Strong to the Hoop

By John Coy

Book Overview

Illustrated by Leslie Jean-Bart. James has always settled for watching his big brother play basketball from the sidelines. Then one day a player is injured and James is asked to join the older boys' game. This is James' chance to prove himself on the main court, and he knows there is much more than game point' riding on his last shot. Illustrated throughout in full colour. Ages 6 and up.'

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1880000806
• ISBN13: 9781880000809
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 11.0" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 4

Customer Reviews

Strong to the Hoop

" He and Slinky lift me up, and i grin a championship smile." Strong to the hoop is about a ten year old boy named james, who wants to play basketball. The only thing stopping him from doing so is that his brother and his freinds wont let james play because he is too small.Then he finally gets his chance to show the other kids that he can play when one of their players het hurt and needs a sub. I liked how the author described how everything happened and i really liked the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who likes sports or short stories because of the basketball theme. THis book is diffferent from other chidrens books because it is a lot more realistic and has a more believable theme The authors style was verky discriptive and visual, which made the book more enjoyable. Overall i thought it was a good book and had a great ending.

Strong to the Hoop

Strong to the Hoop is about is about a boy named James. He absolutely loves to play basketball. He and his brother go to the park a lot to play basketball. He is to young to play with his brother and his friends. He plays on the side hoop and practices his shot. He hopes one day that he just gets to play for a little while. Then one day he gets that chance. His brother gets hurt during the game. Thiers was no one else their to fill in for him. They were talking to each other wonder if they should ask James to play. Then they finally ask him and he is happy. He doesn't start out very well and his team is wandering if they should have even taken him. Then he makes a good shot and convinces them they can win this. Will James and his team win the game? You will have to read the book to find out.

Count it!

John Coy's ``Strong to the Hoop'' is exactly that -- a book that drives hard and scores with a story of playground hopes, doubts and triumphs, combined with vibrant photo-based visuals. It's the story of James, an undersized kid who suddenly finds himself called to play ball with the neighborhood big boys. By the time the teams reach game point, James has learned a lot about the game and himself, and while his triumph may be small it is also inspiring. ``Strong to the Hoop'' is also alive with sounds that get the reader in the game -- a bouncing ball in the opening, the heavy breathing and terse ``woofing'' between players on the court, even the ripping of a shirt. And though it involves boys, it's not only for boys. Girls now have plenty of sports opportunities, and know well the challenges of the game (not to mention the countless opportunities to discover new strengths and prove oneself among the big kids). ``Strong to the Hoop'' will appeal to boys and girls who enjoy the the test. A disclaimer, sort of: I know John Coy personally but if you have any doubt that his work is terrific check out ''Night Driving'' -- and the NY Times reviews of it. It's not just me.