Wheel Wizards

April 1, 2001
Gr 3-7-Filled with anger because of a car accident that confined him to a wheelchair, Seth Pender, 12, believes he can no longer play basketball. One day, he meets Danny, a teen who, like Seth, will never walk again, but Danny has always played wheelchair basketball. Seth accepts the challenge to learn to play and copes with a coach who doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that he is trying his best. At the conclusion, the boy finally realizes the coach's message that he needs to become "as independent as possible." This story (with credit in the CIP as having been written by Robert Hirschfeld) follows the usual upbeat formula using simple vocabulary that many readers have grown to love. Fans will probably ignore the few occasions where conversation doesn't quite ring true. Informational tidbits on specialized wheelchairs adapted for sports are integrated into the steadily progressing plot.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.