Danger Zone (Point Signature) [Paperback]

David Klass (Author)

Book Description

Series: Point Signature | Publication Date: March 1, 1998

In this award-winning novel, a young basketball star confronts a nightmare of racism in "one of the most thrilling climaxes in recent sports writing".--"Kirkus Review". .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Basketball, racism, and international terrorism are all ingredients in Klass's latest offering. Jimmy Doyle, high school junior and standout guard from Minnesota, is one of 10 players selected to represent the USA in an international tournament to be held in Rome. Upon arriving in Los Angeles for team practices, he's thrown together with ethnic and culturally diverse teammates who quickly open his eyes to a much wider world. He immediately clashes with team star and South-Central L.A. native Augustus LeMay, who feels Jimmy is on the team only because he is white. As the tournament in Rome unfolds, the American team is subjected to verbal abuse by a group of skinhead fans from Germany, which escalates into a physical confrontation, and later results in a death threat against the U.S. squad. The Americans still manage to make it to the championship game, which culminates in a last-second game-winning basket and also a gunshot. Told through Doyle's eyes, the narrative features memorable characters and thought-provoking situations. While the terrorist threat may seem a bit extreme, the racial tension throughout the book rings true, and readers seeking lots of hoop action will be thoroughly satisfied.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-12. In Granham, a small town in Minnesota, Jimmy Doyle is a basketball legend, the one the fans count on to sink the three-pointers and save the game. So when promoters pick an American High School Dream Team for a tournament in Italy, Doyle is offered a starting spot. The problem then becomes persuading himself and the talented African American inner-city kids who make up most of the team that he deserves the opportunity. The pace never lags, and Klass does a convincing job of capturing the feel of the game and depicting Doyle's attempts to be accepted by his teammates, as well as showing what happens when some terrorists add fear to the list of the team's opponents. Candace Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; 1St Edition edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590485911
• ISBN-13: 978-0590485913
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #591,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Are you in danger or in the zone?, February 20, 2006

By 

Andrew S "Andrew" (Canton, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Danger Zone (Point Signature) (Paperback)

Jimmy is a star in his hometown, but can he play with All Stars in the U.S? Jimmy is from Minnesota where he is the star in small town Granham. He can play Basketball, but can he compete with international teams as he joins the U.S. Teen Dream Team? They first travel to Los Angeles to practice with the team before the tournament. The top ten teen players in the country make the team and Jimmy is one of the two white players. Does his color make him look bad in the first practices? "Danger Zone" published in 1996 by David Klass shows Augustus' (black player on Jimmy's team) life in L.A. is very different from Jimmy's small town life. After Jimmy puts that and other conflicts behind him the U.S. Teen Dream Team flies to Italy for the tournament. There are more conflicts and a death threat is sent to them. Racism and loyalty take over the tournament.

Racism collides with teammates and others, as they meet for the first time in L.A. and Italy. In the first practices, Jimmy cannot make a shot to save his life. Augustus thinks his cousin should have made the team instead of some no name. His thoughts turn into fists as he says to Jimmy, "You only made the team, because you're some rich white boy." Then it becomes Jimmy vs. Augustus in a fist fight. As the U.S. team flies to Italy some of the fans don't like Jimmy's teammates or the color of their skin. The dark skinned people in Italy are treated differently, as Augustus sees black people poor and living on the streets and he discusses this issue in a press conference. Fans from other teams think he and his black teammates should not be in this tournament.

Are you loyal to your team and teammates though the whole tournament? Some players on Jimmy's team are loyal to their team in hard times, but one is loyal to them all the time. Augustus is that one. He toughened up and put the death threat behind him when others worried about what was going to happen during the tournament. Augustus was accustomed to being treated differently because of his childhood in L.A. and kept the team alive in the tournament. He is concerned about his teammates and when Jimmy is having a rough time sleeping, Augustus tells him "You're not helping us win and you look like death warmed over." Augustus is thinking about the team as a whole and for Jimmy's welfare.

"Danger Zone" by David Klass is successful at showing anyone can overcome different types of obstacles when they have a goal. This book shows not to judge a book by its cover and "Danger Zone" shows racism plays a part even in a basketball game. This book has thrilling hoop action and is excellent to read. I would recommend this book to anyone, because it's story on how a teen copes with racism in a team environment. You won't want to put this book down; you'll just keep turning the pages. I give this book nine out of ten stars.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An good story on racism, which was spiced up by basketball., April 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Danger Zone (Library Binding)

Danger Zone was the best sports book I have ever read. It was about Jimmy Doyle, a kid from a small town in Minnesota. He's just a normal guy, but he has a great shooting touch. His life is turned topsy turvy when some basketball scouts come and decide to put him on the American Teen Dream Team, to play in an international basketball tournement in Europe. However, he finds it hard to gain acceptance on the team which is almost exclusively black. Things then become very complicated when a death threat is sent to them by white supremists because of racial comments by the team's star player, Augustus LeMay. Jimmy struggles to survive in this envirnment of racism and hatred.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars dangerous zone hi, February 17, 2006

By 

mr. cri du chat "drewkool" (alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Danger Zone (Point Signature) (Paperback)

LIFE IN THE DANGER ZONE by Drew Carson Language Arts 2-20-06

In this story written by David Klass, published by Scholastic, is a character by the name of Jimmy Doyle. Doyle is an all-star high school basketball player in Minnesota, probably the best where he comes from, but what about the rest of America? When Doyle is invited to join a 17 and under Olympic team he is almost instantly bombarded with issues.
Would racial issues break up the team? Doyle is faced with those when Augustus Lee May, an African American team member, who refuses to become Doyle's friend just because he's white and he thinks he stole his "homies" spot on the team. Augustus says that "The rich white politicians are the reason my people are living in poverty. Throughout the story Augustus allows Doyle to get closer to him but he'll still "Never accept him as a friend".
Doyle is also faced with internal conflicts like the fear of death. A Nazi guy makes a death threat against the basketball team as their staying in Italy and Doyle is petrified. Doyle knows what it is like to be in this deep of fear because he watched the daily decline of his fathers mental health do to fear up until he died. Doyle tries his best to get out of it.
I don't really think the book resolved the issues very good at all, Augustus still won't shake Doyle's hand and the fear of death just disappears after a spontaneous event ( I won't give it away though). Although the issues weren't resolved it was a very entertaining book. I don't even like sports but I found this book very entertaining because it's not all about basketball. It has some cool adventures in it. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.