Ball Don't Lie

If there is a sports book that can crack the award circles this year, Ball Don’t Lie is the one. Matt de la Pena has written a lyrical book about a cast off teen, Sticky, who doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. He’s a white basketball player in a mostly black neighborhood. He’s a foster kid alone on the street. Abused. Busted (petty vandalism). Sticky’s got game (and that’s about it). Sticky’s voice is a masterpiece. We hear a troubled, insecure soul trying to dribble away huge problems— problems that may well land him in jail or worse.

Sticky does what he does every day. He stands on the free-throw line with his ball. Simple as that. It doesn’t matter who says what to him, if a ball caroms out his way, or nothing: He’s not show more moving. He puts his rock between his knees, and goes to tuck his shirt in. Pulls his shirt back out and retucks. Pulls it out and retucks. Ball between his knees, watching everybody shoot warm-up jumpers. Pulls out and retucks. Pulls out and retucks….He’s seventeen and white; these guys are men. (p.5)

Sticky spits on his right hand, watching. Lifts his right foot up and wipes the dust off his sole. Spits and wipes. Spits and wipes. He’s watching Dallas handle Crazy Ray, but he’s thinking about that smooth-looking gold bracelet. Figuring out the different ways he can go about snatching it. Trying to picture Anh-thu’s face when he drops it on her tonight. Never thought he’d actually be excited to get a girl a gift. But Anh-thu’s different. Anh-thu’s his lady.
He spits again and wipes his right sole. Spits and wipes. Does the same thing again and again and then starts in on the left. Spits and wipes.
Spits and wipes.
Spits and wipes. (p. 14)

As Sticky ties and reties and ties his laces, we find ourselves slowly and steadily and loudly clapping ,cheering, and standing up for this unlikely hero—as loud and long as his pals at Lincoln Rec. This book reads like hip-hop, but it will win over even the most non-hip readers. show less

Ball Don’t Lie may foot you with the title and cover, but don’t let it fool you. This book is much more than just a simple Matt Christopher style book about basketball. Basketball is a big part of that, but it is mainly about the inspiring life story of a beat-around-the-block aspiring basketball player. The main character of the story is Sticky Reichard, an inner-city white 16-year-old surrounded y a predominantly black population. Sticky spends most of his life at the Lincoln Recreation Center, where he tries to perfect his basketball skills by playing the game constantly. Sticky tries to balance this life with his other one filled with stealing, drinking, and spending time with his girlfriend Anh-Thu. Sticky doesn’t do this show more because he is a bad person, he just has had a bad break in life, one in which he was diagnosed with OCD, abused, and bounced from foster home to foster home. This book not only explains the story of the present-day Sticky, but it forces us to confront the past the haunts him as well. As you read this book, you will find yourself in Sticky’s shoes as he continues to live with the burden he has had on his shoulders for so long.
Overall, this book was the best one I have read in a long while. This story combines the dreams of most teenagers to be a professional athlete with the heartbreaking story of the path Sticky has had to take to get there. What I also liked about this book is the third parallel that is introduced in this story: a shocking love story. The author does an excellent job of telling the story of an unlikely relationship between two people from different sides of the social class system, and what highs and lows that relationship can bring. I would highly recommend this book to all people and I think all of them would enjoy it a lot. show less

Read by Dion Graham. Sticky has been a foster kid for most of his young life, cycling in and out of homes, living day to day. He’s learned how to survive the system and keep his emotions in check. The one constant in his life is basketball. He lives for the game and he can play. He earned his chops playing with the black men at the rec center who trash-talk and mentor him in turn, providing an informal family for Sticky. His girlfriend Anh-thu is loyal and loving. With his skills, there’s a chance Sticky can play college ball but can he overcome the barriers he’s had to deal with all his life? Graham hits nothing but net with this performance. The motley crew of ballers at the rec center are warmly portrayed, a family of tough show more love. Sticky is focused and resilient, readers will cheer for him. The gym comes alive: you can almost hear the squeak of sneakers on hardwood. show less

People say a skinny white dude can’t ball, but Sticky don’t pay them no mind. He don’t talk much, but lets his mad balling skills do the talking. Once he steps onto the scuffed boards of Lincoln Rec with his boys and a ball, the world disappears. Balling takes him to a place where no one else can go.

Though shuffled from foster home to foster home all his life, and afflicted with a severe case of OCD, seventeen-year-old Sticky has one thing going for him – he can ball. He’s spent years perfecting his shots and, despite setbacks in his personal life, basketball has always been there for him. Sticky’s dreams of playing college ball and making it into the NBA are threatened on the day he makes the worst decision of his show more life.

“Ball don’t lie” is raw. It’s honest. It’s gritty. It’s a Broadway play waiting to be cast. It’s waiting for you.

Highly recommended for ages 14 and older, especially reluctant readers.

Book review link: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2017/06/10/ball-dont-lie-matt-de-la-pen... show less

CW: suicide, drugs, attempted sexual assault, homophobic slurs

Sticky has had a tough life. He's bounced around from foster home to foster home. The chapters bounce around in time between Sticky's recent past and his earlier life. There are very few happy memories in Sticky's life. His mom, who was living in Sticky in poverty, spent time as a prostitute and had her pimp stay with them. Sticky loves basketball. He spends a lot of time developing his game and Lincoln Rec. It is a world that he doesn't seem to belong to as a young white kid, but it is the only family that he feels he has.
Sticky has a girlfriend, Anh-thu, who has a pregnancy scare. He gets in trouble with the law on several occasions and gets most of his possessions through shoplifting. The ending tied things up so neatly, when show more potential disaster lurked around every corner. This book showed a gritty side of life with Sticky facing obstacles at every turn. show less

The book takes place mostly at the local rec center (which is also a homeless shelter. Sticky has been to four different foster homes--the book is framed around these different place. De la Peña's structure is not linear--the reader discovers Sticky's past but the basketball scenes are in chronological order. Sticky plays pick up with a group of regulars and he is the youngest int he group. This is also a love story. The language is rich. Thee is trash talking, eloquent descriptions of the game. The subject matter is raw at times. There is sexual content and a molestation scene.