Byron Graves

Tre's brother has died and Tre puts a lot of pressure on himself to take his place and make his family proud, namely on the basketball court. Tre is likable, realistic, and relatable. He is Native American so life on the reservation and the Native community are explored as much as basketball. His strong friendships and supportive family make a for a great cast of characters. Good book!

High school sophomore Tre practiced and worked out all summer in hopes of making the varsity basketball team and following in his father's and older brother Jaxon's footsteps. At first Coach Whitefeather puts him on JV, but he's soon moved up when varsity players are suspended for drinking. Now Tre is playing with his heroes, Jaxon's former teammates, and they share a dream of winning regionals and then state. Tre has even more dreams, though: he wants to play ball in college and be in the show more NBA. One of his best friends, Wes, believes in him so much he's making a documentary about him, but Tre's parents seem sunk in memories of Jaxon, who died in a car crash. Tre navigates relationships with his varsity teammates, his best friends Wes and Nate, and new friend Khiana. All of the res kids, especially the darker-skinned ones, face microaggressions and racism when off the res, from being followed in the mall to being pulled over and searched by cops, and when they do beat white basketball teams, the victory is even more meaningful.

See also: Hoops by Matt Tavares, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quotes

I feel both motivated to match what he did and a heavy burden on my shoulders. (45)

But it doesn't matter. Sometimes I feel like I'm the ghost here. (45)

"Pride can be a good thing. Pride in our culture, in our tribe, in our heritage. That's the kind of pride that keeps who we are as a people alive. But personal pride, that ego pride can get in the way of growing, learning, and admitting when we are wrong." (Mom to Tre, 259) show less

One of my favorite reads this year. I loved the intense basketball scenes, and the high school players. Their voices and stories were so real and compelling. I thought the first-person story, told by Tre was consuming. I had to know what he was going to do next, and what he was thinking.

The basketball scenes in this book are full of action. Tre is a sophmore and hoping for a spot on the Varsity basketball team. His family is still reeling from the death of his older brother, basketball star Jaxon. After initially not making the team, he is brought up after a couple members of the team are suspended.
Tre is a character to cheer for. He has close friends, he loses his way a bit and makes some bad decisions, but he finds his way back to his values, purpose, and goals. There is show more some strong language peppered throughout, but it is in context. His best friend is an aspiring film maker and is making a documentary of Tre as a project which leads to some cool opportunities for introspection and exploring ways in which we chart paths to our future selves.
The family and community are present and supportive within this book that also explores racial dynamics, racism, and privilege within the context of the storytelling of this boy and this team's journey to try ti win the state basketball championship. show less