Miracle on 49th Street

by Mike Lupica

In the tradition of About a Boy comes a feel good sports and holiday novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica.

Josh Cameron has it all: a World Championship ring with the Boston Celtics, an MVP award, a clean-cut image, and the adoration of millions. What he doesn't have is family. Until the day 12-year-old smartaleck Molly Parker confronts him in a parking lot and claims to be his daughter—the only daughter of Jen Parker, Josh's college sweetheart and the still the only girl he's ever loved. Trouble is, Jen Parker died last year, and now Molly has tracked down the father she never knew, the one her mother never wanted her to know about. Josh Cameron cares about two things only: himself, and basketball. The last thing this superstar wants or needs is a 12-year-old daughter. Yet this isn't just any 12-year-old. Mr. World Champion has finally met his match.

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Christmas, Childrens, Middle Grade

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Michael 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.

Reviews

[Owen Dybus · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Aha, I found the perfect one!”
Miracle on 49th Street is about a girl who moves around constantly for her step dads work. She ends up in Boston and meets an NBA player, and then something insane happens, Molly (girl) needs to ask questions.

This is a very spectacular book, it's very good for kids and also has a great life lesson. This won't be a book that you will want to abandon or put down because the flow never stops! When you're reading and an exciting part ends another one is coming, don't judge this book by the cover qualities or the cover. You'll like this book!

I would recommend this book to sports lovers, especially Boston. They talk about Boston history and some old NBA Players. Also like I said I would recommend it to kids, I say this because of the life lesson in the story. The life lesson is to never judge a book by it’s cover. I would really suggest you read this book and thank you for taking your time to read my review!

[Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel, Miracle on 49th Street written by Mike Lupica, is about a girl named Molly who finally meets her mom’s old boyfriend and Molly believes he is the one who should be taking care of her because her mom unfortunately passed away. In this 256 page book, it talks about something that didn’t really happen but could have happened. Because of this, this book is a realistic fiction book. At the start of this book, Molly was first trying to convince Josh Cameron, her mom’s old boyfriend, that she was her mom’s daughter and that he had to take care of her. Josh at first didn’t believe her and thought she was just a little annoying girl. He thought she was just another fan that tried to make him believe that she was his daughter. No matter what, Molly kept trying and never gave up on him. Eventually Josh gave her a chance and she got to hang out with the Celtics and got to even go to the hotel that Josh stayed at. She started to become really good friends with the rest of the Celtics, but even Molly knew that Josh didn’t truly love her. Molly knew that at some point Josh was just going to throw her out, but Josh needed to find the right time to do it. Whenever Molly went to New York City with Josh Cameron and the rest of the Celtics, she over heard Josh and his manager talking about getting rid of Molly because his manager doesn’t want his reputation to change. She was so sad that she ran down the stairs and ran outside in a big city like New York. She had extra money so she took a train, by herself, back to Boston. After this incident, she didn’t really give Josh another chance until a while after that. She decided that she would give him one final chance to redeem himself for what he had done. They ended up staying with their relationship up until Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Molly finally told Josh that she was moving to Los Angeles and Josh didn’t seem that sad, but deep inside he was heart broken. He knew he had a big game tomorrow and that he couldn’t be worried about this. On Christmas Day, Molly realized that Josh truly loved her and that instead of just sitting there she was going to go to Josh. She knew his game was in New York City again so she got a train ticket and left to go. She wanted to meet him in the same spot that her mom skated with him, at the skating rink right next to the big tree in New York City. She finally seen him walking down the street towards her and they ran to each other and hugged and Josh promised to never lose her again.
Overall I believe that this was a great book. The change in the mood made me keep reading. Every time that Molly and Josh separated from each other there was a change in mood in the book. The villain in the book, Josh Cameron’s manager, provided an obstacle for Molly and Josh Cameron. Every time Molly wanted to stay with Josh at his hotel he stayed at, his manager would always get in the way because he thought it was a bad idea for Molly to stay with a basketball star like Josh Cameron. Like most stories with villains, the villain is most likely always beaten. This is another example of this. The ending was a great because everyone in the story ended up being happy and Molly and Josh were finally together with no interruptions like Josh’s manager. This kind of book would be great for sports people in their teens who love happy endings.

[Frankie Anello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a pleasant surprise for me given the fact that I initially picked it up thinking it was going to be a classic Mike Lupica sports book, basketball in this case. However, the story is not really centered around basketball and it is more of just a side note. The entire book has Molly Parker, a 12 year old girl who recently lost her mother to cancer, trying to convince her Mom’s ex-boyfriend and superstar Celtics point guard Josh Cameron that she is his biological daughter.
The relationship of the two starts out extremely shaky for Josh does not believe that she is his real daughter, but progresses nicely as time goes on. They were doing pretty up until the point when the Evans’ , Molly foster family, have to move California because Mr. Evans got a job promotion. Molly refuses and refuses and begs and begs to stay because she is so close to a breakthrough with Josh and wants more time with him. When Molly finally stops begging, Barbara, her foster mother, lets Molly stay with Josh only for the amount of time until they have to leave to got to Los Angeles. Molly through that period of time has to do everything in her power to convince Josh of their father-daughter relationship or she will move away and probably never see him again.
I really liked this twist in the story for it speed up the rather slow plot. It was also interesting to see how both parties would react to the circumstances. The ending of the book definitely kept me hooked as I wanted to keep reading to see what the outcome would be.

[Christopher Almaguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica is about a twelve year old girl named Molly Parker. Molly is going through some tough times because her mom just died of cancer. She is living with her aunt in Boston, and by all the letters her mom sent her she figures out that she has a dad. Her dad is Josh Cameron, the best point guard in the NBA. Now she is trying to convince Josh that her mother Jen Parker is her mom. I would recommend this book to people who like basketball and suspense.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does a little girl, a star basketball player, a deceased mother and nachos have in common? Nothing, until they were put into an exciting novel written by Mike Lupica. The novel is filled with new twists and turns, along with plenty of setting changes thanks to an adventurous girl named Molly, and she isn’t your average 12 year old girl. Her dad was never around when she was younger and now her mom has just passed away, which is a lot to handle for someone so young. But Molly has her own ways of dealing with things. She has a great understanding of the world around her and always makes her own decisions, even if she knows its trouble right around the corner. Most of her decisions are based on her own thoughts without the influence of others. She’s a girl on a mission 24/7 to try and convince her biological father that she is really his with his heart and not just by a test..
This is honestly one of my all time favorite books. The plot is a simple yet complex in perfect contradiction and leaves you always wondering how Molly’s next plan will work out. In one of my favorite scenes, Molly and her star basketball player of a dad are in New York at the famous skating rink just a couple blocks down from Rockefeller center. Molly shows off her skating skills and for the first time in forever, she feels like she is a part of a family. It is a touching moment that makes you want to believe that their bond is real and everlasting. Back in cold Boston, Molly is apart of a family whose mother was close to her own, but she never feels a true connection of unity and family.

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has anynoe lost someone very close to them and had no one to go to?
This book is about a girl named Molly who her mother just died of of cancer.Molly doesn't know who her father is because her mother never told her about him.As, her mother had a few months to live she wrote letters for Molly to read about who her father is.It turns out that her father is Josh Cameron. That is so great because he is the Micheal Jordan of basketball. Molly tries to get him to belive that she is his daughter ,but he is to cocky because he only thinks about him self.

The author made this book in the point of veiw of Molly. This is a man vs. self because Molly is unsure if she should go lookin for her father. This book has some hard langauge and there is also lots of easy langauge.This book is written in paragraph form.

I recommend this book to anyone who like happy endings.I also, recommend it to anyone who like suspenceful books.I love this book because it talks about thing I went threw in my life.I aslo, love this book because it talks about my fravorite sport.(Basketball)

[Darius Tate]

Mike Lupica is a great author. He does a talk show on ESPN today. He is very involved in sports and that's what all of his books are about. Miracle on 49th Street is a book about a girl who has a mother that has just passed away. She wrote a note to her before she passed and she told her about who her father really was. It turns out that he was a NBA all star who plays with the Boston Celtics. The book tells you about the journey she takes to find the bond that she has missed her whole life with her dad. This is a great book. I liked it because I love the sport basketball. Just about any book that has something to do with it I will like. The book was really good and well told. Mike Lupica really is a phenomenal writer when it comes to sports. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves sports.

[Paul Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading this book I think that it was an entertaining and somewhat action-filled book. Although, if I were to recommend this book to someone it would be to someone a little younger than me because this book was pretty easy. I also picked it out in the first place because I like basketball and I thought the cover and the summary on the back were pretty interesting so I checked it out. But this book was not as good as I thought it was and if i had the chance to read it again I probably wouldn't.

