Hoops by Walter Dean Myers

Hoops by Walter Dean Myers

This novel entails the classic storyline of a talented young adult, Lonnie Jackson, and his struggle to cope with life in the Harlem ghetto.  After his dad had left him as a young child, Lonnie spends his childhood battling any character with trust issues.  Even with dealing with a broken home and a terrible part-time job, Lonnie's basketball talents are still prevalent.  After meeting up with his peers at the gym, the crew decides to submit themselves into "The Tournament of Champions" basketball tournament, where they are going to be coached by a local drunk, Cal, who turns out to be a former basketball player, until his gambling and alcoholism caught up to him.  Once realizing Lonnie's potential, Cal constantly pushes Lonnie to reach for greatness, but Lonnie's trust issues and attitude leads to turmoil between the star and coach, to the extent where a gun enters the scene.  It is also revealed that Cal is still tangled in the gambling game, and Lonnie's team has entered the laundry list of poor decisions made by Cal.  Cal now has to decide between sitting Lonnie in the tournament to win a huge bet, or to face the music in order to save Lonnie's future.

This book is a great motivational piece that portrays the hard-knock life of Harlem, New York and the culture.  Walter Dean Myers creates characters that can connect with several readers who may struggle with divorced parents, lower class socioeconomic status, or the risk of exposing one's own weaknesses to achieve full potential.  This book was a quick, meaningful, read that serves as a piece of cultural identity for the urban community and youth alike.