. At the end of 6th grade, he and his friend, Cake, are also into basketball celebrities, merchandise, and the Hoop Con that is coming to their area. Cake's parents get tickets for him, but since they cost at least $500, Raam's dancing instructor mother and father who works for a relative are reluctant to buy him tickets. They would rather he attend Spelling Bee camp at the community center, especially since they have already paid for it. Through a contact, however, Raam's mother manages to get entry level tickets that don't have the same level of swag as Cake's. They still include court time with the star, Aron Hardaway, but Raam has difficulty on the court when it comes to sportsmanship. He doesn't like to pass to others, even when it is best for the team, which has led to problems in his previous experiences. When he gets drawn into a competition with a celebrity tween player, things get ugly. He not only doesn't do well, but he embarasses himself on the court. His antics are caught on camera, the player he idolizes shakes his head at Raam, and the videos go viral. To add insult to injury, Cake shares the video and refuses to take it down when Raam asks, because having it on his social media platform results in many more followers. Raam doesn't want to leave the house because everyone knows of his defeat. His parents, who are having work and relationship struggles themselves, have no patience for his hystrionics. They make him go to the Spelling Bee camp, but eventually make a concession; he can go to California to spend time with an aunt, uncle, and older cousin (actually an aunt, but nearer his age) Trina while the parents take time to work through their difficulties. While some people in California have seen the video, it's not as bad as being at home, and he has the opportunity to explore California and hang out with Trina. When new opportunities for competition present themselves, will Raam be able to work out the issues that are holding him back from being a winner?
Strengths: Readers who are fascinated by sports AND social media will definitely love Raam's embarassing brush with internet fame, and enjoy all of the opportunities that Raam has to see celebrities and revel in designer shoes and swag. There is plenty of basketball as well, and the cover alone will sell this story. The family dynamics and history are interesting, and I especially liked the difficulties with Cake, since middle schoolers seem to lose at least one good friend. Having Trina also be interested in basketball gives this appeal to wider audiences. This is a great middle grade debut by Shah, whose background as a sports writer imbues this book with a lot of authenticity. This is like Fred Bowen's books, but with a sort of less traditional, social media feel to it.
Weaknesses: While I am decently knowledgeable with the sport of basketball, I am woefully deficient in knowledge of its celebrity culture and all its trappings of clothing, gear, and NFT. For me personally, Raam wasn't as sympathetic a character as he could have been, but perhaps we will see him become a better person in the next books.
What I really think: Sports book are a fantastic way to teach the life lessons that many language arts teachers and librarians wish to impart to students. The difference is that sports book actually get read, while award winners (especially ones that don't take student affection for the title into consideration) gather dust on their shiny stickers. While I didn't personally like Raam very much, he is a very relatable character, and middle grade readers who like a little schadenfreude dusted on the basketball court will empathize with Raam's embarassment and root for his comeback. I am looking forward to the next two purported books in the series. (Take the Shot is slated for publication on October 15, 2024.)
December 13, 2023
ARC read! The start of an exciting new middle grade sports series with a fantastic voice! Raam is done with 6th grade and wants more than anything to head to Hoop Con, like Comic Con for basketball players. Prices are astronomical and his parents are dealing with their own issues and not crazy about his focus on the game. So they sign him up for spelling bee camp instead. OMG I felt the pain reading that! But Mom eventually works out a way for him to go, and soon Raam and his best friend Cake (the reason behind this nickname sent me cackling!) are meeting their sports heroes, learning new skills, and dealing with Drama. That includes online bullies and pretty complicated friendship and family issues. When it all gets to be to be too much, Raam is sent to stay with family in Los Angeles where he becomes immersed in an entirely different basketball scene and finds the space to not only enjoy the game, but also understand himself and his family at large. I think kids are going to love this series! The action sequences are expertly written so you truly feel like you’re on the court with the characters. And Amar Shah’s love of the game comes bouncing off the page throughout the book. Thank you for the chance to read early
July 28, 2025
I read this as part of the 2025 to 2026 SSYRA list.
This book had a rough beginning, but the last third included some nice themes. I absolutely loved the references to musical artists like Tom Petty and the Killers. However, I could not handle the wordage.
Phrases like "on fleek", "we are cooking", and "lock in" are used along side "bruv" and "book bag". The line "I got more range than a Rover when it comes to perimeter" was so cringe-worthy that I closed the book.
Another problem I had with The Hoop Con was the writing style. Things were not described well, so as someone unfamiliar with many of these basketball plays (I only played one season) it was difficult for me to picture.
I was okay with the plot. I love the idea of someone being built up from their lowest, but I've always found the trope of an 11 or 12 year old kid messing up once in their sport then going viral on social media to be quite nonsensical. Usually something like this would be localized, causing the peers of said kid to mock them, but I don't think anyone actually cares enough about a middle schooler for such a video to go so viral.
Overall, this book had many problems for me, but its themes and references saved it in the end.
This book had a rough beginning, but the last third included some nice themes. I absolutely loved the references to musical artists like Tom Petty and the Killers. However, I could not handle the wordage.
Phrases like "on fleek", "we are cooking", and "lock in" are used along side "bruv" and "book bag". The line "I got more range than a Rover when it comes to perimeter" was so cringe-worthy that I closed the book.
Another problem I had with The Hoop Con was the writing style. Things were not described well, so as someone unfamiliar with many of these basketball plays (I only played one season) it was difficult for me to picture.
I was okay with the plot. I love the idea of someone being built up from their lowest, but I've always found the trope of an 11 or 12 year old kid messing up once in their sport then going viral on social media to be quite nonsensical. Usually something like this would be localized, causing the peers of said kid to mock them, but I don't think anyone actually cares enough about a middle schooler for such a video to go so viral.
Overall, this book had many problems for me, but its themes and references saved it in the end.
June 17, 2025
Raam is so excited for the local Hoop Con. His favourite player will be there and all his friends have tickets. After finally persuading his mum to spend a small fortune on his ticket, he epically fails at a showdown and as fast as spectators can upload the debacle to the internet, Raam runs from the convention.
His parents send him to LA for the summer to get over his shame, to stay with his cousin, Trina. She starts coaching him in different areas of sportsmanship and includes him in their local basketball 3-man tournament.
There are lots of life lessons along the way and it's not always a smooth ride. But it is a supportive and believable environment.
His parents send him to LA for the summer to get over his shame, to stay with his cousin, Trina. She starts coaching him in different areas of sportsmanship and includes him in their local basketball 3-man tournament.
There are lots of life lessons along the way and it's not always a smooth ride. But it is a supportive and believable environment.
August 9, 2025
Amar knows how to write for young sports lovers. "The Hoop Con" is such a fun, fast-paced read that you won’t want to put down. Elementary and middle school kids will easily relate to Raam’s ups and downs—whether it’s the sting of embarrassment, the joy of improving at something you love, or the bond of family cheering you on. With plenty of basketball action and laugh-out-loud moments, this story is as entertaining as it is inspiring.
I've bought all of Amar Shah's books for friends - and I really like that the series also has a graphic novel! What a great author, deserving of all the praise!
I've bought all of Amar Shah's books for friends - and I really like that the series also has a graphic novel! What a great author, deserving of all the praise!
November 20, 2024
This is the first book in what is sure to be a very popular sports series. It seamlessly incorporates fast-paced basketball action with themes of social media--and going viral for the wrong reasons--with personal growth, family, friendship, and overcoming challenges. Raam Patel is a relatable character who suffers a humiliating defeat at a basketball event he had been very excited about, and he ends up becoming a meme. He leaves town for the summer to get away from everything and finds further hurdles, but also an excellent opportunity to figure out the kind of person he really wants to be.
May 14, 2024
My kiddo and I had a lot of fun reading this sports-themed MG. First of all, it's so rare to find a South Asian MC in a sports story, so I was already excited for the rep. And I found Raam's journey toward not just being a better player, but a better friend very compelling. I love the way we see how your mental game feeds into your physical one, and the descriptions of the games were so intense that I felt like I was truly watching Raam and his awesome cousin Trina compete! Yesss!!!
May 13, 2024
I was going to give this a 3* but the ending made it a 4. There's a lot of youth slang that was distracting to me, but the kids will probably relate to. Recommend to 5th-7th grade boys who especially love basketball. There is a a prominent girl character too, so don't shy away from recommending to your "baller" girls.
April 14, 2025
Play the Game by Amar Shah
(basketball, family, second chances, )
This is the story of a middle grade young man that loses his big basketball game in front of the entire school. After staying in his feelings, he ends up joining a group of players that he never imagined would get him to the next level.
(basketball, family, second chances, )
This is the story of a middle grade young man that loses his big basketball game in front of the entire school. After staying in his feelings, he ends up joining a group of players that he never imagined would get him to the next level.
February 6, 2025
This kid had so much heart! Going through something that embarrassing and it being out in the world for everyone to see couldn't have been easy. Especially between 11-14. The way he overcame everything was pretty damn cool to see. (read?) Real review to come.
July 23, 2025
Another SSYRA book; I’m between 3 and 4 stars on this. It’s heavy in basketball terms with a lot of game scenes, making it inaccessible to some kids. That said, it was a good story with a solid redemption arc from Raam.
June 18, 2024
any reader who loves basketball, especially Kobe, will love this one. it was a quick read.
July 19, 2024
Great story especially for kids who love sports books!
October 12, 2024
What a wonderful story by a skilled writer! Looking forward to reading and sharing copies of the second book, “Take the Shot.”
January 11, 2025
Not sure why this one is rated so highly? The plot is so loose, segmented and dry.
July 29, 2025
This book delivers the goods. It is perfect for that Fresh Prince, Like Mike crowd. Can't wait to dive into the rest of the trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews