LeBron JamesReviews

I could totally see this book becoming a series as we follow Jayden through the rest of his high school years and we find out if he makes it into the NBA. This was a great story and I even teared up a little at the end.

Not a bad story at all -- 5 kids with varying challenges (poverty, anger, abuse, famous relatives, degenerative disease) but who love to hoop are devastated when their after school opportunity to shine is canceled, and find ways to continue to pursue their dreams. There are some great messages in here -- don't let things stand in your way, but it is ok to make choices to prioritize your family, your ambitions, whatever makes the most sense to you. There's a lot of wish fulfillment. There are a lot of characters and that can be hard to keep track of. There's some great highlighting of the fact that none of the kids is only a basketball character -- they all have more to them, other passions and interests and commitments. Pretty cool. The title is a slogan that is more related to James' charitable efforts than this book, which kind of bugs me, but it's still a good book.

LeBron James serves as a role model for philanthropy and motivation, inspiring countless children. The book is exceptional as it instills in children the importance of making a positive impact while striving for personal excellence. Teachers could use this book as a tool to encourage children to pursue their dreams while making a positive difference in the world. It is also an excellent resource for promoting empathy and philanthropy, as well as discussing the potential of children to become role models themselves. This is good for ages kinder-2nd.

A great reminder for young and old of all things we should aim to be.
Life can often get carried away, but one promise to ourselves can get us back on track.
Each day is a new day to do better than the day before.

LeBron James supports the “I Promise School” in Akron, Ohio, which is a public school primarily attended by low-income children. James’s foundation provides financial support for resources not only for children but for their parents. As the "New York Times" reports:

“Mr. James’s foundation covers the cost of all expenses in the school’s family resource center, which provides parents with G.E.D. preparation, work advice, health and legal services, and even a quarterly barbershop.”

Similarly to Geoffrey Canada and his groundbreaking educational efforts in Harlem, James is operating on the theory that the key for disadvantaged kids to succeed is to help create "a cocoon of support - educational support, emotional support, medical support – that starts at birth and never stops.”

This book for young children aged 4 and up is a “literary extension” of his school, and was designed to motivate children to work hard, be open to new things, ask questions, be kind, and “to reach for my star, even when I can’t see it.”

Many of the verses in this poem include basketball analogies:

“I promise to go to school and read as much as I can, to follow the rules and respect the game plan.”

The last promise in the book, taking up a double-page spread is:

“I promise to be me.”

LeBron James adds a note to the back of the book, stating: “Remember. Nothing is given. Everything is earned.”

The last page features a checklist of promises to which children can easily refer.

Illustrations by Nina Mata show a very diverse group of children and teachers joyfully engaged in affirming activities.

In an interview during the COVID lockdown, LeBron James stated:

“Kids and families are going through a lot . . . I hope this book can bring them some hope and positivity, and encourage them to keep pushing, because we will make it through this tough time.”

Elsewhere he explained:

"The purpose of these promises we make to ourselves and to each other, and that we're sharing with kids across the world in this book, is to tell them they can do anything they put their minds to if they commit to doing the hard work.”

Evaluation: LeBron James is so admired that it means a great deal for him to lend his prestige to these positive messages for children. I remember when I was in school we studied Benjamin Franklin’s prescriptions to succeed; these are more suitable for young children, more relevant, and more needed than ever.

I had to read this book once I saw it was written by Lebron James. It’s a good book because it teaches kids to try to make a difference and also be the best they can be. I liked that he made it clear that education is really important!i could use this in my ELAR class while doing poetry because most of the sentences rhyme!

This is a stunningly gorgeous book. The illustrations of the children are touching, and remind me of the hope and promise that small children have.

It is important for all children to get these messages, and sadly, some of them never do. LeBron James is both a model of helping others, and a person who can inspire a lot of children,

This book asks children to promise to follow basic moral rules.

