A poetic homage to basketball! The footsteps pound. The high-tops squeak. The crowd is loud. The floorboards creak. But through it all, we catch the sound, the one that's high above the ground, that most important noise of all: the swishing of the basketball. This new collection of more than 40 poems by Loris Lesynski captures the joys, thrills, and challenges of one of the most popular sports in the schoolyard today. Crazy About Basketball! is full of energy and humor, and is sure to appeal to anyone who has ever played the sport. Wonderfully ridiculous artwork and catchy, rhythmic poems highlight both the silly and serious side of the sport, with emphasis on training, tactics, and teamwork, but most of all, on having fun. A perfect complement to Lesynski's and Rasmussen's previous collaboration, Crazy About Soccer!.

New York Times bestseller - Newbery Medal Winner -Coretta Scott King Honor Award -2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults-2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Publishers Weekly Best Book - School Library Journal Best Book- Kirkus BestBook A beautifully measured novel of life and line."- The New York Times Book Review "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering, " announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander. Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family. "

New York Times bestseller - Newbery Medal Winner -Coretta Scott King Honor Award -2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults-2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Publishers Weekly Best Book - School Library Journal Best Book- Kirkus BestBook A beautifully measured novel of life and line."- The New York Times Book Review "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. 'Cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood-he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it's all on the line. As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets a girl, the twins' bond unravels.Told in dynamic verse, this fast and furious middle grade novel that started it all absolutely bounces with rhythm and bursts with heart."

Kyle is a rising star on the school's basketball team, but when he connects with an old friend and auditions for the school play, he finds opposition both on and off the court.

In his latest graphic novel, New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches. Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well.

EllRay Jakes finally grows up (a little) by playing basketball in this ninth book in the series. There's a new game in town—basketball! Or in Ellray's case, pre-basketball. Coach Havens has all the third graders dribbling, passing, and shooting, and he's quick to compliment EllRay's skills. No one else seems to notice them, however, and as 'the shortest kid in the class,' EllRay is still chosen last for teams at recess. What's a short guy gotta do to get noticed?? When EllRay comes up with a plan that involves the off-limits teacher's lounge, everyone does a double take! PRAISE FOR THE ELLRAY JAKES SERIES: "Warner is a dead-on observer of playground politics, and has a great ear for dialogue."—School Library Journal on EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken! "...ideal for reluctant readers."—Booklist on EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken! "Young readers can identify with EllRay, who is neither a bad seed nor a goody-two-shoes; he and his sense of humor are just right."—Kirkus on EllRay Jakes Is a Rock Star! "The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers."—Kirkus on EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank

In the sixth book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, young Derek bites off more than he can chew when he decides to enter the school talent show and try out for the basketball team. Between promising Vijay that he’ll compete in the school talent show and promising Dave that he’ll try out for the basketball team, Derek Jeter has a lot he’s trying to juggle. A commitment is a commitment, and Derek is determined to work hard and try his best, but he worries he might be in over his head and fears he’s going to let his friends or himself down. How can Derek do it all? Inspired by Derek Jeter’s childhood, Fast Break is the sixth book in Jeter Publishing’s New York Times bestselling middle grade baseball series that focuses on key life lessons from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

Meeting people in a new town during the summer is hard. So when Jeff runs into a group of guys who love basketball as much as he does, he makes sure to stick with them when school starts. But at school, he finds out what they're really like

Summer has just been made captain of her junior high school basketball team when her coach is lost' in a plane crash. Returning to school, Summer discovers: a) the most popular all-star player's step-dad is now the coach, and he's a jerk b) the team's already working hard to lump her in with the team loser', Dodie, and c) she can see the woeful ghost of Coach Nola when she plays ball. Although Dodie's keen to help Summer work on the ghost problem and turns out to be a quick thinker who's good at getting out of trouble Summer's popularity is so fragile she can't afford to be friends with her. The team ostracizes both of them, and the coach makes it worse by never allowing Dodie on court, even in practice! With a crappy coach and a broken team that refuses to acknowledge its captain, they begin their worst season ever. Summer's running out of ideas, and facing blocks at every play. If the ghost is sending her energy through Summer to try to help them, Summer's failing her miserably. Or could it even be Dodie controlling Coach Nola's ghost to get her revenge on the team?

Sports fans will love reading about the jaw-dropping stats, thrilling moments, and incredible facts associated with some of the world's greatest athletes

Sports fans will love reading about the jaw-dropping stats, thrilling moments, and incredible facts associated with some of the world's greatest athletes

Sports fans will love reading about the jaw-dropping stats, thrilling moments, and incredible facts associated with some of the world's greatest athletes

The history of basketball is chock-full of famous buzzer-beating shots, amazing game-saving plays, and thrilling maneuvers that defy gravity. All fans have their favorite memory, just as they have their favorite team and their favorite player. Now here's a book that offers a look back at more than fifteen of the sport's best moments. The Block, The Steal, The Shot. Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Bird, Jordan, and James. Each entry captures the nail-biting tension of the minutes leading up to the play, as well as information about the superstar players that made them and the teams that they played for. Packed with facts and action, this is a book young basketball fans will reach for again and again -- and because it comes from Matt Christopher, young readers know they're getting the best sports writing on the shelf.