Long Shot

"Long Shot" is an unusual book on a number of counts, with elements that aren't often found in a single volume of children's "sports" literature. First, it's a sports story in which the protagonist is a girl--a crackerjack basketball player (hurrah!)--and it's well and intelligently written, with lively dialogue and delightful touches of humor. The kids and the adults seem like real people, and the story develops relationships both on and off the basketball court. The author really captures the cliffhanger excitement of competitive sports--and also handles the downside of competition (and its meanness) in a way that kids, both girls and boys, will really be able to relate to. I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up late one night reading it...and I'm an adult! The kids I gave it to loved it just as much as I did, so it's now on my list of favorites for gifts.