The Outside Shot

By Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

Lonnie Jackson leaves Harlem on a high note--a basketball scholarship to a midwestern college. But his street smarts haven't prepared him for the pressures of tough classes and high-stakes college... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440967848
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.5" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

Editorial Review

Ages 12 and up. The book The Outside Shot written by Walter Dean Myers is mostly about a boy named Lonnie heading off to play basketball for a mid-western college called Montclare. When going off to college Lonnie has to fit in with the others he is going to be living with. Lonnie has a scholarship for playing basketball, but Lonnie Jackson does not have the street smarts ne needs to pass those tough classes of his. He does not want his scholarship to go to waste, so he gives it all he`s got. While in class Lonnie meets an attractive girl named Sherry. Sherry, who in an athlete determined to be a track star.She keeps Lonnie in shape by telling him to give it all his best, and to try hard when it comes to his classes. Sherry`s independence attracts Lonnie,they have an on and off relationship that drives Lonnie crazy.The moral or the theme of the book "The Outside Shot" is that you can help others and at the same time you can achieve your dream.This works for Lonnie.I like that the book has Lonnie taking things easy and how he tries really hard to be the best basketball player that he really is.He does not get angry when things get bad,he just steps up his game, and shows others that he is ready to be on the basketball court.Also succeed off of it as well.

The inside scoop of The Outside Shot

In the book "THE OUTSIDE SHOT" by Walter Dean Myers, the main character is Lonnie Jackson who is a black college student who plays basketball for Monteclare. Lonnie often finds himself in trouble. Lonnie also experiences a lot of struggles in the book like he had to work with one of his patients named Eddie. Eddie didn't talk much, but once Lonnie got to know him they became good friends. Another struggle is the school officials thought that Lonnie was cheating in a basketball game by shaving points. One of the funny events in the book found a good friend of Lonnie's stuck in a store because he wanted to count how many jelly beans were in a jar. Lonnie's friend was locked in and had to wait until the morning to get out. This is a book where you have to pay attention throughout the whole book so that you don't miss anything. I've recommended this book to everyone because it is funny and realistic.

The Outside Shot

The main character in The Outside Shot is Lonnie Jackson. He is 22 and has just made it to Montclair State in Indiana. Lonnie tries out for the basketball team and makes it. In order to play he has to keep his head high and record clean. His goal for college is to stay in school and stay clean. But some things get in the way. For example this guy named Fat Man makes bets on the games Montclair plays and wins money, which he gives to Lonnie. One example is that he bet Montclair to win by five points and they did and Lonnie gets two hundred dollars for it. He then gets himself a one-way ticket to a week suspension from school and hoops. I like the writing style in this book because it switches from character to character. Lonnie, a black New Yorker, talks like this, "He went the whole nine yards today" And a white mother speaks like this, "Maybe he just had another phase" If you like basketball this is a book for you. I liked it a lot, but you'd have to be at least in 6th grade to understand it. This book is definitely a five star book. In a way it has a lesson to it on betting and gambling. This taught me that you shouldn't get involved with anything wrong, especially if your goal is to stay in school.

A very good book!

I think that books are often given five stars on this site, but this one deserves it! I read this book for a book report and found it very interesting. Lonnie Jackson, a black boy from Harlem, is in college at Montclare for a basketball scholarship. While he's there, he works at the university hospital with a boy named Eddie, and meets a girl he likes named Sherry. Sherry is going to be a track star. While he's working with the basketball team, he starts to hate his coaches. Then, he gets suspended from the team for back talk. He gets an idea to go to an Italian team try out to watch. After those try outs, his coach Ray kills himself because he knew he wouldn't make it. Lonnie thinks that could have been him. A local gambler, the FatMan has Lonnie try to beat the spread to a basketball game by a lot. Montclare runs up the score and people are questioning Lonnie about fixing games. (And you would have to read the rest of the book to find out what happens) I think that Lonnie was a good character and liked the book because I liked Lonnie. I also like basketball and other sports. I also liked how Lonnie talked like he came from Harlem