Bouncing Back

September 15, 2019
A boy and his wheelchair-basketball team try to salvage their season in sportswriter Ostler's debut novel. A year after losing his parents and the use of his legs in a car accident, 12-year-old Carlos Cooper reluctantly joins a wheelchair-basketball team at the encouragement of his guardians, his Mexican American maternal aunt and uncle. Formerly dubbed "Cooper the Hooper," Carlos struggles with wheelchair basketball's difficult new techniques...and with no longer being the star shooter. But soon, Carlos catches the Rollin' Rats' cooperative, competitive spirit--just as the mayor closes their run-down gym, jeopardizing their chances of reaching California's state championship. Basketball fans will particularly enjoy Carlos' play-by-play narration of challenging practices and intense games, but readers won't need sports knowledge to root for Carlos as he and fellow teammate Mia--and unexpected allies--scheme to outwit the villainous Mayor Burns. The author realistically portrays Carlos' adjustment to disability and loss, and Carlos' increasing empathy is believable and thought-provoking. Bantering text messages highlight the team's camaraderie, and Carlos' bond with his tenacious aunt and uncle adds tenderness, humor, and some (italicized) Spanish words. His teammates' disabilities range from paraplegia to limb difference; one member has autism as well as spinal bifida. Latinx Carlos is bicultural and probably biracial (his mom was Mexican and his dad was British) and has brown skin, and one teammate is black. Mia, who is white, has two moms. A sports story that's as heartwarming as it is action-packed. (Fiction. 8-12)

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October 1, 2019

Gr 3-7-At Carlos Cooper's old school, he was a basketball star known as Cooper the Hooper. He has been living with his aunt and uncle for the past year, ever since his parents were killed in a car accident that left him paraplegic. Carlos is grateful for their care, but it is very hard to start a new school and especially hard being the new kid in a wheelchair. And the school bully seems to take special delight in taunting him. When Carlos's aunt asks him to take a look at a wheelchair basketball league, he isn't enthused but gives it a shot. The team is welcoming and supportive, and he likes the coach, who also uses a wheelchair. Just as Carlos is settling into this new game, the run-down gym that has been home to the team is shut down by the city. Without the gym, the team's hopes for a state championship are dashed. There's something fishy about the city's move to condemn the building, so Carlos and his teammates do a little investigating on their own. Carlos is a likable, earnest, if preternaturally mature narrator. His transition from able-bodied star to wheelchair athlete is engaging. The issue of his grief is dealt with too quickly, and a side plot involving Coach's health remains underdeveloped. The political machinations behind the closing of the gym and Carlos and the team's investigation veer into "after-school special" territory. VERDICT Enjoyable despite its few flaws. Perfect for middle grade fans of Mike Lupica.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2019
Grades 4-8 *Starred Review* Thirteen-year-old Carlos lost almost everything in a car accident: his parents, the use of his legs, even his status as a basketball star. Now, his loving aunt wants him to try wheelchair basketball. Carlos is reluctant, because he doesn't consider the game a real sport, and, besides, he sucks. It takes time, but thanks to a wise coach, Carlos improves, learning new strategies and becoming part of his co-ed team. Then comes bad news: the city is going to demolish their beat-up old gym, leaving the kids with no home court. Carlos does a school project on the history of the gym, and inconsistencies begin to pile up. With the help of concerned adults and new friends, Carlos uncovers a conspiracy involving the mayor and a building contractor (who happens to be the father of the school bully). The multi-tiered plot moves quickly, the characters are engaging, and wheelchair basketball is an unusual premise, but the real draw in this debut novel from sportswriter Ostler is the vivid descriptions of basketball action. Of equal interest to kids of all ages, this strikes just the right notes about teamwork, friendship, and acceptance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins makes an excellent companion for this story about a young teen who becomes confined to a wheelchair after an accident that claims his parents. Thirteen-year-old Carlos Cooper was the star of his former basketball league, but wheelchair basketball brings a slew of new struggles. And just when Carlos begins to improve, the city condemns the league's gym under suspicious circumstances. There's a lot at stake for Carlos and his teammates, including their dream of competing in the state tournament. Hopkins's unhurried pace makes the serious concepts more approachable for a young audience. He knows when to ramp up the intensity as he commentates on the games, adding energy and keeping listeners hooked. A.K.R. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine