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Stepping Up
Ernie Dolan, 14, is plagued by the curse of the average. Nothing about him stands out-except his stutter. Only best friend Mike Rivers sees him at his best. Then, at a competitive basketball camp, Mike excels while Ernie is-average. When Ernie blunders in a pickup game, Rick Craig, obnoxious camp hotshot, nicknames him "Choke." This sets the tone for Ernie's first week. But he soon finds three new bunkmate Albert Mann, a goofy genius and practical joker; Coach Petrovich, a 6'8" Russian who mangles the English language; and camp director Tim Sanders, the mentor every kid needs. Soon, Ernie and Mike are on the outs, as Mike hangs with Craig and the jocks. But things change dramatically as Ernie morphs from outcast to hero, risking his life to save three campmates from near tragedy. Ernie's funny, heartwarming story unfolds against the backdrop of exciting, authentic basketball action, while touching on typical teen issues of friendship and the near-deadly consequences of peer pressure.
- GenresSportsYoung Adult
215 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2009
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41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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March 16, 2018Mark Fink's "Stepping Up" is a very insightful, motivating, and hysterical book about basketball. I liked this book and would rate it a 4 out of 5 because it was action-packed, and was filled with basketball throughout. It was great comeback story, and you couldn’t help, but cheer for Ernie as he takes on his best friend Mike, and the enemy team to prove that he is more than just an average person. This book would appeal to anybody who loves basketball, or a great comeback story. This book relate to anybody who has been an underdog, at any point, and would have to prove everyone who doubted them wrong. basketball, or a great comeback story. This book relate to anybody who has been an underdog, and would have to prove everyone who doubted them wrong.
July 31, 2009
Ernie Dolan and his best friend Mike Rivers go to NothingButNet Basketball Camp the summer before their freshman year in high school. Ernie goes into this with some trepidation, since he's only 5'6" and can play basketball well enough that he'll play on his freshman team, but not brilliantly. He considers himself average, and worries about his stutter. Mike has grown quite tall in the past year, and is 5'10" and a much better basketball player. He's also more confident with girls. At camp, Ernie's confidence is challenged constantly by alpha camper, Rick Craig, who calls Ernie "Choke." Mike gravitates to Rick's popular crowd, where he fits in, while Ernie's confidence shrinks and resentment grows further threatening his friendship with Mike. Ultimately, though, Ernie is put into a situation where he reveals to himself and others his strength of character, and because he does not "choke" lives are saved. This book is compellingly written, it will pull readers in from the start, and the humor and pacing will keep them reading. Fans of basketball will appreciate the descriptions of play - but non-fans will relate to the story anyway. There are several adults, such as camp director Tim Sanders, and coach Serge Petrovich, who pay attention and responsibly step in and offer guidance and advice. Perhaps the story goes on for a few chapters beyond when it might reasonably end, unnecessarily describing a future (7 years later) that readers might vaguely - and more satisfyingly - have been able to imagine for themselves. Otherwise, this is a very enjoyable book.
July 9, 2009
Mark Fink’s debut novel, Stepping Up, is a basketball story with some very important lessons scattered throughout. Teen guys (ages 12-14) will find themselves in Ernie Dolan, a likeable protagonist who proves that anyone can be extraordinary.
This fast-paced read combines it all: friendship, sports, and girls, and stresses the importance of pushing forward when it really counts.
Readers will find themselves pulling for Ernie as he finds his footing both on and off the court. Though I’m not the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and by the final chapters I was smiling: always a great sign.
This fast-paced read combines it all: friendship, sports, and girls, and stresses the importance of pushing forward when it really counts.
Readers will find themselves pulling for Ernie as he finds his footing both on and off the court. Though I’m not the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and by the final chapters I was smiling: always a great sign.
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September 17, 2009THIS BOOK IS VERY GOOD, AND I HAVE RECENTLY JUST READ THIS. I ACTUALLY FINISHED THIS YESTERDAY. ITS ABOUT A KID NAMED ERNIE DOLAN, AND HE GOES TO A BASKETBALL CAMP WITH HIS BEST FRIEND MIKE. THERE A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN AT THIS CAMP, AND THIS IS WHERE HE BECAME A TRUE HERO.
June 15, 2018
I was strolling through the library, looking for a book to catch my eye, when my eyes came across this book, “Stepping Up” by Mark Fink. It is a fast paced novel which keeps you sucked in and engaged.
