Game

"Game" by Walter Dean Myers is one of the best basketball books ever. It not only is all about basketball it also is about this boy that lives in a neighborhood that most of the kids there get in to trouble and fights and don't make it to college e that much. Drew the boy in the book doesn't want to turn out to be just like those people he wants to go to college to play basketball. The only problem is that there are new kids on the team and one of Drew's friends brother got into trouble and he is trying to help him with all of that, and still be better than the new kids on the team. Drew thinks that his coach is starting to like the new kids on the team better and is afraid that he's not in the spotlight anymore. All Drew wants to do this year is to make it to the champion ship game. Last year his team didn't make it that far and is hoping that will make colleges really looking at him by leading his team to the champion ship. His coach now is changing all the plays so that it looks like the new kid is the big hero and Drew is getting really worried about that and thinks that the colleges will just look at the new kid and not even worry about him anymore. It really is the best basketball book ever!

High school senior Drew Lawson has dreams. It's difficult to have dreams in a place like Harlem. Every day Drew witnesses poverty, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, gangs and despair right outside his own home. Inside, he has loving and concerned parents, and a smart, supportive younger sister to provide a safe haven in which to develop his dreams. But it's hard to concentrate when his best friend's brother is arrested and awaiting trial. On the other hand, Drew can't hardly ignore his dream, as it runs in his blood, fills his heart and soul, and consumes his every waking moment. His dream is all about one sport --- basketball! Drew plays the position of guard at James Baldwin Academy. The team almost made it to the regional finals in Drew's junior year. And the first half of his senior year is going even better. He had been told that the second half of the season is when the scouts and the college coaches actively start searching for talent. That is a major part of the plan in making Drew's dreams come true. He is aiming for a college basketball scholarship, and then look out NBA! When the team meets for practice to start the second half of the season, they are in for a surprise. Two new players have joined. They are both white, neither appeared to have to try out for the team, and one of them --- Tomas from the Czech Republic in Europe --- is pretty good. The coach seems to think so as well, and starts paying a lot of attention to Tomas. This annoys Drew. But Drew can't afford to stew about it too much, with practice every day, school work (including the challenging Othello) and basketball games. Drew also can't help contemplating life in his neighborhood, how there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between him and the guy selling drugs on the corner (maybe just a few damaging choices and the lack of a dream). Walter Dean Myers has created a fast-paced, high-excitement basketball thrill ride. His apparent knowledge and obvious love of the sport, insightful look into inner city life and superb writing talents all join together to make a memorable reading experience that is also a lot of fun. And GAME isn't just about the actual game of basketball. The book includes perceptive, thought-provoking ideas about the choices a person makes in his or her life, and the consequences resulting from those decisions. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

I listened to this story on a road trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. The play by play action was incredibly detailed, and always from the perspective of the main character so you really felt like you were in the game. There were times when I had to switch highways and navigate streets new to me and I would lose track of what was going on. Finally settled on the new road, I would hear that so-and-so was shooting a three-pointer and be like, how did HE get the ball? What happened?? Then I would have to skip back to a familiar point, such as a certain character shooting a free throw and continue on. The play by play was great. Aside from the actual games the story was pretty interesting. The coach decides to try new strategy for the main character's senior season and also brings in a foreign European player that grabs some of the spotlight. Interesting to see the Euro ball player in a high school setting; you can imagine college and pro players dealing with the same type of adjustment to a teammate from a distant culture, with a strong accent, who is learning what it is to play American ball. The narrator did a fair job, not the most amazing I've ever listened to, but the characters were easily distinguishable. It's hard actually being from the "ghetto" to listen to a "street" accent without being overly critical, so I won't judge the narrator too much. The plain fact is that Myers is a great writer, so the story was compelling regardless.

Walter Dean Myers is at his best when he's writing about basketball. His writing comes alive and seems to jump off of the page and pull you into the story, holding you captive until the final period. "Game" is no exception. This book follows in the tradition of "Hoops" and my personal favorite "Slam" which tap into the dreams and desires of urban youths. These stories tell the good, the bad and the ugly of the struggle for the socioeconomic liberation and upward mobility that basketball and other sports represent. What is most incredible about Myers' writing is the play by play that puts you right on the sidelines. It's hard to contain yourself as the games grow intensify and there are times when I found myself ready to jump out of my seat. Cleary, Mr. Myers has the same love for the game that he infuses into his protagonists. In this book, however, Myers uses the "game" as an allegory. As the story unfolds, we realize that the "Game" the title refers too is life, not just basketball, and Drew, our hero, learns that being able to strategize, maneuver and score off the court is even more valuable than what he's able to do on the court. "Game" is another example of Walter Dean Myers' commitment to empowering and enlightening our you. It also demonstrates Myers' ability to remain current and relevant. If you know of a boy with hoop dreams, or any dreams at all, introduce him to Walter Dean Myers. They'll forge a literary bond with everlasting benefits.

Drew Lawson lives and breathes basketball. He plans to use basketball as his ticket out of Harlem, and everyone knows it. The problems start when Coach "House" Hauser changes the game plan. The Lawson family is a bit unusual for their neighborhood. Drew is lucky to have both a mom and dad living under the same roof, and although money is a struggle, both parents work. He and his sister have been raised to value life and set high goals. News from their neighborhood only makes the paper when it is bad news. Shootings, stabbings, and robberies are the usual stories, and Drew's mother frets when those stories involve young people. The Chargers basketball team could offer Drew a chance at a better life. He is a decent player and has his sights set on playing Division I college ball in hopes of being a future NBA player. As a star Chargers' player, it just might be possible. Unfortunately, it seems that Coach House has other plans. It is mid-season and suddenly Coach House has brought in two new players - a couple of white players. That doesn't bother Drew and his team too much until it becomes evident that Coach plans to start these new players in positions that clearly threaten Drew's game. What is Coach trying to do? Is there a method to his madness or is Drew's future at stake? GAME is set in Walter Dean Myers' home territory in Harlem, and is filled with his trademark characters and plenty of action. Readers hear Drew's story in between bouts of realistic play-by-play basketball scenes. Myers fans as well as basketball lovers will find this a satisfying read. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"