[Chris Cai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall great book, but confusing to early readers, as the storyline is set up uniquely.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this Christmas novel that has just as much to say to professional athletes as the juvenile audience at which it is aimed, Mike Lupica delivers a solid storytelling performance about the connections that matter most in our lives, even when it takes us far too long to recognize them. The fact of celebrities having children out of wedlock is hardly a new development, but there's a right way for a superstar to respond to it and a wrong way, and we see moments of both in Miracle on 49th Street. When one is a big basketball star, wealthy beyond the most lavish dreams of the general populace, everyone wanting to get a piece of the pie, a son or daughter doesn't necessarily fit in with the clean-cut image that earned all those endorsement dollars in addition to the big team contracts. It's bound to be hard, disappointing millions of adoring fans when they hear their hero has strayed from the straight and narrow, but what do the responsibilities of fatherhood suggest a man do at such a time? Is a daughter unbeknownst to him for the first twelve years of her life still a daughter at all, or merely a stranger sharing microscopic threads of similar DNA, with nothing more substantial than that to tie her to the man who had a part in her creation? Miracle on 49th Street is intended for kids, but Molly Parker's dilemmas are far from the only ones in the book; in fact, one might even say it is Josh Cameron, all-star point guard for the Boston Celtics of the NBA and the man Molly believes is her father, who faces the most difficult challenges in the book. How is one to take responsibility in a scenario that leaves doubt as to what that responsibility will ultimately look like?

It's been only a matter of months since Molly's mother died, but her living situation is already squared away. After growing up in Europe, Molly is now living with the family of an old friend of her mother's in Boston. Just like that, Molly has two temporary parents and even a sister, Kimmy, but this isn't where she means to stay. Before her mother passed away following a long battle with cancer, Jen Parker let her daughter in on the secret of her real father, a vague figure she had never assigned a specific identity until then. Molly's father, Jen told her, is basketball superstar Josh Cameron of the Boston Celtics, the greatest performer in the sport today and heir apparent to the Celtics mantel of greatness stretching back to the days of Bob Cousy and John Havlicek. There had been a serious romance between Jen and the rising collegiate athletic phenom more than twelve years ago, before Josh rode his golden touch with the basketball to mega-stardom, but the relationship broke off before Josh ever learned Jen Parker was carrying his child. To this day, he knows nothing of Molly's existence.

But Molly won't let it stay that way long. She's living in Boston now, within easy reach of the man she has been told is her father, and the first chance she gets to set up a one-on-one meeting with the Celtics superstar, she goes for broke, informing Josh of everything her mother told her about their family connection. The trouble is, Josh Cameron doesn't buy what this girl who connived her way into getting some personal time with him is saying, and he's happy enough to drive away without even fact-checking Molly's story to find out if she could be telling the truth. Of course, a spitfire like Molly isn't about to let this go without proving her mother right; after all, with Jen Parker gone, who else is there to stand up for her character but the daughter she bequeathed to the world? So Molly sets up another "chance" encounter with Josh Cameron, this time enlisting the help of her best buddy Sam, hoping to make Josh listen to what she has to say. Molly may not believe she cares how Josh receives her, but she won't let him make her mother out to be a liar, or worse. Yet Josh the star point guard again brushes Molly off like an annoying defender trying to clog the lane to the basket, creating separation before ending the play with a few skillful moves.

"My mom always said that if you were afraid to get hurt, you were afraid to be really alive".

—Molly Parker, Miracle on 49th Street, P. 108

Molly's plan to give herself a chance to know her father could have stalled right there and never started up again if it weren't for Josh's having installed a key individual or two in his life who knows how to speak the truth to him past his oversized celebrity ego, even when that truth is harsh and unflattering. Perhaps there's something left of the unsure, unselfish college student Jen Parker fell in love with those years ago, for why else would a big shot like Josh have let into his inner circle a woman like Mattie, who won't swallow an ounce of the hype generated by the Josh Cameron promotional machine and doesn't hesitate to get in his face and confront him when he's headed the wrong direction? Because of Mattie, Molly's plan to get to know Josh is saved, at least temporarily, as the star baller offers to make a little room in his life and see if spending time with a daughter might not be so bad. Josh isn't convinced Molly actually is his biological child, but what could it hurt to let her hang around the team awhile and be a feel-good story for the Celtics faithful?

"Always believe you'll end up where you're supposed to".

—Miracle on 49th Street, P. 235

Molly is wary of trusting Josh Cameron to be all he promises, but it's when she is with her best friend Sam that she finds herself able to think most clearly about the situation and open-mindedly discern Josh's intentions toward her. Sam is a once-in-a-lifetime friend; he and Molly come to know each other not as a result of twelve years of battle-tested friendship dating back to infancy, but after just a few months, the time Molly has spent living in Boston since moving from Europe. Every phase of Molly's life was a major adjustment after her mother died, but at least she didn't have to go through years of awkward friendships before someday, maybe, breaking in a new peer worthy of being called a best friend. With Sam, that process was almost immediate, so she doesn't have to face this time of massive readjustment alone. Sam is a lifesaver, Molly's "soft landing" (page eighty-nine), the kind of friend every one of us desperately needs in our life, and Molly has Mattie, as well, to help correct course for Josh Cameron when his priorities get out of balance. Molly has lost much in the past year, but she's far from the unluckiest kid on the planet. As Josh Cameron and Molly get to know each other as people instead of merely ideas, Molly wonders how a secret child fits in with the life of the squeaky-clean Boston Celtics star. Will Josh want to have a daughter in his life, knowing the mammoth changes that is sure to entail? Is he agreeable to the hit his image may take when the world finds out his past indiscretions? Molly doesn't know what Josh's answers to these questions will be, but there are two things she does know: first, whatever happens, she wants what she decides to do with her life to honor her late mother and what she wanted; and second, if Josh Cameron turns out to be anything like the guy presented by his press machine to the public, then she wants to learn, finally, what it's like to have a father. All lost opportunities and missing years aside, Molly wants to be part of her own real family.

"We can what-if ourselves to death... But what-if never does anybody any good. All any of us ever have...is one thing, and we better make the most of it while we can: What is."

—Miracle on 49th Street, P. 203

Mike Lupica writes sports action with tremendous precision and insight, a clever facilitator who sees the court with the super-enhanced vision of an Oscar Robertson, John Stockton or Chris Paul and makes the right pass at exactly the right time, setting the table for what will happen next in the story like a hall-of-famer at his peak. Surprisingly, there isn't much basketball play in Miracle on 49th Street, only a brief description of Josh Cameron's buzzer-beating heroics in a Celtics game near the book's beginning, and later on a few lines about a game Molly plays on her girl's team. That's okay, though; it allows Mike Lupica to demonstrate how well he handles other types of writing, and puts the onus for carrying the novel's emotional workload on the quiet scenes with Molly and Josh, or Molly and Sam, the moments upon which Miracle on 49th Street is sturdily founded. I want to give two and a half stars to Miracle on 49th Street, and it's almost too close to call whether I'll round that rating up to three or down to two. I suppose I will reserve the right to change it at any time if I become convinced I should round it the other way.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is MIRACLE on 49th street by Mike Lupica. Yes! I said a MIRACLE on 49th street. This book is about a MVP of the championship Boston Celtics best player Josh Cameron. One day a girl named Molly came up to him, and claimed that she was his daughter. She talked to him that Jen his girlfriend was her mother, and before she died she told Molly that her father was Josh the famous basket ball player. Josh kepton telling her that she was not his daughter, and Jen never even told him that she had a baby after she left him at New York. Will the two of them be a real true family or will they break apart, and leave each other forever?

Molly is a really believing person because she always kept on believing Josh was her father even though he was really selfish, and kept on claiming she was a liar. I noticed that in the part where she bribed Josh with a letter from her mom Jen for a talk of 15 minutes. This pretty much surprised me because I would never bribe someone with a piece of letter they want to read. However, Molly kept on being brave, and still hung on to the fact that Josh was his father. You might be thinking Molly wants to make him believe that she is his daughter because he is famouse. However, she thinks of him was a really stubborn, and selfish person. Another part Molly kept on believing was when Josh kept on ruffling his hair the "cool" way, and triedto make her like him. However, Molly didn't even think that was cute or cool, and beneath that big awesomeness, and famousness there would be space for love, and time. Her stepmother who was really Jen's best friend said to her that she shouldn't trust Josh. Even after a lot of those warning she kept on believing to the end. After you read the story you will realize that they were really a daughter, and son.I think the motivation for this is because she never thinks that he can't be her father because he is exactly the person who her mother told her about.

This book is a nice cooperating book for all ages. From this book you must learn to cooperate, and trust each other. One part you might see Molly being cooperative was when she was talking to Josh's helper she was talikng to her politely instead of shouting at her. This made me think that she was trying to be cooperative because she always seem to hate Josh when he wasn't playing basket ball, and also when he is plaing basketball. Maybe Molly thinks that Josh's helper is much more patient with her than Josh because when they first met he just drove away not seeming to care that she was even talikng to him. Another time this book showed that someone was trying to be coperative was when Kimmy her stepmothers daughter was trying to stop her mom from shouting at Molly whenever Kimmmy told on her. You would think how could the person who tells on someone stop themselves? Well,Kimmy always seemed to cover her mouth whenever she was a bout to tell on Molly. So, this showed that Kimmy was trying to cooperate with Molly.

After I read this book I wanted to read it again. However, I knew that I had to read other books. So, I just wanted you all to know that this book is amazing, and you really just have to read it! Ifyou had read it please spread the word to your friends.

[Mrs. Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Novel
The novel

~Dmitriy S.

[Simon Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a twelve year old kid named Molly Parker and her life after her mother and she moved from London to Boston and her mother, Jen, died of cancer. Afterwards, Molly Parker becomes an orphan and lives with her mother's formal college roommate, Barbara Evans and her family on 1A Joy Street. Molly also finds and enjoys hanging out with her friend named Sam Bloom in her school. Molly can't stop thinking about her mother and decides to find her mother's old college boyfriend named Josh Cameron, whom is now a MVP of the championship Boston Celtics and he's also famous. Molly wants him to know that her mother died because of cancer and that was the sad news. She also wants to tell Josh Cameron her mother's secret that she kept for a long time, and it is that Josh Cameron is Molly's father. Molly makes plans to get to meet her father, Josh Cameron and tries to make him believe her. She is determined to go through her plans although and is well aware that it is risky. For example, one time, she sneaks into the parking lot and is able to meet Josh Cameron that time and another time it is at the Celtics opening basketball night game that Molly get a chance to speak to him. Molly also has lots of obstacles in her way, to keep her from getting her real family back. This book fits in the realistic sport fiction section. I like this book because it shows that loyalty, and family are important and those things are clearly seen in the novel. I also like this book because Molly does things independently and plan her things well just to get her father back. This makes me think that she is very smart and courageous. Molly Parker also reminds me of what I am because when I have a goal that I want to accomplish, then I will determined to succeed it, but I know that of course, I need to make a plan to finish my goal successfully and perfectly. I also like this book because it seems more realistic and sad, comparing to the other Mike Lupica's books because it is talking about family issue. I will say this book is "unique" and "different," too. I would recommend to anyone that reads Mike Lupica's books and is a young reader.

[Jonathan D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica is a book about the challenges of not having a mother and father. The book is about a girl named Molly Parker and her father Josh Cameron. Josh is the point guard for the Boston Celtics and has no idea that Molly exists. Molly tries to prove to Josh that he is her father. When he doesn’t believe her she hides in the back of his car and waits to tell him again. When she finally gets another chance to tell him he doesn’t believe her and makes her cry. He feels bad for making her cry and befriends her. She starts attending the Boston Celtics games and then spending the night at his house. She goes to an away game in the big apple with him and he makes her very upset so she takes a train back to Boston. Josh feels bad and tries to get back in touch with her. Finally he tricks her into meeting with him. They sort of make up. Molly learns a little more about her past and needs to talk with Josh, but to do this she must go to NYC. Once there her and her father converse and come to an interesting conclusion.
This book wasn’t that good. It was below my reading level. The book would’ve been better if it was at my reading level. I would recommend it for a fifth or sixth grade student. It was told through the perspective of Molly. It was a well put together book but very predictable. It taught the lesson of be thankful for what you have, because you never know when it will be gone.
I would give this book a 3 on a scale of 1-5. It was an alright book. It would be great if I was younger. The plot wasn’t deep enough for my liking now. Overall it was a good book.

[Patrick F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read this school year was Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica. One of the worst things that can happen to you as a kid is losing a parent. Twelve year old Molly Parker knows how that feels. Molly lived with her mom, Jen Parker, until her sudden death. Molly goes and lives with her moms college friend Barbara Evans who has a husband, and a daughter named Kimmy. Jen Parker left molly with lots of letters explaining that Molly's life is more complicated than it seems. In the letters Jen says that Molly's father is Celtics star, Josh Cameron. Once Molly moves to Boston to live with the Evans, she starts a long, and tough journey to convince basketball star, Josh Cameron, that he is her father. I liked this book because Mike Lupica took you to so many different places, From Boston, to New York, and all around the United States. Since Molly is in a new town she has to meet new friends. Her best friend is a boy named, Sam. Sam knows everything that isn’t that important but most of all knows his basketball. I liked how the author kept changing the mood of the book and I wanted to keep reading because I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Mike Lupica did a great job on this book just like he did on Heat and Travel Team. I would rate this book four stars because it was good, but didn’t talk about basketball as much as I hoped. If you like Mike Lupica and sports, I would recommend this book to you.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly is a girl about twelve years old. A few years ago her mom passed away because of cancer. Molly never really knew her dad because her mother never told her about him. Her mom only told her stories and her dad's name, Josh Cameron. Molly doesn't even know if she wants him in her life after she gets to know him a little. Josh never even knew that he had a kid. Molly's mother never told him. Honestly, I would never do that! Unless there were extreme circumstances.
Anyway, Molly asks Josh if he will be her father and she tells him about her mother's death. He is obviously very shocked, and she tells him pretty much everything. Josh just says that her mother set him up, and things like that. He didn't want some annoying little girl bugging him, claiming to be his daughter. So she keeps trying to get him to actually be the father that she has never had. She has gone way out of her way to try to convince Josh to be her father. She even climbed into the trunk of his car to have him drive home with her so she could talk to him, but he turned a sharp corner and he heard her, so her plan failed. But at least she was trying.
Nothing seemed to be working. And I'm not going to ruin it for you so you'll have to read this book to see if Molly decides to live with Josh or her mom's friend. But I did like this book. And I would recommend it to everyone.

[Burning Phoenix63 · Rating 5 out of 5]

their once was girl named molly parker who mom went with a famous basketball player in colledge and when they broke up in a few years she went to london and had molly and molly was always curious about who her dad was. then her mom got cancer and wrote a note about who her dad was then later she past away. that is when she want to know what josh cameron (her dad). when she went to a celtects game she snuck into josh cameron then she had to explained what happen. after josh cameron read molly's mom letters he thought it was fake and threw it away. then his assistant made him read it again and understood that it could not be fake. he apologize then start hanging around her but he still did not beleive that she was not his. while they where in new york she overheard him talking to his agent about how she was not his she got mad and left. then around christmas she told him she was moving. then she thought she had one last chance to be with josh cameron. so she hopped on a train to new york and met josh there and he said that she could go live with him

what i learned about this book is that there are alot of secerets that pertain to you that you do not know. and i recmend this book to any one who likes an good book about basketball.

[Kathy V]

Mike Lupica is a terrific author of books that appeal to adolescents – especially boys! Right now I’m reading Miracle on 49th Street, which is a little different than some of his other titles that I’ve read, but I like it just as much. The main character in this book is 12-year-old girl named Molly. Molly’s mom recently died, but before she died she explained to Molly that her dad is a guy named Josh Cameron. Josh Cameron happens to be MVP of the Boston Celtics and probably the most beloved and wholesome professional athlete in the U.S.! Some of the questions I’ve got going through my mind as I read this book are: Is Molly going to be able to convince Josh that she is really his daughter and not just someone trying to get her hands on his money? If Molly does convince him, is he the kind of guy who is going to welcome her into his life or is he just going to give her a bunch of money and tell her to get lost?

[Blake Hamar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody in the world has a favorite celebrity. In Mike Lupica's book, "Miracle on 49th Street", a twelve year old girl loves a basketball player named Josh Cameron. Except the relationship between Josh and Molly is special. Molly is Josh's daughter but Josh never knew about her before now.
Josh Cameron is a star basketball player for the Boston Celtics. Molly is just a regular girl who lives in Massachusettes. The story tells the tales of Molly trying to get her father to believe that she is telling the truth.
This story was written very well by Mike Lupica. He describes perfectly how Molly tries and tries to get her father to believe her. Molly goes to the end of the earth just to get her father to love her.
Molly is very brave throughout the story. You will not be able to put this book down once you start. I would recommend this book to anybody whether they like sports stories or not.

[Joey Reinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Miracle On 49th Street by Mike Lupica is one of the best book's I have ever read. This book has a great story line and is very exciting. I dont enjoy reading that much but this book was exceptional. This book is about a little girl Molly Parker. Molly's mom passed away of cancer and she is living with her Moms best friend Barbra Evans. Her mom left her a note when she passed, revealing her true dad, Josh Cameron. Josh is the star of the Boston Celtics. At first when Molly meats him he just thinks she is trying to scam him for money. But there is something about Molly that really reminds Josh of her Mom. But as she gets to know him she understands why her mom never wanted her to know him. I dont want to spoil anything but this book has a great ending. This reminds me of any adopted kid who would get to meet their real parents. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a great book to read, no matter what age.

[Josh dees]

This is a good book. The book is called MIRACLE ON 49 STREET. The book remind you of the move GAME PLAN. Instead of the sport being football, in the book it is basketball. The protagonist in this book is Molly. She lived in Paris with her mom. She had to go to Boston because she died. She never meat her dad and he never meat her. Her dad is a famous basketball player name Josh Cameron.
The only way she was able to meat him was by sneaking in his car. She did that because he is the most famous person on the team. He has so much paparazzi every time he go some where. When he notice that she was in there he said who you are. She said I am your daughter. He started to laugh. She showed him her birth certificate. Then he realized that he did get a girl pregnant in college, and she act just like her mom.

[Tani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my all-time favorites. It's warm, funny, and heart-breaking. The characters are wonderfully developed, the plot never gets boring, and the mood of the book makes it impossible to put it down. The way that the relationship of Molly and Sam is developed makes you believe in true friendship and the way Molly and Josh Cameron become closer and closer adds to the intensity and emotion of the entire situation. There are no unnecessary descriptions that make your eyes glaze over and the plot keeps going at a pace that keeps you wanting more. One of the main themes in the book is basketball, and even though I'm not a sports fan, I loved this book from cover to cover and understood everything clearly. This book is short, sweet, and to-the-point and I definitely recommend it to readers of all ages.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review.
Josh Cameron is the MVP of the NBA right now. He is the best player in all of NBA. The only thing he has time for is Basket Ball, and him self. That’s all he cares about. He can’t have a child in his life. All he has been doing all his life was playing basket ball. He has it all.... including a daughter that he never knew. When 12 year old Molly Parker arrives in his life, claiming to be his daughter, she catches him off of guard. Molly says that Josh and her mom, Jen, were college loves. They had a kid, then he abandoned them, for basket ball. Eventually her mom dies from cancer. So molly has no where to go. So she finds Josh Cameron, and tells him that he is her father. You have to read to find out what happens next.

[Ben Chiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Parker wasn't in the plan, she was born unexpectedly. Her mother Jen Parker passed away because of cancer. Before she left, her mother told her the information about he's father - Josh Cameron. Josh Cameron is a NBA player, he is the MVP of the playoff. And she, Molly Parker is one of his fans. Before Molly Parker know about his father, she is already a big fan of Josh Cameron, she knows almost everything about him. His favourite food, his pet's name, what kind of car he drive and so on. After Jen Parker passed away, Molly decide to tell Josh that she is his daughter. In the beginning he doesn't believe that, he think that this is some kind of make up story by Jen. This story told me that even a great player, a famous person also have something that people will get shock when know.

[Koen Robida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Probably my favorite all year. The book is about a girl named Molly who's mother had died in England and Molly goes to live with her mom's friend in New York. Which is also where her dad lives. Molly tries to convince her dad that she's his daughter. Molly's dad doesn't even know he has a daughter. Molly's dad is also one of the best basketball players in the NBA, his name is Josh Cameron. He plays for the Celtics. After awhile in the book Josh decides to take care of Molly. They live together in New York.

[Anna Walston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this book is to always believe you'll end up where you're supposed to be. 12-year-old Molly Parker's mom died when they moved back from Europe to the United States. Molly found out that Josh Cameron (professional basketball player and plays on the Celtics) was her dad. At first, Josh did not believe Molly at all when she told her he was her dad. As he got to know her, he started believing her more and more. Many obstacles occurred in Molly's lifetime, but she kept on going and life brought her where she was supposed to be.

[Gerald Capra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica is a story about this young girl Molly Parker. In the book Molly's mother, Jen Parker, has died of cancer and near the end of her mom's life she told Molly that Josh Cameron, an NBA superstar, was her biological father. The whole book is Molly trying to convince Josh that she is really his daughter. I enjoyed the story a lot and it's a good book for people of all ages.

[Hayden Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was one of the best books that I have ever read!!!!
It was SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book. Actually let me rephrase that. I just finished this book for the millionth time. There’s something about it that just draws me back deep within its pages. Isn’t that the purpose of a good book? Possibly. But this isn’t a good book. Not a chance. It’s a mesmerizing, meaningful, and touching 246 paged book. It’s a memory for me. A trigger. It’s what keeps me up at night after reading it for the millionth time asking myself, how come I keep coming back, rendering myself nose deep into its pages and staying in my bedroom, drowning out the world until I get to the end? I first read this book in elementary school and even then I couldn’t get enough of it. That is, until I moved to middle school. I had forgotten the name of the book and cursed my pea sized memory. I tried for a couple years to find it. Not everyday, just whenever. I found it again by chance in an ad and since then I’ve been back in its clutches. This book has helped me more than once, in ways that not everyone can understand. To anyone willing, take a chance on this story and you won’t regret it. I know I rated this book five stars but if I could rate it any higher I’d do so immediately.

[Michael Vasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having spent many years of his life as a sports writer, Mike Lupica is qualified to write about athletes. Therefore Lupica understands the complexity of professional athlete’s lives. However, his 2010 fiction book Miracle on 49th Street mainly succeeds because Lupica creates a complex backstory and realistic motives for the characters. Following a teenage girl whose father is just now learning of her existence, the book includes a surprising amount of major and minor character development as well as an exciting central conflict. These elements all work together to show how real love is based on strong relationships instead of genetics.
The story opens up by introducing Molly Parker, a girl who just lost her mother to cancer, followed by Barbara, her mother’s college roommate and new “mother”. Later on, a colossal secret is revealed, which is that Josh Cameron one of “the biggest and most popular star in sports”(Lupica 6) is Molly’s father. After learning this news, Molly went to “the open practice the Celtics” (Lupica 1) ran, to meet her dad. As a result, she keeps trying to see Josh until he accepts her as his daughter.
Lupica’s clever use of major character development helps stress the importance of family in one’s life. For example, at the beginning of the book we learn the reason Molly never knew that Josh is his father because he “would never love anything as much as he loves basketball” (Lupica 68). Molly realizes that when she overhears a conversation with Josh and his Agent. When Josh says “But even if she is mine or not, I’ve got no place for her in my life” (Lupica 115).
By using the phrase “no place for her” Lupica directly characterizes that Josh’s main focus is his career. Josh, being one of the best players in the NBA is very focused on being an all-time great, and his priorities prove that. Over time Josh starts to change. For example, just hours before one of the most important games of his storied career, he makes good on a promise to see Molly. Even though Molly was amazed he showed up and questioned why he wasn’t at the game. Josh said, “First I had to come to get my daughter” (Lupica 246). Such positive connotation indicates that Molly is now a very important part of his life, and even more important to him than basketball. Josh’s development from selfish to selfless, supports Lupica’s theme that love is based on strong relationships instead of genetics.
In contrast with major character development, Lupica uses minor character development to show the effect strong family relationships have on a person. For instance, Barbara, Molly’s mother’s college roommate, and Molly’s new “mom” first heard of Molly’s intentions to get to know Josh, she was very displeased. Barbara even said that “She really didn’t like him” (Lupica 97). Such negative connotation of the phrase “really didn’t like”, indicates that Barbara had a strong dislike for Josh. So much that she didn’t want Molly to even have a relationship with him. Later on, Barbara finally realizes how important having a relationship with Josh is to Molly. Barbara even “agreed to let Molly take baby steps” (Lupica 110) and start spending time with Josh. The use of the word “agreed” indirectly characterizes that Barbara is starting to warm up to the idea of Molly having a relationship with Josh. Because Barbara knows how important having a relationship with him is to Molly. In other words, Barbara becoming a mother figure for the motherless Molly indicates how family how love is based on strong relationships instead of genetics.
As the major and minor characters have differing philosophies, the central conflict makes
Lupica’s purpose clear. For example, when Molly first saw Josh she told him how her mother died, and that he was her father. Right away Josh snapped back and said: “I don’t believe you” (Lupica 14). The negative tone of the phrase “I don’t believe you” indirectly characterizes that Molly is going to have a very hard time getting Josh to spend time with her, let alone believing that she is his daughter. To make matters worse, as soon as Josh starts spending and enjoying time with Molly, she received some devastating news. Barbara told her that “[they] are moving” (Lupica 107) “In six weeks”(Lupica 110). Such use of the word “moving” and the phrase “In six weeks” directly characterizes for Molly to achieve her dream of a semi-normal father-daughter relationship with Josh, she needs to quickly speed the growth of the relationship up. All in all, Lupica’s use of a central conflict adds suspense, which makes the development of Molly and Josh’s relationship much more interesting.
Miracle on 49th Street expresses its central theme through major character development,
minor character development, and central conflict. Satisfyingly, in this novel strong relationships results in love. Even Though the novel has a great plot an audience that is interested in sports or the movie The Game Plan would enjoy reading this book most, because it provides a descriptive summary of what it’s like to be an unknown kid of a sports star. The theme moves readers into realizing that love is based on strong relationships, not genetics.
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