January 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 Lupica trots his Home Team ensemble out onto the court for a whirl of fast-break hoops action threaded with provocative personal issues. Gus Morales is upset when his intensely competitive friend Cassie tries out for the boys' town basketball team. To Cassie and everyone else, his disturbance reads as a case of prejudicean accusation he stoutly denies. Cassie's vitriolic refusal to talk things out and some of her behavior after she makes the team only solidifies Gus' suspicion that she's out to win at any cost rather than be the best teammate (or friend) that she can be. Is he right or just rationalizing? Is her attitude justified or just a sign of selfishness? Lupica leaves it to readers to decide (and perhaps give their own buried attitudes a fresh once-over) as he carries the Walton Warriors through a series of dramatic last-second wins and losses. A subplot featuring racially charged local and student elections that directly mirror 2016's ugly presidential campaign will, hopefully, become less topical over time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Gus's friend Cassie tries out for--and earns a spot on--the middle school boys' basketball team. Gus says he's all good with it, but hidden prejudices nag at him. Meanwhile, Gus himself experiences prejudice due to his Dominican heritage. Vivid game-time action scenes will keep readers hooked, even if the characters tend to be overly chatty off-court.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)