“Stepping Up” is about an average 14 year old boy named Ernie Dolan. At first, Ernie lacks a lot of self-confidence and has a stutter because of it. Ernie than goes to a basketball camp with his best friend where he is the odd man out and he gets picked on by some of the kids. One night, Ernie wakes up because he senses something wrong. It turns out a couple of boys got drunk (including his best friend) and accidentally started a fire. One of the boys passed out inside the building and Ernie goes into the building and rescues him. From then on, he becomes the hero of the camp, gains self-confidence, and goes on to win the finals of the basketball tournament.
As the story progresses, I see many similarities between me and the main character. One of them being we both are sensitive and aware of what others think about us, even if sometimes we are just overthinking it. For example, in the book, Ernie gets into a small pick-up game before the camp starts and he doesn’t play that well: “But I know it’s a whole lot more than just a pick-up-game. It was a first impression, and first impressions are huge. To everyone who saw me today, I’m a guy who totally sucks at basketball” (30). Ernie is overthinking a very small situation. Also, the plot development is extremely good in this story in that it never bores you and it makes you want to read more. The character development was also well done. You could see the characters’ personalities shape out and you could really see how some characters changed over time. However, one thing that could have been better was the writing style. It seemed to simple, and not very advanced.
To conclude, this book is very engaging and a good quick read. The author does a great job of making a compelling, interesting book, and developing the characters well. However, it is not a very advanced book so I wouldn’t suggest it to readers who are looking for a book to challenge them.
“Stepping Up” is about an average 14 year old boy named Ernie Dolan. At first, Ernie lacks a lot of self-confidence and has a stutter because of it. Ernie than goes to a basketball camp with his best friend where he is the odd man out and he gets picked on by some of the kids. One night, Ernie wakes up because he senses something wrong. It turns out a couple of boys got drunk (including his best friend) and accidentally started a fire. One of the boys passed out inside the building and Ernie goes into the building and rescues him. From then on, he becomes the hero of the camp, gains self-confidence, and goes on to win the finals of the basketball tournament.
As the story progresses, I see many similarities between me and the main character. One of them being we both are sensitive and aware of what others think about us, even if sometimes we are just overthinking it. For example, in the book, Ernie gets into a small pick-up game before the camp starts and he doesn’t play that well: “But I know it’s a whole lot more than just a pick-up-game. It was a first impression, and first impressions are huge. To everyone who saw me today, I’m a guy who totally sucks at basketball” (30). Ernie is overthinking a very small situation. Also, the plot development is extremely good in this story in that it never bores you and it makes you want to read more. The character development was also well done. You could see the characters’ personalities shape out and you could really see how some characters changed over time. However, one thing that could have been better was the writing style. It seemed to simple, and not very advanced.
To conclude, this book is very engaging and a good quick read. The author does a great job of making a compelling, interesting book, and developing the characters well. However, it is not a very advanced book so I wouldn’t suggest it to readers who are looking for a book to challenge them.
December 16, 2016
(Plot)
The book starts with main character, Ernie Dolan, an average teenage boy wanting to fulfil the dream of being great at basketball. Ernie is 14 years old and goes through the daily life of having a bad stutter. Ernie has a best friend, Mike Rivers, the two boys grew up together playing ball and always having the best friendship. Later on in the book, the boys decide to attend a basketball camp where Ernie gets treated lower than everybody else. Mike does really good at the camp and slowly fades away from the friendship and starts new friendships with the other jocks at the camp. The book goes on to tell Ernies’ story of how he overcame this trial and how he became a hero in the end.
(3 words)
“He advances menacingly toward Albert” (Fink 95).
Menacingly in this case means like a threat, so he was advancing toward Albert like he was a threat.
“Jamal gets rattled, and I’m right there when he throws the errant pass” (Fink 180).
Errant basically means that it was a traveling pass kind of like a straying pass.
“I’m in the finals for the Dream Job and a shot at being a professional sportscaster” (Fink 203).
Sportscaster is a television or radio station that updates the viewers about the game and basically narrates what is happening play by play.
(Theme)
In this book, the theme that I got would be to never give up. Ernie lived a hard life and had many challenging struggles but in the end it just made him a better person. You should never give up a dream you have to fulfill because of a threat or remark someone else said about your ability. If you want to do something the only person who can stop you should be yourself. Don’t let anybody ruin your dreams.
(Opinion)
I loved the book! I really connected with the characters and understood what was happening because I know basketball. It always left me wondering what’s about to happen. It really made me want to continue reading and the author did a really good job at being able to show how the characters were feeling. I really connected with the book and in the end I ended up liking it a lot.
The book starts with main character, Ernie Dolan, an average teenage boy wanting to fulfil the dream of being great at basketball. Ernie is 14 years old and goes through the daily life of having a bad stutter. Ernie has a best friend, Mike Rivers, the two boys grew up together playing ball and always having the best friendship. Later on in the book, the boys decide to attend a basketball camp where Ernie gets treated lower than everybody else. Mike does really good at the camp and slowly fades away from the friendship and starts new friendships with the other jocks at the camp. The book goes on to tell Ernies’ story of how he overcame this trial and how he became a hero in the end.
(3 words)
“He advances menacingly toward Albert” (Fink 95).
Menacingly in this case means like a threat, so he was advancing toward Albert like he was a threat.
“Jamal gets rattled, and I’m right there when he throws the errant pass” (Fink 180).
Errant basically means that it was a traveling pass kind of like a straying pass.
“I’m in the finals for the Dream Job and a shot at being a professional sportscaster” (Fink 203).
Sportscaster is a television or radio station that updates the viewers about the game and basically narrates what is happening play by play.
(Theme)
In this book, the theme that I got would be to never give up. Ernie lived a hard life and had many challenging struggles but in the end it just made him a better person. You should never give up a dream you have to fulfill because of a threat or remark someone else said about your ability. If you want to do something the only person who can stop you should be yourself. Don’t let anybody ruin your dreams.
(Opinion)
I loved the book! I really connected with the characters and understood what was happening because I know basketball. It always left me wondering what’s about to happen. It really made me want to continue reading and the author did a really good job at being able to show how the characters were feeling. I really connected with the book and in the end I ended up liking it a lot.
March 23, 2012
When it comes to YA, there are suspension bridges of disbelief and there are suspension bridges of disbelief. This one puts the Golden Gate to shame. So if you're a fan of realistic YA in the sports genre, you'll probably get a few chuckles out of this and write a two-word review: "Yeah, right." Three stars.
But I'll be kind and take it from the point of view of a middle school-aged boy who loves basketball and hates reading, loves large font and hates reading, and loves happy endings and hates reading. From that point of view, this is a 3-pointer instead of a 3-star-er. And it hits from well outside the arc, too.
For one, it's about two best friends who go to a basketball camp where a near-tragedy unfolds endangering lives and NO PARENTS ARE CONTACTED. The boys are 14, so I guess you'd expect as much, right? (JK, as they say.) As for happy endings, Mark Fink does not settle for one -- he runs up the score by taking our protagonist seven years into the future for even more good news. Whew! One can dream, I guess, and sometimes books are the medium for that dreaming.
All that said, I'll praise the book on two counts especially: As with John Coy, you get some easily-read but technically-accurate description of game action. A lot of boys speak that language. The other highlight is the humor. Fink hits the right note in back-and-forth badinage, and I found myself chuckling at some of the one-liners. Better yet, some of it is put-down humor. Now there's a writer who knows his audience.
For its demographic, STEPPING UP is a wise purchase. It's fairly clean with only one or two mild profanities. Beyond that (and under its bridge), the book is about as middle reader-friendly as you're going to get and may even appeal to the struggling reader in high school. Keeping my inner cynic at arms length, then, I'd say not bad -- not bad at all.
But I'll be kind and take it from the point of view of a middle school-aged boy who loves basketball and hates reading, loves large font and hates reading, and loves happy endings and hates reading. From that point of view, this is a 3-pointer instead of a 3-star-er. And it hits from well outside the arc, too.
For one, it's about two best friends who go to a basketball camp where a near-tragedy unfolds endangering lives and NO PARENTS ARE CONTACTED. The boys are 14, so I guess you'd expect as much, right? (JK, as they say.) As for happy endings, Mark Fink does not settle for one -- he runs up the score by taking our protagonist seven years into the future for even more good news. Whew! One can dream, I guess, and sometimes books are the medium for that dreaming.
All that said, I'll praise the book on two counts especially: As with John Coy, you get some easily-read but technically-accurate description of game action. A lot of boys speak that language. The other highlight is the humor. Fink hits the right note in back-and-forth badinage, and I found myself chuckling at some of the one-liners. Better yet, some of it is put-down humor. Now there's a writer who knows his audience.
For its demographic, STEPPING UP is a wise purchase. It's fairly clean with only one or two mild profanities. Beyond that (and under its bridge), the book is about as middle reader-friendly as you're going to get and may even appeal to the struggling reader in high school. Keeping my inner cynic at arms length, then, I'd say not bad -- not bad at all.
November 27, 2013
Ernie Dolan and his best friend, Mike Rivers got to Camp NothinButNet for two weeks in their summer holidays. Mike is very excited for the camp but Ernie feels okay about going to the camp. Once they reach camp, they almost immediately get to play a game. They played a team lead by the best player in the camp at that time, Rick Craig. Mike played a really good game but it was the opposite for Ernie. He choked while taking shots and Rick started to call him "Choke". After a few days went by, Mike started to hang out Rick and his friends and Ernie was trying that that does not happen. Ernie and Mike got into a lot of fights and they were not best friends anymore. When the second week started, there was a fierce battle for the Basketball Championship and Ernie's team, who had Rick in their team, were on fourth place (top four get to qualify for semis)with two games to go. Since Rick and Mike were taking bad decisions, they got stuck into a fire in a tent and Ernie manages to save Rick alive. From being "Choke", he would soon be one that people want to hang out with. He also features in the TV due to that incident. Ernie's team manages to reach the semis and beat Mike's team in the finals to lift the trophy. It was fitting that the hero of the camp got to hit the last, but the winning point for his team. Because of his heroics, there was an award named after him in Camp NothinButNet. Seven years later, he gets a job to do commentary in ESPN for a year. After that incident took place, he knew that if all the incidents that took place in Camp NothinButNet didn't happen, he wouldn't come over his stutter he had seven years ago, meet his girlfriend (which he had for seven years and more hopefully) and got such an amazing job.
May 6, 2016
This book is a very intriguing story about a boy named Ernie Dolan, who is just a normal kid who goes to a camp for basketball. When Ernie first arrives, he meets a mean boy named Rick who makes fun of him for how bad he is at basketball. Ernie misses a few shots and Rick says “way to go, choke” and “starts calling Ernie choke” after one game. Ernie gets embarrassed and is worried about how he will get through the rest of the camp with Rick bullying him all the time. Later on in the week, Rick was drinking alcohol when a fire broke out and he fainted in the building. Ernie “crawls furiously into the shed”, finds Rick, and “grabs hold of him and pulls him out” of the fire. Ernie saved the bully’s life and the rest of the campers were amazed at how he did it. The next day Rick sees the video of the fire and Ernie saving his life. Rick “starts crying as he watches what appears to be him dying” and after the video ends, he apologizes to Ernie by saying “I was terrible to you”. He and Ernie make up and become friends towards the end of the camp and their team goes on to do very well. This book is a great story about how Ernie makes friends with the biggest bully at the camp and changes him into someone very friendly by saving his life.
October 28, 2024
Language - PG13 (14 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Ernie is only an average guy that has a stutter problem. His only friend is Mike and they have been best buds since he moved in when they were six. Every summer they turns choosing summer camps that they'll go to together and this year Mike chooses a basketball camp. Ernie is okay at basketball, buy he's not sure about this plan, but he goes along anyway. What never crossed either of their minds was that this camp would change both of their lives forever.
I'm not one for sports, buy I couldn't put this book down to save my life. It had great characters and an outstanding story line. I really enjoyed the fact that you get to read about what happens after camp and not just what went on during camp.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Ernie is only an average guy that has a stutter problem. His only friend is Mike and they have been best buds since he moved in when they were six. Every summer they turns choosing summer camps that they'll go to together and this year Mike chooses a basketball camp. Ernie is okay at basketball, buy he's not sure about this plan, but he goes along anyway. What never crossed either of their minds was that this camp would change both of their lives forever.
I'm not one for sports, buy I couldn't put this book down to save my life. It had great characters and an outstanding story line. I really enjoyed the fact that you get to read about what happens after camp and not just what went on during camp.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
September 10, 2015
I thought the book Stepping Up was a great book to read. It was about Ernie Dolan and his best friend Mike and they go to a very nice basketball camp called NothinButNet. About a week into the camp Mike stops hanging out with Ernie Dolan to hang out with a new group of friends. Ernie still wants to be friends with Mike but Mike thinks that his new group of friends are much better and cooler. Then something terrible happens and Ernie Dolan saves his best friend Mike's life and then Mike realizes that Ernie Dolan was a better friend than they would ever be. Ernie Dolan always thought he was an average person but what he did to save his friend was something no one else was willing to do and this made him a hero. He then realizes that not everyone is just average and everyone has something special about them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2016
Stepping Up was a very good book to read, it was a combination of challenges and successes. Ernie and Mike went to a basketball camp in the summer and overcame many obstacles that let Ernie to be awarded the hero of the camp. The "average" guy persevered through his weaknesses and became the most triumphant man after leaving camp. The story line was very engaging, and made the reader never want to set the book down. Every chapter took an extensive turn which kept the book very interesting. I recommend this book to all young adults that participate in sports because this novel is relevant to our society today.
October 1, 2011
I enjoyed this book well enough, though I found it fairly predictable as a story of change effected by summer camp. I was very puzzled by the long epilogue, though, set seven years later. I really didn't need that much detail about Ernie's future; a page at most would have sufficed. It felt very tacked on, as if the author had needed to make the book 10,000 words longer and couldn't do it naturally in the original story. I wish the story had just ended at the end of camp--that would have made a perfect ending, in my opinion.
October 10, 2011
Fast paced and funny, this sports book is full of heart. Ernie Dolan heads off to basketball camp with his best friend and feels out of his league from the get-go. The stress triggers his stutter marking him an easy target for camp hotshot and bully, Rick Craig. Thanks to the help of a prank-playing roomie, a big-hearted mentor and his own brave self, Ernie not only survives the camp, but thrives. Voted best intermediate book by the kids of Nevada, for the Nevada Young Readers award.
February 3, 2014
Stepping up really kept me turning the page. It seemed like every chapter there would be a big turn The books tells a great story of two best friends' summer at a basketball camp. The fierce competition drives them apart but a traumatic experience involving a fatal fire in a camp shed brings them together. I really recommend this book to anyone that likes sports books, or a good story of how an accident can change lives' for the better.
February 21, 2011
This book was just amazing for me. It give me a clear picture of how this boy felt and what happened at the camp. I also felt that I could relate to this character in the book which made it even more amazing. The ending is just a must read part. A phenomenal book in my eyes.
January 30, 2010
this is a funny book and a really good book as well.
September 7, 2010
I think middle school boys will like this basketball book. It has a lot of game action, a great plot, and it is funny!
September 7, 2010
I think middle school boys will like this basketball book. It has a lot of game action, a great plot, and it is funny!
November 19, 2010
Who doesn't like basketball books. This one gives a great look at how our faults as teens can become our strengths.
December 7, 2012
A fun book to read, more about confidence than basketball to be honest. Good book for people when they are feeling bad, helps you think of the future and not the past.
February 15, 2013
This was a great read for anyone who enjoys Basketball and summer camp stories. a bit of a twist causes quite a stir at Camp NothinButNet! I would recommend it, for sure
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November 28, 2018Stepping Up by Mark Fink is a humorous and intriguing story about a kid who goes to a summer camp for basketball.
The story takes place at a basketball camp in the woods. Early in the story we are introduced to Mike, a kid who is popular and liked by almost everyone. Ernie who is Mike’s best friend but is not quite as smooth or popular as Mike. Rick Craig who is also popular and a kid who bullies Ernie. Albert who is a camp prankster. The main conflict arises when Rick Craig, Mike, and one other kid start a fire on accident by using a cigarette. They are all is danger but Ernie saves Mikes and Ricks life by pulling them out of the fire. Ernie is no longer bullied and becomes popular. This surprised me because it was a big turn in the book and it made Ernie a lot more liked by others. Even Rick Craig stopped bullying Ernie.
This was a similar experience to when I was at a camp and a kid was getting bullied because he was autistic but people ended up liking him because he was nice.
The writing style was a little to simple for my liking. It did not use any interesting words. The character development was great because over the course of the story almost everyone changed opinions and point of view of something. I liked the plot development because a lot of different big events happened and the plot changed. The themes that I noticed were heroism and giving everybody a chance to be great.
The story takes place at a basketball camp in the woods. Early in the story we are introduced to Mike, a kid who is popular and liked by almost everyone. Ernie who is Mike’s best friend but is not quite as smooth or popular as Mike. Rick Craig who is also popular and a kid who bullies Ernie. Albert who is a camp prankster. The main conflict arises when Rick Craig, Mike, and one other kid start a fire on accident by using a cigarette. They are all is danger but Ernie saves Mikes and Ricks life by pulling them out of the fire. Ernie is no longer bullied and becomes popular. This surprised me because it was a big turn in the book and it made Ernie a lot more liked by others. Even Rick Craig stopped bullying Ernie.
This was a similar experience to when I was at a camp and a kid was getting bullied because he was autistic but people ended up liking him because he was nice.
The writing style was a little to simple for my liking. It did not use any interesting words. The character development was great because over the course of the story almost everyone changed opinions and point of view of something. I liked the plot development because a lot of different big events happened and the plot changed. The themes that I noticed were heroism and giving everybody a chance to be great.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews