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Winning Season #7
Dunk Under Pressure
Cornell Duncan. The guys call him Dunk, but he couldn t dunk from a six-foot ladder. He s flat-footed and slow and jumps about two inches. But put him at the foul line and he doesn t miss. That s a big part of the reason he makes the YMCA s all-star basketball team going to the state tournament.Three days at the New Jersey shore if the team keeps winning, that is. Dunk would like nothing better. But it takes a few disastrous minutes off the bench for him to realize that it ll take more than free throws to make him a real all-star.
Author Biography: Rich Wallace was a high school and college athlete and then a sportswriter before he began writing novels. He is the author of many critically acclaimed sports-themed novels, including Wrestling Sturbridge, Shots on Goal, and Restless: A Ghost s Story. Rich lives in Pennsylvania.
Hardcover
First published May 4, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 2, 2016
Personal Response:
I liked reading this book because I love basketball. The book was also kind of funny. It also showed with hard work and practice anyone can get better.
Plot:
This is about a 12 year old boy who loved basketball but is only good at when he is shooting free throws. He joins a YMCA team to play on and they get to go to a tournament. He warms the bench most of the time because his skills are very good. While he sits on the bench he watches and learns from the other players and he also has an aunt who is really good at basketball. She plays in college and shares her skills with him. During the tournament he is called off the bench to play. He learns that winning is not everything and becoming a better player is what counts.
Characterization:
Dunk is the main character in this book, his real name is Cornell Duncan. His teammates gave him the nickname of "Dunk" but he can't dunk. He is the king of free throws and he practices them all the time. Another character is his aunt. She plays basketball in college and she helps him to be a better player.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to middle school and high school kids who love basketball. It also teaches you that with hard work and lots of practice you can get better at something if you keep on trying.
I liked reading this book because I love basketball. The book was also kind of funny. It also showed with hard work and practice anyone can get better.
Plot:
This is about a 12 year old boy who loved basketball but is only good at when he is shooting free throws. He joins a YMCA team to play on and they get to go to a tournament. He warms the bench most of the time because his skills are very good. While he sits on the bench he watches and learns from the other players and he also has an aunt who is really good at basketball. She plays in college and shares her skills with him. During the tournament he is called off the bench to play. He learns that winning is not everything and becoming a better player is what counts.
Characterization:
Dunk is the main character in this book, his real name is Cornell Duncan. His teammates gave him the nickname of "Dunk" but he can't dunk. He is the king of free throws and he practices them all the time. Another character is his aunt. She plays basketball in college and she helps him to be a better player.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to middle school and high school kids who love basketball. It also teaches you that with hard work and lots of practice you can get better at something if you keep on trying.
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May 1, 2018There was a Athletic Twelve year old boy named Cornell Duncan he was on the basketball team. The guys on the team gave him the nickname Dunk, but ¨Cornell Duncan couldn’t dunk from a six-foot ladder. He’s flat-footed and slow and can jump only about two inches off the ground. but put him at the foul line and he’s a star a free throw magician¨. He's excited to be chosen to play for the YMCA all star team, for his free throw shooting skills, He even shot 25,000 free throws over the summer so he knew he was ready. When coach turns to him in a game deciding moment, Dunk doesn't know what he'll be able to deliver. But, Dunk knows he won't get much playing time, he's just happy to be part of the team. After, a couple horrifying minutes off the bench and After losing his confidence in an important game Cornell Duncan makes some decisions about becoming an all around player. He made the Hudson City all-star basketball team and if the team keeps winning, is headed to the state tournament, when Dunk realizes that he and the team has to start working for together and give giving there all because so they can get to the state championship then win it, but the chances are slim if they don´t keep trying. In the end they did win the state championship when Dunk hit the game winner at the buzzer.
January 29, 2020
Very relatable, easy to read but perceptive novel for kids who love basketball and love the cut and thrust of team playing - and the resilience that each player needs to find.
January 11, 2017
Personal response:
I really enjoyed this book. It explains that even if you're too small or too slow that you don't make the team that there's always another way you can get on the team. It shows that if you try something and keep on doing it you will become better.
Plot Summary:
It starts out that Dunk is too small to make the basketball team. He does the tryouts but the coach doesn't want him. After that he thinks about what he could do to improve and make the team next year. He decides to study free throws and become very good at them. He does become good at shooting free throws and he makes the YMCA team. It's a basketball league where they go to the new Jersey shore to play a tournament against other teams. So they travel there and they play their first game. They won the first and second game by a few. Their third game was the the semi-final game. They lost because Dunk missed one free throw that ruined the game for them. They had to play for third place now and they won in the end. Dunk goes home with a third place trophy.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to high schoolers and middle schoolers. This is an easy book to read if you want to read about basketball. It has no swear words in it and it is fast to read.
I really enjoyed this book. It explains that even if you're too small or too slow that you don't make the team that there's always another way you can get on the team. It shows that if you try something and keep on doing it you will become better.
Plot Summary:
It starts out that Dunk is too small to make the basketball team. He does the tryouts but the coach doesn't want him. After that he thinks about what he could do to improve and make the team next year. He decides to study free throws and become very good at them. He does become good at shooting free throws and he makes the YMCA team. It's a basketball league where they go to the new Jersey shore to play a tournament against other teams. So they travel there and they play their first game. They won the first and second game by a few. Their third game was the the semi-final game. They lost because Dunk missed one free throw that ruined the game for them. They had to play for third place now and they won in the end. Dunk goes home with a third place trophy.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to high schoolers and middle schoolers. This is an easy book to read if you want to read about basketball. It has no swear words in it and it is fast to read.
February 13, 2011
Dunk was a typical athletic 12 year old which loved Basketball. Dunk has an aunt more like his sister rebound for him when he's in a rush to do something. Dunk is such a basketball freak. When he starts to get into that drill he could work on it for several hours. An hour goes by slow in sports wise. Dunk also doesn't eat normal once he's practicing there's nothing that can disturb him. Dunk is a free throw specialist, one summer he shot 25,000 free throws. I don't even think Micheal Jordan shot that many in one summer but Dunk did. I bet your wondering why is Dunk practicing like this? Dunk has a nation wide tournament that is in a couple of nights and is trying to get some practice more like a ton practice. If you want to know if Dunk is going to win the tournament then you should read this book. -Devonte Watts
7th Grade
7th Grade
January 28, 2017
Dunk Under Pressure by Rich Wallace is about a middle school kid named Cornell Duncan and how he is a basketball player and how he can only shoot free throws. Dunk can only make free throws and that is all he can do. But like everything you have to practice. That is what Dunk did, but instead of practicing everything, Dunk only only practices his free throws. That is enough to get him on the YMCA All-Star team. His All-Star team goes to New Jersey shore for a state championship. Dunk's team wins their first game but how would they do against the best team in the state? I would recommend this book to people who like basketball and sports.
August 19, 2007
Dunk isn't a great basketball player, but he is the man when it comes to free throws. His specific talent leads him to a championship travel team for the local Y. When they make the playoffs, Dunk learns that losing isn't the end of the world and realizes if he wants to step up his game, he has to concentrate on all his skills.
I think many boys would relate to the team and to Dunk. This book would work well as a high-interest lower ability story even for older kids.
I think many boys would relate to the team and to Dunk. This book would work well as a high-interest lower ability story even for older kids.
January 31, 2014
Dunk Under Pressure was a good book because it was an easy read and a funny. It was funny because there was a lot of jokes that were cracked and they said some stuff that was funny. It was an easy read because it was short and didn't have any super big words in it
November 29, 2011
In Dunk Under Pressure, Dunk gets kicked out of his basketball team. And tries out four the YMCA basket ball team. But before
December 30, 2011
I am tutoring a boy who is into basketball so picked up this High Interest-Low Vocabulary book for both of us to read. It's a good story and should hold a teen's interest.
May 22, 2012
3 reasons why I liked this book.
1. Had a good setting.
2.Kept me reading.
3.Stayed on topic.
1. Had a good setting.
2.Kept me reading.
3.Stayed on topic.
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June 2, 2015i thought this book hadd a good story of hard work and determination, but the book to me was very preddictable and once you read a little bit of it you could tell what was going to happen.
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June 5, 2015This book was very interesting because I love reading about sports. I love how it told us all about his struggles
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews