Slam Dunk!

Elijah "Jumper" Breeze has survived a rough summer. After his dad died unexpectedly from a heart attack, he and his mom moved from the suburbs in Connecticut to the urban community of Harlem to live with his grandmother. That meant an entirely new neighborhood, new friends and no father to stand next to him. Nevertheless, Jumper survived, meeting some great people, being introduced to a new sport at baseball camp, and even learning how to work together with a bully named Marcus. And he managed all of this without quitting! His dad would be so proud of him. Now that the summer is over, Jumper faces a new challenge --- sixth grade. He has a bit of trouble managing the locker and getting to all of his classes on time, but within a few weeks, he settles into a routine. Then he finds out that the school is forming a new basketball team; basketball is where Jumper really shines. He and his friends arrive at the first meeting brimming with excitement, but there is a rather major challenge to overcome: a flood the previous year destroyed the gymnasium's floor. The school is trying to repair the damages, but will it be done before the basketball season begins? Jumper's friend, Nia, has a wonderful idea. She suggests a basketball match of girls versus boys to raise the last bit of money needed to repair the gym. Both teams dive into practice for the big game. Nia then comes to Jumper with another problem. Her brother, Marcus, was kicked out of his school and will be coming to theirs. This is the same Marcus who bullied Jumper during the summer. Nia asks Jumper to invite Marcus to join the basketball team in hopes of getting him involved and more comfortable. But will Marcus go back to his bullying ways? Before any of these situations can be resolved, yet another challenge presents itself. The school announces elections for class officers. Both Jumper and Nia decide to run for sixth grade representatives. The race is on to see who can come up with the most unusual and attention-grabbing campaign. Nia is more popular and well known, but Jumper and his friends come up with some amazing ideas to rock the sixth grade off their feet. Now Jumper is swamped with schoolwork, basketball practice and campaigning. He knows quitting isn't an option, so he turns to his family and friends to help him get through with lots of support, a bit of imagination and a whole lot of laughs. SLAM DUNK! is the action-packed sequel to 2006's SAFE AT HOME. Sharon Robinson does an amazing job conveying to readers the struggles that Jumper faces as a sixth grader. Her characters are likable and relatable, and the story moves along with plenty of dialogue and problem solving. Whether or not you're a basketball fan, this book truly is a slam dunk! --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND