Synopses & Reviews
A fun, fast-paced romantic comedySixteen-year-old Stan Claxton is recruited to coach his best friend, Ginny, a nationally ranked junior tennis player, through a local tournament. He is also supposed to find out why she has recently fallen into a slump. As Stan and Ginny slowly figure out just how their friendship will proceed, readers will delight in a quirky assortment of characters: Guballa and Wilcutts, Stan's other best friends, who both have the hots for Ginny; a female aerobics instructor with an incredible body and a face like Humphrey Bogart's; a glamorous unranked tennis player who might be a thief; Clinkt Eastwood--maybe; and the sophisticated Lord Boxton, one of Stan's tennis heroes, who previously owned the world's most expensive racquet. And then there are the whistling toilets. But readers will have to wait until the end of the novel to find out about those.
By no means a novel for sports lovers only, Randy Powell's latest assortment of likable eccentrics will win over readers of all predilections.
Review
"Stan Claxton, sixteen-year-old part-time tennis coach and all-around good guy, is trying to find out why his old friend Ginny, nationally ranked junior player, is in a serious slump...A sense of humor and a distinct voice carry the reader...toward a satisfying dénouement with quirky but determined motivation." --
Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books"Executed with style" -- Publishers Weekly
"It's something of a love story, in which two really liable and interesting characters share a profound friendship that transcends infatuation and leads them to a better understanding of themselves and each other. Along with a shining cast of secondary characters, the novel is crammed with laugh-out-loud humor and dialogue that fairly crackles." -- Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
While coaching tennis for a group of inner city "runts" as well as for his friend Ginny, a star player, sixteen-year-old Stan grows in understanding himself and others.
About the Author
Randy Powell is the author of five novels, including
Is Kissing a Girl Who Smokes Like Licking an Ashtray? and
Tribute to Another Dead Rock Star, both ALA Best Books for Young Adults. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
Reading Group Guide
1. What details tell us that Stan is newly attracted to Ginny, although he wont admit it to himself? This literary technique of showing the truth behind what the speaker is saying is called “the unreliable narrator.” Are there other subjects on which Stans words are unreliable? Why is it so hard for Stan to acknowledge that he is attracted to Ginny?
2. What does Stan get out of the unprofitable job of coaching “the runts”? What qualities in his character make him better as a coach than as a competitor? How is Ginny different?
3. Why has Ginnys tennis game been in a slump? Is the sexual episode with Rick Donsprokken entirely to blame? What does Ginny tell Stan that makes us suspect that other factors might also be responsible? How does Stan help her recover?
4. Why does Stan resist asking Ginny to stay, even though he desperately wants her to? Do you think she would give in if he pressured her? What would be the likely result in the long run?
5. At the ballet, Stan gives away his extra tickets to someone he thinks is deserving, but the man scalps the tickets for $525. Is Stans kindness devalued by this? When Stan returns Lord Boxtons expensive racket, Boxton treats him with cold disdain. Is it realistic to expect that doing the right thing will always be rewarded with gratitude? What does Stan gain from his virtuous action, in spite of Boxtons ill-treatment? How has Ginny contributed to Stans growth in ethical behavior?