Hoops

By Walter Dean Myers

A young basketball star faces a life-changing decision amid corruption and pressure.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 2,883 ratings

224 pages· 49,041 words· Est. 4.5 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson is on the brink of basketball stardom, but his dreams are threatened by a corrupt scheme. His coach, Cal, once succumbed to similar pressures. As the championship game looms, Lonnie discovers bettors want him benched to ensure a loss. With the clock ticking, Lonnie and Cal must decide if they will risk everything for integrity or succumb to the allure of easy money. Will they seize their chance at greatness or let it slip away?

From the publisher

By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster-a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation-this fast-paced and poignant story reveals the fierce underworld of sports. All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance–but sold out. As the tournament nears, Lonnie learns that some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick away, Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime? An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults AWARDS FOR WALTER DEAN MYERS: New York Times Bestselling Author 3-Time National Book Award Finalist Michael L. Printz Award 5 Coretta Scott King Awards 2 Newbery Honors National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2012-2013) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement Children’s Literature Legacy Award

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