Synopses & Reviews
TOBY WHEELER LOVES basketball and playing pickup games at the local rec center. No coaches, no practices, just nonstop action with his best friend, JJ, at his side. But lately JJ's been acting like he's too busy for Toby, and Toby knows it will only get worse once basketball season begins at their junior high. That's because JJ is the star of their school team, while Toby is just an ordinary gym rat.
When Coach Applewhite offers Toby a chance to join the team, Toby's eager to prove he can keep up with JJ. But then the coach announces the lineup, and Toby's hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: he's an eighthgrade benchwarmer Befriending the coach's daughter only makes matters worse. Now the only way Toby will get in the game is if he starts thinking like a team player, on and off the court.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Fans of John Feinstein and Matt de la Pena will love Toby Wheeler's dreams of being a basketball star that Phil Jackson says is -a truly great basketball story.-
And don't miss Thatcher Heldring's newest novel, The Football Girl--about a girl who follows her passion for the game and tries out for the football team
When Toby Wheeler has a chance to join the junior high basketball team, he's eager to prove he can keep up with his best friend, JJ. But practice doesn't go quite as Toby has planned, and when the coach announces the lineup, Toby's hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: he's an eighth-grade benchwarmer
-A truly great basketball story. Every hoops fan will love this book.---Phil Jackson, former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and member of the NBA Hall of Fame
-This novel will appeal to readers who are looking for something one step beyond Matt Christopher's books.---SLJ
-This engaging sports story gains depth from subplots involving Toby's tricky relationships with his former best friend and with the coach's daughter.--The Horn Book
-Looking for something to do during halftime of the March Madness basketball games? Read this book.--The Washington Post
-With so much written about the friction between girl friends, it's good to have a book that acknowledges that left-out feeling happens to boys, too.--Booklist
Synopsis
When Toby Wheeler has a chance to join the junior high basketball team, hes eager to prove he can keep up with his best friend, JJ. But practice doesnt go quite as Toby has planned, and when the coach announces the lineup, Tobys hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: hes an eighth-grade benchwarmer!
About the Author
Thatcher Heldring lives with his wife and son in Seattle, Washington, a good place for indoor sports. Visit him online at www.thatchertheauthor.com.