The short novel, Hoops, written by Walter Dean Myers was breathtaking. I first thought it was about basketball, but other parts shined through to reveil what it was actually about. It included romance, morals, and got me thinking that the characters were people I knew.
The novel is about a kid growing up in Harlem named Lonnie. He has a very tough life and the only thing he has is basketball. He and his neighborhood buddies get a team together and enter a tournament. The tournament gives them a coach named Cal. The guys think he is an old man that knows nothing about basketball. Lonnie starts to realize what Cal is really about. Cal tells him about how he was in the NBA and got kicked out because he shaved points. When the team gets to the final game they have to make a discion; do what is right, or cheat and throw the game. But that is not the whole story. Other smaller plots within the larger one is the romance between Lonnie and his longtime friend, Mary-Ann. Mary-Ann and Lonnie go through the tough stage of fiends to dating. Lonnie loves her but does not no how to say it manly enough. On the other hand, Mary-Ann is very straight forward about it.
This novel has a very strong moral. It is to find what you love the most in life, and make sure you give it your all to succeed at it.
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