Hooper

November 15, 2017
Adopted from Poland three and a half years ago, Adam decides that basketball may be his "passport to a good life." Originally Adam Sobieski, the white teen is now Adam Reed, his adoptive single mother's name, and life has gotten more complicated. The two of them have moved to a small Minnesota college town from Philadelphia, where Adam first began to learn basketball. With his increased height--he's now 6 feet 6 inches--he is gaining attention and is invited to play with an elite team in the Twin Cities. Teased for his poor English and social awkwardness, Adam has only one friend until Carli Anderson, also a basketball star, enters his life. The green-eyed white girl pushes him in multiple ways, and gradually Adam begins to understand more than just the game. When Adam plays with an all-black team of excellent players, he learns some uncomfortable truths. Class and money, racial injustice, and loyalty to true friends come into focus. The book is written as though Adam is speaking to readers in broken English that is both unconvincing and unfortunately played for laughs. Nonetheless, Adam is appealing, and Herbach's ability to expand the narrative from solid game play to confronting racial injustice is remarkable. No one here is perfect, and their failures make readers cringe yet root for success. Hoops and so much more. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Abandoned by his father at a Polish orphanage, Adam had no one until fate brought him to Renata, an American studying abroad whose heart was so moved by the lonely little boy that she adopted him. Now living in the Minnesota, Adam Reed has grown tall and strong enough to be a beast on the hardwood. On the basketball court, chants of "MVP" follow his colossal dunks. His raw talent gains him not only the attention of beautiful fellow baller Carli Anderson, but also of an elite AAU (amateur athletic union) team. With "Basketball is my passport" as his mantra, Adam throws his heart into trying out for this team. But focusing isn't easy. The class bully takes particular joy in mistreating Adam, regularly calling him "Duh" and "the Refugee." That same bully spends time picking on Adam's best friend, Barry, a kind kid with a deeply troubled home life. Juggling his AAU team responsibilities, his friendship with Barry, his relationship with Renata, and a blossoming romance with Carli, Adam finds the balance he's struck tenuous at best. There's much to love in this sports tale. Fast-paced play-by-plays vividly depict the speed and beauty of the game. Adam's backstory is heartrending and with immigrant mistrust and nonviolent protests in the national spotlight, this is a timely and realistic teen drama and swish-nothin' but net. VERDICT Highly recommended for first purchase.-Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library, WI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Basketball is Adam Reed's lifeline after he moves with his adoptive mother, Renata, from Philadelphia to Northrup, Minnesota. Renata adopted Adam from Warsaw after his mother died and his father abandoned him at an orphanage. While Adam excels on the court, school is harder. He doesn't like practicing his English, his classmates bully him, and his one true friend is the school outcast, Barry. When Adam gets the chance to play for an elite AAU team, he learns he's not the only one struggling with being ostracized. The director of the organization that runs Adam's new team is subtly racist against his black players, and Adam has to learn what it means to be black in America (he displays some ignorance about how police treat black kids), and acclimate to a different kind of team playing. Lessons on small-town politics and what it means to be a good friend abound in this well-plotted work.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)