Hoops By Walter Dean Myers: Character Analysis

Read my book Hoop City Detroit, a suspenseful drama about a boy named isaiah. A sharpshooter drafted to a top private school to play basketball. His tremendus ball playing skills gets him straight from jv to starting varsity, but his teammates are not very supportive because isaiah lives in auburn hills, the wealthiest neighborhood in detroit. Although that is not the only problem he must overcome, his family is falling apart because of divorce. Will Isaiah be able to rise above the taunts from teammates and opponents?Will he be able to overcome the deconstruction of his

"Slam" by Walter Dean Myers is a book that shows a collection of styles of writings, and different techniques used by the author. There were many great characters in the book, also. This book is about a seventeen year old boy named Greg, who revolves around the game of basketball. He lives in Harlem and attends the prestigious magnet school Latimer in the South Bronx, which is predominantly white. He leads the school to great wins, even his former school. His best friend Ice starts to sell drugs, so they drift apart. When his grandmother got sick, his assistant coach became a fatherly mentor to him. He expresses that the game of life can either be won, or it can be lost.

Hoop Dreams, directed by Steve James, is an outstanding documentary that gives the viewer a perspective on several different elements on the life of a teen basketball player. The film follows Arthur Agee and William Gates, two basketball stars, who live in the rough Chicago area. The inner-city boys get noticed for their skills, and they are recruited to play for dominant team. The audience follows the boy’s journey with basketball, school, and general life matters. The film dives into the reality of living in the hood and chasing a dream of playing professional basketball. The corruption of the school system and sports are examined throughout the film. The audience follows Agee and Gates through their triumphs and failures in their chase to the top. The director, Steve James, uses the film genre of documentary for the story of Arther Agee and William Gates because it highlights the raw moments of their lives.

John Maloney’s “Good!” A short (14-line) poem incompasses the fast paced events within a Basketball game.It is limited third person from the perspective of a player that gained possession of the ball after a missed basket. The poet focuses the narrative onto the actions after the rebound occurred. The speaker of the poem, a player on the court, is focused on the game and the game alone, determined to keep the ball in his team’s possession and allow his team the chance to make a shot. Which in the end, he ends up taking the shot himself earning his team two points.

Mike Lupica, ESPN commentator and well-known sports writer for young adults, wrote Summer Ball. Summer Ball is primarily set at Right Way Basketball Camp. The main character, Danny Walker, and his friends, Ty Ross, Will Stoddard, and Tarik Meminger go to Right Way along with boys from all over the country to improve their basketball skills. They also hope to make new friends and possibly catch the eye of college scouts over the length of summer camp. Right Way helps Danny learn how to prove himself against outside expectations and self-doubts. Danny experiences his troubles when his Right Way coach, Edward Powers, doesn 't believe in Danny and tries to break him down any way he can. Coach Powers represents all of Danny 's fears around basketball and his place as a basketball player. At Right Way Camp, Danny and his friends work hard and struggle through tough games in order to prove themselves as basketball players.

“Summer Ball” by Mike Lupica is a children’s literature story of particular interest and young boys. It follows a 13 year-old boy named Danny Walker. Danny is a basketball player who is attending an elite basketball camp called “Right Way” in Maine during the summer. Danny is a very good basketball player but there is a small problem, he is really small. Now he is going to the camp to find out will his lack of height prevent him from playing with the big boys.

The book starts off with Coach Giminski shouting out “Layup Drill” louder than all the basketballs on the court pounding against the wall the floor, the backboard, and the net: everything! After the coaches attempt to get the “Wildcats”. The team of a bunch of 7th graders in the rising stars league to pause for instructions to preform some layup drills on the court. The coach paused for a moment and thought why not make this a little more fun for the team and said that there not going to do scrimmage today unless the score 20 in a row. After a bunch of failed attempts Brett Carter the star forward of the team and also best friend of the coaches son Will Giminski got the final 20 for the team. The coach seemed impressed so he thought his techniques were getting a little rusty and that he might need to step it up so in the scrimmage he decided that he doesn’t want make it easy for the team… He puts Brett Carter and Will Giminski as team captains

The novel begins with preseason football in the heat of a Texas summer. The players and coaches practice over 4 hours a day in 100-degree weather. The media is affecting every player pushing for a state championship and college scouts at every practice. The boys who gave completely of themselves for their sport are unique personalities. From dedicated quarterback Mike Winchell to Harvard-bound Brian Chavez to the inscrutable Ivory Christian, the team was full of young men who were singular human beings, each one bringing something special and indefinable to their group. And that's just scratching the very surface.The book recounts the tragic story of Boobie Miles, team’s star running back who had been highly recruited by all of the major programs. He is expected to attend and earn a scholarship to a large state college. The community

Have you ever wanted something so bad but kept failing at it? In Full Court Press by Mike Lupica, a teenager dreams of going pro and go to the NBA he will receive a lot of deliberation and obstacles to do so. The protagonist, Lonzo Gerard, is passionate, doesn’t give up, talented, 6’2, a stalwart type of person, and has a lot of heart. Michael De La Cruz, Eddie Holtz these 2 people interact with the protagonist well they both believe in Lonzo and give him a chance very encouraging people. The genre of the novel is fiction, the setting of the book takes place in Europe the city of Monte De Carlo.

Boy21, written by Matthew Quick is a book about a kid named Finley that has a love for basketball. He has played the game ever since his mothers murdering and he would do anything to play basketball. But, then something drastic changes him forever. A boy by the name of Russ Washington comes to his city to live with his grandparents. Russ is a nationally recruited basketball but he was no interest after the murdering of his parents. Finley’s job is to look after Russ and to persuade him to play basketball again. But, there is one catch. Russ plays the same position as Finley and wears the same number. That would mean that Finley would be the odd one out. Finley still helps Russ knowing what it feels like to have a loved one murdered. Because

It’s often an uphill fight. The ego-driven culture of basketball, and society in general, militates against cultivating this kind of selfless action, even for members of a team whose success as individuals in tied directly to the group performance. Our society places such a high premium on individual achievement, it’s easy for players to get blinded by their own self-importance and lose a sense of interconnectedness, the essence of teamwork.”

Most people do not know that LeBron James was cut from his high school basketball team. Tons people thought that he would give up and try something else. What they did not know was he was going to be an NBA star. He knew that when he picked number twenty three at age eleven. He also knew that when he only missed one practice when he finally made the team. He was an athletic kid but was not good at basketball at all. He has a passion for basketball that no one can take away. Thus, he trains, sweats, and works. As a result of this, loads of people would have given up, but not LeBron James. He understood that the most rewarding goals are only accomplished with endless work and dedication. Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts is a realistic novel that takes place in Oklahoma. Billie Letts chronicles Novalee's attempt to succeed just like LeBron James. A person who is determined to succeed will get to his or her ambitions.

Coach Carter is a 2005 movie which was based upon a true story. The movie underlines the social structure and stratification of life in the American ghetto. The theme of the movie is the outcome of such societal boundaries on this group of students who play basketball; how it outlines their life, affects their social life and also their life goals. The movie depicts a Structural-functionalist of society

So far Hoop Dreams has provided fascinating insight into the world of inner city and High School basketball. I have always known of the socioeconomic pressures that come with the inner city life but seeing it play out for Arthur is eye opening.

The Crossover has brought up my reading excitement phenomenally. Just a few weeks ago I was dreading to read any novel or book that stared into my eyes. Now, after reading “The Crossover”, I am eager to pick up a book in my off time. I never, in my lifetime, would think I would ever say that. This book really harmonized my interests, making it an enjoyable read. The basketball novel suites teenagers’ passions, is family based, and it educated a very valuable life lesson.