Pick-Up Game: A Full Day of Full Court

by Marc Aronson, Charles R. Smith Jr. (Editor), Walter Dean Myers

Pass! Shoot! Swish! An all-star team of YA authors scores spectacularly with an action-packed anthology about street basketball.

It’s one steamy July day at the West 4th Street Court in NYC, otherwise known as The Cage. Hotshot ESPN is wooing the scouts, Boo is struggling to guard the weird new guy named Waco, a Spike Lee wannabe has video rolling, and virgin Irene is sizing up six-foot-eightand-a-half-inch Chester. Nine of YA literature’s top writers, including Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams-Garcia, Adam Rapp, Joseph Bruchac, and Sharon Flake reveal how it all goes down in a searing collection of short stories, in which each one picks up where the previous one ends. Characters weave in and out of narratives, perspectives change, and emotions play out for a fluid and fast-paced ode to the game. Crackling with humor, grit, and streetball philosophy, and featuring poems and photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr., this anthology is a slam dunk.

Genres: Sports, Short Stories, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Anthologies, Poetry, Teen

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 8, 2011

About the author

Aronson has won many awards for his books for young readers and has a doctorate in American history. His lectures cover educational topics such as mysteries and controversies in American history, teenagers and their reading, the literary passions of boys, and always leave audiences asking for more.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcar...

Reviews

[Aneesh Yellajosyula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The clocks ticking, your jersey's wet, the audience is screaming, the floor is centered on you. Are you going to take the shot, or pass it? This is the kind of world Pick-Up Game: A Full Day of Full Court, by Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith Jr., puts you, the reader, in. This book is not only very suspenseful and descriptive, but it is also unique in that it is told in the viewpoint of multiple third person omniscient sources. I like how different this books felt while reading it and the complexity behind it. It contains all the following characteristics which I think determine what makes a book decent: Intense plot, various dynamic characters, and a lot of personal connections between me and one of the characters. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who either likes sports or intensive novels.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how a collection of short stories should be done! I loved hearing how Aronson & Smith set up the authors to write in succession. The way the feel and the flow of the pick-up game really is carried through each story, told by a different author. The writing is mad fly (as Shane would say), and I loved so many of the chapters--Sharon Flake, Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams-Garcia, Adam Rapp, Robert Lipsyte were my faves. Stellar, finely crafted voices.

This could be a gateway book, and not just for boys/girls who like basketball. I want to know more about The Cage and the Rucker and how street ball and civil rights co-mingled.

[Miguel Bermudez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marc Aronson
Unlike the regular story line of many other novels the novel Pick Up Game: Full Day of Full Court edited by Marc Aronson has a much different format and somewhat surprises the reader with the way it is organized. It is not one simple story with a set antagonist and protagonist but a very complex novel composed of many main characters that are facing a certain problem. Many kids and even men go to the cage everyday in order to get noticed, show their skill, and prove that they have what it takes. For some such as Caesar this is not so easy when people like Waco are coming to the cage and proving that they are the real superstars. Being known at the cage was like being famous, it meant you had something to show and that helped you earn respect.

In my personal opinion I very much enjoyed this novel mostly because I played basketball all throughout high school and everything discussed in the stories was relatable. Basketball is not a simple game and skill does not come easy; you have to work very hard for a long period of time if you want to be a great player and earn the respect. Also as I read this novel I felt like I could make a connection with every story in each chapter. Each chapter in this story discusses a new story with a new main character that somehow connects to every other story. While reading I could make connections with the conflicts to issues I have experienced on and off the court. Also while analyzing each character I could make several connections with them to some of my teammates and other players I have been on the court with. For example there is a character in the story they call ESPN who is the all time D1 show off who is not really as great as he is made out to be, then there is Caesar, who is another great player trying to show that ESPN is not the only one who can play ball. This is an everyday situation on the court; there is always that one overrated “star player” who is not really as good as everyone thinks they are then there is the one who tries to step up and take the spotlight from that player.

Although I very much enjoyed this book I do question some of the author’s methods such as having a different story and main character for each chapter. It somewhat interferes with the plot because it leaves the reader confused as to what the actual conflict of the story is. Also there is no set antagonist and protagonist; although there is a conflict within each story, it is between different people which leads back to the confusion of the plot. My biggest problem with this novel was the theme which was very hard to establish. The overall message was not clear because there was not one set conflict. It made it very difficult to understand if the author was trying to convey a message.

[Samantha Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Pick- up Game a Full Day of Full Court for the sports genre and it is written by ten separate authors. Each author has his own story that they wrote, but somehow all the characters lives are interrelated as you keep reading. Each story is written from a different character’s perspective. The location of the stories is all placed at “the cage”. The cage is a basketball court that is at the corner of West 4th street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. All types of kids come from the different cities to challenge each other in basketball. They learn new techniques and sometimes play with new kids in the area. This book talks about street basketball and the talent and joy the teenagers have coming to the cage and playing. The short stories include some of these plots: a homeless boy who finds love, a nerd learns how to play through science, a virgin looking to attract a man, etc…
All stories were well written. I think that it was slightly confusing to have to pick up another story within a few pages. The character’s perspective always changed so it was a little confusing to figure out which perspective you were viewing the cage from. The book was a quick read and not challenging. The genre is sports and I don’t normally read these types of books. I don’t believe it made me want to read anymore sports books, but it didn’t put me off of them anymore than I already am. I am not a basketball player and never will be, and I think that is why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. I think I would have preferred to read a book about a sport that I have played, in order to understand more of the game. I think that the characters were well developed for the short stories they had for them. You could tell the kids nationalities by a few of the things they said or by some past references.
As a future educator, I would not recommend this book for group reading. I would recommend it for individual reading. I would suggest any basketball players looking for a good first book to start reading Pick-up Game. Anyone that enjoys a sports genre for a book would like this one because it is an easy read. Also, if a reader quickly loses interest I would say that this book could keep their attention; it will keep their attention because there are many stories in this one book and you have to follow each character to understand it. It is not a typical basketball setting either, it is street basketball so there are less rules. Any student 7th grade and above would be able to read this book. I think that males may prefer it over females because most all of the characters used are male. The book is really good at being diverse, and having characters from many different ethnicities play on one basketball court.

[Sara Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you in the grips of March Madness? Can’t get enough of basketball? Let me suggest some great books to read in between games. “Pick-up Game: A Full Day of Full Court” (Candlewick Press, 2011) is a collection of interlinked short stories and poems written by an all-star team of nine YA authors, including Walter Dean Meyers, Adam Rapp, Robert Lipsyte, and Rita Williams-Garcia. Together, they tell the story of what happens single steamy July day at the The Cage, New York City’s premier amateur basketball court. (Although the stories are fictional, The Cage is a real court, a place legendary for its fast action and tough, physical play; it has been the proving ground of a fair number of players who would go on to become pros.)
Novels written by a collection of authors are often a mess, but this one really works. Each story picks up where the last one left off, with sifting perspectives and characters that weave in and out of the narratives. Walter Dean Meyers opens the book with Boo, who struggles to guard a weird new guy with dead eyes and freakishly pale skin. Cochise is a Mohawk Indian whose father helped build the World Trade Center; his lungs are shot because the toxic air he breathed while cleaning up in the days following 9/11. Other especially memorable characters include an Iraq War vet who finds peace on the court, a hotshot hoping to attract the attention of the scouts, and a scrappy girl named Dominique who refuses to let the big boys get the best of her. Combining gritty street ball action with terrific characters, this book is a slam-dunk.
Basketball fans might also like “Boy21,” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012), by Matthew Quick, a story of basketball, friendship, and redemption. Paul Volponi, the author of “Hurricane Song: A Novel of New Orleans,” is back on the court with “The Final Four” (Viking Juvenile, 2012), a book built around a semifinal game in the NCAA tournament.
If you’d like to learn more about The Cage, check out “Inside the Cage: A Season at West 4th Street’s Legendary Tournament,” (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005), by Wight Martindale Jr. You may also want to check some classic nonfiction titles about the game of street ball, including “The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004), by Darcy Frey; and “Heaven is a Playground,” (Bison Books, 2004), by Rick Telander.

This review was originally published in the Sunday, March 25 edition of The News-Gazette.

[Charlie J · Rating 3 out of 5]

SUMMARY:
The book Pick-Up Game: A Full Day of Full Court, written by Marc Oronson, is told from 9 views of basketball players and spectators. In the book, they share 9 views of different people with quotes and short flashback stories. The story is about the 9 different people who attended this full-court basketball game, and each and every chapter describes either a spectator or a player themselves too. Every one of the participants have a life story behind them. For example, as many of you may know about the 9/11 incident. This is a big example in this book because a little boy went homeless after this tragic occurrence, and was rescued, and from there on basketball has played a big part in his life. Another example is a little girl who doesn't really enjoy the game of basketball but is just there to get in the action, because all she cares about is not about herself, but others around. The story has some twist and turns throughout, and jumps back and forth between each author of every chapter. Many of which only have basketball in their life, and is their only hope for a good future.

REVIEW:
I would rate this book about a 3/5. The reason why I rated this what I did is because it was a good book if you like basketball, or interested in sports in general. But the thing is it didn't have any message or real meaning, other than facing adversity. Another reason why is because the beginning and the ending of the book wasn't the best of work. I thought the author did a good job on describing the characters, and wrapping everything around each other.

Interview:
SHARON G FLAKE

Reporter: Do you play basketball?

Sharon G Flake: "No. Well, this is my first year every playing in a game."

Reporter: "Well, you have the right genes to play. A 6'0 foot girl and the age of 14, that's not common with girls like you. What do you worry most about the game when in action?"

Sharon G Flake: "Sometimes I don't even know what is going, I get too worked up about everyone else. I just don't want anybody to get hurt."

Reporter: "What made you to decide to play basketball?"

Sharon G Flake: "It gets my mind off of people getting hurt, and it shows me that people can recover quickly from falling or injuries. It helps because I need because my protectiveness is getting a little too much. It is one of the adversity that I have faced all of my life."
(Sharon G Flake is very selfless)

Reporter: "It is good that you've found something that helps handle your troubles!"

[Terrence Martinez]

A book to keep you wanting to read more

The book pick up is a unique collection of short stories,with each story picking up where the previous story left off.This book is written by different authors,and every other having a different character's perspectives .the book is a fun and entertaining read that brings the book alive.With a genre of young adult fiction and sports.
As the book may be confusing it expresses a real life view of playing street ball(basketball)no blood no foul.In the book kids from different parks in the city would gather up to compete against each other for pride.With the main setting of west 4th street and 6th avenue manhattan is there the players gather up to play,learn new skills and to live the game.But this is not your easy game,no blood,no foul,the rough and tumble world of basketball is captured here.
All of the short stories were written well,with my opinion I believe you don't even have to like basketball to enjoy reading this book,it's a fun way to read and is a non difficult read if you are not the best of readers,but no book is perfect,at times the book seemed confusing to understand or hard to picture,and somewhat confusing to keep up with the characters when a new story starts.
If you are looking for a book on basketball or just a book thats interesting I would recommend this book.I think you would enyoy this book because it never got boring,the authors always keeped the book interesting and filled with street ball the way it suppost to be,also this book help you to understand things in life when it come to playing basketball.This book was right on with my expections because I was able to relate to it because I play both street ball and on a team and the book was fairly accurate when it came down to tne scenarios.When ever I read,it only made me want to get up and play basketball.In closing "pick up game" is a book id recommend to anyone 13 and up boy or girl,this book will keep you wanting to read more,and help create a passion for the game of basketball.
This book this book exceeded my expectations because as I'm a student who doesn't like to read I found this book fairly good as already said.This book also affects me because I as a teen like the teens in the book,I play street ball with my friends and was able to relate to the book as it went on. Therefor I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends

[VinceThePrince · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was compelling and really sucked you in bringing the book to life as if you were at the cage (the setting of where the book took place) watching the pick-up basketball games yourself as someone in the crowd. The basketball games that took place in the book were full of action and suspense. Everything was described so well, you could picture the thing being described perfect in your head, and the characters were very unique and relatable. For example, one of the characters is very good at basketball, one of the best actually, and doesn't get recognized for it. This is relatable because I know many people that are good at something at don't get credit for it. Another example is that one of the characters is determined to be the best, and keeps trying no matter what to become one of the best and keeps getting closer to his goal everyday. This example is also relatable because that is how I feel sometimes and I keep trying to no matter what and am just very determined to accomplish my goal. This book is great because it is full of many great short stories that keep you sucked in and make you not want to stop reading each one.

The main event in each short story, are the basketball games at the cage. These games happen in every short story, and are the main plot of each story. The games are important because in each game, you learn about each character's personality, and how well respected they are, and who their friends are. The games show you how good each player is their background, and almost everything about them.

One thing I liked about the book is how the entire plot revolves around basketball, which is one of my favorite sports. I love that the book revolves around basketball because I can relate it to myself, my friends, and real life basketball games, where either it is me playing, or pros playing.

[Dantheman14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Pick Up Game is written by multiple authors, some worth mentioning like Walter Dean Myers, Bruce Brooks and Marc Aronson. This book is realistic fiction with a bunch of short stories embed in. The thing that made this book different was that they were many short stories that were made up into a whole book. For example there is this one chapter called “Mira Mira,” on the page it said the time and what would be going on.The the next chapter would be at a later time and it would continue throughout the day. There was a million characters and a many races as well: Latino, Black,White. Mira Mira is spanish for look look, so he was Latino, so on and so forth. The setting was “ The Cage,” and it was described well throughout the story. They talked about the clay color asphalt and the fenced in ceiling. This made all the story come together into one bigger story that is something I really like. I also liked how the authors put the story together. There was also one story that was written by Sharon G. Draper she didn't know much about basketball. Instead of writing a boring normal story she wrote about how players talk with girls, try and find love.
Major events of the book happened within each short story. There was also major conflicts in each story such as the characters personality, how they were treated with their friends, and how each game went. This book was also very interesting to see different sports authors points of view on basketball. It was also interesting because I enjoy basketball and short stories, so it’s a win win. I didn’t dislike anything about the book it was just excellent, so no bad things to say. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy sports and or short stories.

[Austin Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The purpose of the story Pick Up Game was to teach a theme or message. This was done in this story to create a better story and put the characters in situations to create some suspense within this story.

The theme of this book was not to become over confident with yourself because you never know what could happen when doing something. In this book the other team becomes very confident in winning this pickup game they scheduled. This pickup game was meant to see that not all the time the better person wins and sometimes the underdog will sometimes prevail.

This book style was description because the book was told in a way for just one game to happen. At this one game you could feel the experience yourself of the way it was told. You could feel the suspense in the way of the story.

I personally liked this book a lot because I love the game basketball and sport itself. I like the suspense of the book and how it keeps you on the edge of your seat no knowing what’s going to happen next in the pickup game they had at the end of the book. I really liked everything about the book and had no big dislikes about it. What I would have changed in the book was make the actual game at the end longer and would have the game go in overtime. This book is similar to a book I’ve read called Miracle on 49th Street. I would recommend this book to people who love a good sports book with a little twist at the end and a bit of suspense.

[Tyley Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This incredible chapter book is about people of all cultures playing the game of basketball on an outside court in New York City, known as the “Cage”. Many authors come together to create a unique style to the story as they take turns writing a chapter, each capturing another character’s viewpoint on what is taking place on the court. The reader is introduced to the various characters who either love playing or watching the fast paced game, and learns about cultural diversity through each character’s perspective. As the story unfolds, readers gain an appreciation of the similarities and differences of cultures through the lives of these very different individuals who all share one common interest with each other: basketball. You are taken on a roller coaster ride through a day of full court basketball, played on a culturally diverse street court in the heart of the city. These connecting short stories give the audience an insight on the lives of several street players. The format of this story is something that I have never seen before, which is something that I found amazing. I loved the multiple perspectives you were given when reading about a day of basketball. I learned a great deal about how individuals are different, and the importance of cultural diversity. I would definitely include this children’s book in my classroom library because children can learn about cultural diversity through something that is engaging and fulfilling.

[Christian Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever wanna just go out and play basketball the whole day? The genre of pick- up game a full day of full court is nonfiction. i loved this book because its about a port that i love to play which is basketball. **spoiler alert** The head coach carter dies in the beginning of the story and Carter's favorite player fills in for him.

The story mostly takes place in a basketball court where all these kids play basketball at. The story is about a coach who ended up dying and his favorite and best player took over for him. But the bad thing is the streets. the streets are bad and dangerous. In the story the player who took over for coach carter did a amazing job as a coach.

The title relates to the book because the cover ans the title is about a game of basketball and on the cover there is a person who is dribbling the ball and the title talks about the game of basketball. It also relates to the story because the story is about a player that turned into a amazing coach for a school.

I liked the way the author wrote the book because it talks about serious things and it also talks basketball which is my favorite sport. it also makes things really dangerous like and the story mainly talks about how good the team ended up being.

i Rate this book 5 stars because it is very interesting to read and is very a amaziang to imagine it. I recommend this book to kids who like to play basketball and who love a story that has a big problem but ends really good.

[Mikey T · Rating 5 out of 5]

The game's done gone Inta-national!!!
The courts are alive. On one hot, summer day many meet at the local basketball court, The Cage, to play their hearts out, and earn respect. We are introduced to a variety of characters during this day, many of which intersect into other’s stories. Who will play next?
This novel was freakin’ fantastic. What originally drew me to this novel was the fact that it was written by 10 different authors, all of which are fans of the game in one way or another. Each author takes a chapter and continues from where the previous author left off. At first, I figured this would be a mess of a novel, but the individual stories flow into each other so seamlessly. Each author brings a different style to the table, and it truly makes each character have a unique voice. I was truly impressed.
I would definitely love to use this novel in the classroom. I feel it would be better suited for a sophomore or higher class because of the talk of sex and use of language. However, I think students would enjoy the story and craft of the novel. An exciting exercise to do with this novel would be for me to start a story, and have the students group up and have each group write a following chapter. It would be fun to see how the students make the story flow, and what they come up with.

[MacK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick-Up Game invents a far more complex intersection of ideas and stories, than many other potential texts I could include in my curriculum. The basketball-centric collection of short stories seemed like it could appeal to my students (particularly given the tonnage of desktop backgrounds on student laptops and fervor of Durant V. LeBron V. Kobe V. Rose arguments).

A host of popular and prolific young adult writers let stories flow as they follow the action at a New York City public court on one particular summer day. Characters come and go with some staying on the court for two, three, seven stories at a time. But the perspective shifts and the diversity of New York is on full display as African-American, Caucasian, Vietnamese, Native-American, Female and Hispanic characters bring their unique voices into the story-telling.

No one story is a slam-dunk (apologies for the painfully obvious cliche), but they work together beautifully as a team (which is actually a better way to play the game). Each one adds to the depth of the story that came before, until you have a solid connection to Post 9/11 New York, the gender gap in athletics, the way art enhances sport (and vice-versa), and ultimately: the complexity of collaborating with diverse people.

[Jonathan Bricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My summary of one of the stories is that there is a kid named Cane who has a really bad leg and is crippled. They play a game of five on five and one of the kids gets hurt. He has to step in and make the last shot for the game. He makes it and they win. His dad died a couple days ago and his dad loved basketball and so did Cane, he just had a bad leg. He ends up making the shot and is super happy.
My summary of another story is a kid who is homeless. He ends up staying with an adult named Waco that he meets at the basketball court called The Cage. He does everything he can to get money and pay money back to Waco. He wants to go to a good school and live a good life. It is a really short story but he gets money and pays rent to Waco and keeps on working hard.
The message I got of these short stories is hard work. The kids are trying to be the best at what they can be and their perseverance was insanely good. I loved this book but it was a different reading a bunch of short stories in one book. I would recommend this book because it challenges your reading and interpretation skills. Overall, this book was good and I loved the message I got out of it.

[Rahul Narasimhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good, it was short and sweet. This book is filled with short stories and even though they are all different they all relate. My favorite story was the very first one. All the stories were great, but this one just was the best in my opionon. If you like basketball and some trash talking you will like this book. I only with that the short stories were a little longer, even though that they are suppose to be just short stories they could have been longer in my opionon. Something else that I liked was that some of the characters carried over from story to story, but in a different situation than the previous on. Also Marc Aronson really gets you attached to the characters and even if there is a new one you get attached to that one and you just enjoy the book more. I would give this book 4.5/5 stars if I were to rate it. The reason I gave it such a high score is because I really enjoyed how the author kept making you want to read the book and at times you could see yourself in the characters. The reason I didn't give it a 5 was because I just wish that some of the stories were just a little longer because in my opinion they just went by to fast.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

SLJ Review 2010
This book is a collection of short stories about the game of basketball. This is the story of basketball in what is known as "The Cage," in NYC. There are 10 authors such as Walter Dean Myers with his story," Cage Run," which takes us into the streets of NYC streetball. True to Myers style this is full of street slang and descriptors of street ball in NYC. Other YA authors such as Bruce Brooks, Rita Garcia and Robert Lipsyte plus others join to write about 1 day in the "Cage," a New York City pickup court proving ground for players, wannabe basketball players,and by-standers. The authors write about different characters points of view of the game. You have a homeless kid that is rescued by a war hero, a girl that doesn't give into the star basketball player because she has more respect for herself than her environment, and the World Trade Center which all focus on the game of basketball in the streets of NYC. For sports fans, boys especially this is a great book for the media center. I'm going to give it to my son to read. He's a huge basketball fan.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great group of male and female authors chosen by the editors to put this book of short stories together. It is about a day at a New York City public basketball court on West 4th Street referred to as "The Cage". Even though the entire book has a novel framework and many of the characters continue throughout the book, each story (chapter) is told through the eyes of a different individual present at the court that day. Nine young adult authors contributed their writing talent to this book, but it flows as if one author was writing the novel. I enjoyed the diversity of the voices telling the story - good and wannabe players, previous and famous players, observers of the game outside the cage, filmmakers, etc. This book would be enjoyed by male and female readers who are basketball junkies and would love to spend a day at the court watching or participating in alittle street basketball.

[Dana Berglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of short stories, strung together with poems in between, that followed the events on one street court on one weekend day. The first story takes place early in the morning, and the last is edging on dusk. Each is written by a different author, with a different narrative perspective. Some of the characters- the strong personalities and the best ball players, who get to play the most games over the day- show up in multiple stories. You'll meet one as an opponent in an early game, as background noise in another, as an ally in another. Together, this makes for a cohesive whole. This is one of the strongest multi-author story collections I have read. Whether you love basketball or only tolerate it, this is a a great study of the characters who play, want to play, used to play, and watch street ball.

[Kyan D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, there were a lot of things I liked and some things, not so much. But when i combine all the chapters and interesting characters that is what made this book really good. One reason that I liked it is that each chapter there was a different group of characters and a different author. This is a for sports lovers like me, or more specifically basketball lovers like me. There were nine mini stories and they were all at least decently good. The top three mini stories that I liked the most are Cage Run, Laws Of Motion, and He's Gotta Have it. These three are my favorites because I found the characters and stories of the characters very likable. This was such a good book and I will defiantly give it five stars, more than that is I could. And I recommend this book to all sport lovers. It was a little to easy to read for me it went by very quickly.

[Christianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the best YA authors have written interlocking short stories (really character studies) and poems about a particular day at a renowned NYC basketball court. My faves were the Lypsyte story about Cane and his mediation skills and Adam's Rapp's story about the homeless Shane. But I enjoyed all of them. While the descriptions of the games were brisk, the stories lack drama and do not create much of a story arc beyond a few interactions among shared characters. So this might not hold the attention of teen boys looking for some action. But it made me fall in love a bit more with NYC and appreciate the intense love of urban pick-up b-ball games shared by the authors and the characters.

[Kathy Quimby · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable book, especially if you're a fan of the game. Even if you're not, it's a good read, because of its unusual structure. Each chapter is written by a separate author, but each builds on and adds to the ones that have come before, so that the overall story deepens with each contribution, until you reach the end. The variety of contributors makes for a diversity that feels right on the money for its New York City setting. Those contributors are: Marc Aronson, Charles R. Smith Jr., Walter Dean Myers, Bruce Brooks, Willie Perdomo, Sharon G. Flake, Robert Burleigh, Rita Williams-Garcia, Joseph Bruchac, Adam Rapp, and Robert Lipsyte.

[Sarah Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received an ARC through the Young Adult Reviewers of Southern California*

http://yarsocalif.blogspot.com/2011/0...

This collection of short stories shows a day in the life of The Cage, the premier amateur basketball court in NYC. Photos and poems by Charles R. Smith, Jr. introduce each story which highlights a different player. With Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams-Garcia, Bruce Brooks, Sharon G. Flake and more, every one of these stories is a slam dunk. Recommended for basketball fans and all high school collections.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of linked short stories takes place on a day at "the cage" where inner city teens play basketball. The action and relationships will appeal to basketball fans and boy readers in particular. Some characters/stories feature girls, but the action is mostly on the court. Stories are written by some of the greats of YA literature, including Bruce Brooks, Walter Dean Myers, Joseph Bruchac, Sharon Flake and Adam Rapp.

[Chris D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Pick-Up Game by Marc Aronson is a great book for people who love basketball and short stories. This book has many short stories about people playing each other in the cage. The cage is where they play basketball also the cage has something to do with all od the short stories. Also their are poems about basketball and what Marc Aronson seen in the cage. I recommend this book to people who like poems and short stories about basketball.

[Jes Hindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was stepping outside of my usual comfort zone, but it was a pleasant adventure. The telling of a full day of full court street ball in NYC by a menagerie of YA writers was a great concept. What set this apart, and made me decide to pick it up was the fact that each new short story picked up where the last left off. I loved getting to experience different writing styles and points of view, and this book was a really quick and easy read.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories revolving around one patch of asphalt. Featuring the work of Myers, Rapp, Williams-Garcia, and more, the characters move freely from story, encountering new people, leaving others behind. There's a blend of narrative and prose, interspersed with photos to keep the page feel fresh. Nicely done, though the overall ending is a little too hokey to be believed. - C

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day, one court, ten testaments to the drama inside the game and out. This is the home of pick-up basketball, downtown Manhatten, where the immortals played when black players weren't allowed in big-time college basketball and the NBA. And still they come, troubled, homeless, too young, too old, nothing matters but your game when you step into The Cage.

[Ms.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must for any basketball lover! As someone who walks past the "Cage" court on W 4th street all the time, I was curious to get a peak into what might be going on in the minds of the players there. Lots of very talented YA writers got together to make this closely-linked anthology successful. All-around, a really cool literary project.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the first story, I wasn't too interested. I'm not too big on basketball, so the first story didn't quite appeal to me. However, as I read on, the different people and the different aspects of life involving street basketball in it was really interesting and cool to read about. The book is pretty short and quick, but enjoyable and worth it.