The Beginnings
In this narrative in first person, Lebron James talks about the formation of his high school basketball team and the challenges it faces in order to climb the ladder all the way to the top. The bonds that exists between the players, the style of play that the team developed and its growth as a team are exposed with details. In the book one can also know Lebron’s point of view about some challenges that he faced (e.g., the controversy about the car he received from his mother). Good reading.

The only thing weirder than Lebron James' need to revisit his high school days is George Lucas need to revisit the Clone Wars.

It is a little disconcerting and a tad creepy that a guy with a chance to be the best NBA player ever needs to rehash his high school days and stroke his (even in his own book) unlikable buddies. Maybe Bron just wants Dru, Sian, Romeo and Willie to walk the red carpet but share in his fame, but sheesh.

More on that later.

But the writing is weak too.
The cliff hanger idea is used over and over, "The ball was in the air....I wanted it to go in...." at least three times.
There is needless detail like running scores, including every single hoop from one game. "4-2 Romeo with a layup, 4-4, I get a steal and a dunk 6-4..." God Lebron or Buzz or whoever wrote it make it stop! Skip to the end where the ball stays in the air and it feels good, but will it go in?!!!

Back to his team-mates. The two main characters Dru Joyce and Sian Cotton come across as spoiled brats, despite Lebron's stroking. Dru in particular seems a real little prick, disrespecting his father, coaches, team-mates, etc.

What Lebron believes or pretends to believe is as amazing as any highlight from Sports Center.
A rival High School coach recruited his disgruntled friend (the ever prickly Joyce) because he liked his game and the fact he was Lebron James' best friend was not part of it. What a great guy that high school coach was.
When Lebron's mom got a loan for his three television Hummer when he was still in High School even though she couldn't make her rent payments unaided Lebron thought it was "maybe" a bit much.
When his friend Romeo who Lebron describes as angry, abusive, and a "rude asshole" is kicked out of school it was because a teacher "over reacted" to an innocent comment.
The jerseys he was given in exchange for a photo were for making the honor role at his school not for any of his athletic fame.

Also in this heartfelt story of childhood innocence Lebron never mentions why his team switched from Adidas to Nike during the season then he signed a 90 million dollar deal with Nike a bit later.

The end of the book is petty beyond belief. I can almost stomach his anger at the athletic council that allowed high school games at 15,000 seat arenas and suspended him over some free shirts. But when he names high school players he bested and brings up hearsay trash talk from an opponent's mother it seems childish. Even though he relished in his "brothers" Sian, Dru, Romeo sticking it too that cocky guy, he fails to see that that guy made the NBA as a player while Drew, Romeo and Sian didn't.

It is hard to believe he wrote this in 2009 after he had already won and NBA MVP award. It's odd he is so proud of these high school wins. It would be like the US Marine Corps bragging about invading Grenada. There is no retrospect that seems to notice that a high school team with Lebron James on it should, you know, kinda, win every game. For crying out loud it it is pretty tough to beat an NBA team with him on it.

But, Lebron remains a likable guy. It really is amazing he survived the media crush and lived up to the hype. The most interesting parts of the book are how he and his friends handled and mishandled their celebrity. And for the record I don't begrudge him the Hummer, even in high school people were making a lot of money off him. But these passages are too few and the "Little Dru hit a three" parts are far too many. It is a bit too modest that he talks about crowds coming to see his team. Lebron they were coming to see you. The rest of the fab five, not so much.

If I was a fan of whatever NBA team gives Lebron 200 million the next 7 years I would be a bit worried that this book indicates he has already accomplished his basketball dream. I would also worry about how that team will probably be forced to give Dru and Romeo tryouts.

This is a memoir as told by Lebron James. It began with his life as a child and what happened between his parents to put him in the situation he grew up in. The book describes the team Lebron played with as a young child, the Shooting Stars, and the lifelong bonds he forged there. The book is meticulously detailed on characters, games, and just every situation in Lebron's highschool days, but I wish the book went on past his graduation. All in all, it was a quick-read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend it to any basketball enthusiast- player or fan, Lebron fan, NBA fan, or anyone looking for a good book.½

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