Customer Reviews

The Moves Make the Man

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I first read this book when I was about eleven years old. I read it about seven more times in the next year or so. I am nineteen now, but I ran across it the other day and read it again. To my surprise, it still offered everything it did when I was younger. Jerome and Bix are excellent characters, very realistic, and the story builds nicely to the unexpected ending. The real treat for me was that I hadn't read the book in so long, the ending was a surprise to me all over again. I definitely think this book is worthwhile for readers of all ages.

This is a wonderful, thought-provoking story that my 7th graders have enjoyed very much. The relationship between Jerome and Bix is well-drawn and intriguing. The racist language has not been a problem, but the profanity has caused a little concern with some parents. That said, my personal problem with the book--and one that caused some confusion with my students--is the lack of quotation marks to indicate dialogue. The better readers pick up the flow of speech easily, but the slower ones get quite confused at times. I suppose the idea is to recreate the writing style of a young boy, but I tend to see it as somehow saying, "Look at my style--I'm writing like a young boy." Otherwise, certainly a book for basketball fans to enjoy.

In this book, I met Jerome Foxworthy-he's a seventh grade African American boy with a love for basketball, the French language, and his family. I also met Braxton Rivers the 3rd, a non-lying caucasian boy, and I adopted his nickname for myself-Bix. Now, me being a scruffy loud-mouthed basketball fan, I don't cry too much. But when I finished this book-for the 5th time, no less-I was blubbering like a baby. Bruce Brooks is a wonderful author who tells stories that are technically fiction, but that would not be unlikely to happen. I highly recommend this book.

This book is talking about great friendship between a young black guy and a white guy. They both are really good at sports, especially, Jerome, who is the only black student at his junior high school, is an excellent basketball player and smart. Jerome is also the narrator of this book and trying to explain what's happened between him and Bix before he left from Jerome. Jerome was trying to teach Bix how to play basketball and make moves, it means fake, which is the most exciting thing of playing, but Bix'd never tried to learn how to do those things. He insisted that he'd never tried them when played any sports and won't. He thought they are lie, not real. What's going to be happened between them???? One reason I chose this book is because I'm in love with playing basketball even though I'm a girl from Japan. It's fun to imagine how Jerome was playing basketball at street in North Carolina. Besides, it's exciting to realize how relate between "The moves" of basketball and real life through the change of Bix's attitude after he used "The moves" in the game which is between Bix and his stepfather. This book tells not only how basketball is a fascinating sport but also how friends are precious through basketball. If you like basketball, this book is for you.

This book is a great book for basketball fans and readers who just want a solid book to read. It's a story about the friendship of two very different boys, Jerome Foxworthy and Bix Rivers. Jerome is a black kid who befriends Bix who is white. Together, they overcome obstacles like being the only boys in a home economics class. A major conflict in this book is between Bix and his stepfather. Bix wants to see his mentally ill mother in the hospital, but his stepfather won't let him. The reason she is in the hospital is more or less Bix's fault. One night, she woke Bix up and asked him if he loved her. Bix was all scared because she was naked and was holding a knife so he said no. Then, she went crazy and stabbed herself in the arm, and has been in the hospital ever since. Bix hates lying and he thinks that basketball is a game full of lies and deceit. But Jerome offers to teach Bix basketball to overcome his fear of lying and organizes a basketball game between Bix and his stepfather for the right to go to the hospital. If Bix wins, he gets to go see his mother in the hospital, but if his stepfather wins, Bix can't go to the hospital. The game gets started and the stepdad is crushing Bix. The only way Bix has a chance is to use fakes to get his stepfather off balance. The one problem is that Bix can't use them because of his fear of lying and deceiving. Will Bix be able to overcome his fear? Or will his stepfather be victorious? Find out in this book full of the highs and lows of friendship and family.

This is a story about two young men who come from two different backgrounds and places. In an unexpected meeting in home economics class they form a bond that can't be broken. Jerome, a young African American, who loves playing basketball and knows all the right, moves on the court. Bix, a white boy, from the other another part of town is an ace at baseball, but is suffering from severe psychological issues. Although, Jerome loves playing basketball by him-self, he cannot help how much affection he has towards Bix. So, Jerome decides to teach Bix the moves of basketball, but Bix is not willing to learn them. Together, they will teach each other the meaning of the moves both inside and outside of the court.
This Newberry winner is a book with many different layers in the story. At first glance, this book strikes you as a story about a young man who loves basketball. But this story is much more intricate than just that. The two main characters, Jerome and Bix, are very interesting and keep my attention. Jerome, and African American raised by a mother and two brothers, is a very bright, intelligent youth. Bix, a white boy from the white part of town is a very disturbed young man raised by his mother, who is in an institution and a secretive stepfather. Honestly, I thought that the author is too descriptive in the basketball scenes. But, since the book is about the "moves" it stopped bothering me midway through.
The friendship between Jerome and Bix is the main element in this story. Even though they are different races, they do not question it. It seems as though the communities have the racial problems and not the individuals. In a chapter where Bix takes Jerome to see his mother, they stop at a gas station. This is a usual stop for Bix and his stepfather where they both eat hotdogs together. But, this time the gas attendant kicks them out for bringing a black boy with them. This is a very poignant scene where Bix learns the truth about the people around him and the bigotries in his community. He now knows that he is not alone in feeling alone and unwanted. This realization strengthens his trust and friendship with Jerome. This racial element of the book is comparable with Maniac Magee in that the white and African American communities live separated, by ignorance and hatred of each other. But, Maniac and a few other characters don't see any difference between them and don't understand why they won't give each other a chance to see that.
This book is definitely aimed towards sports minded youngsters. But, they will gain a lot more than learning about basketball or baseball. They will learn the importance of friendship, trust and that no one is alone. They will also learn that making the right moves in life just as in a basketball game; can affect everything that happens to them.
Sources

The year is 1963. Jerome Foxworthy is a thirteen- year-old boy who is a diehard basketball player. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina (Wilmington is a small city). Jerome is not looked upon as an average citizen, because he is African American, or black as Jerome called it. White Americans were looked upon as higher in society at that time (1963). Jerome practices basketball every night at his "secret court" in the woods by his house. He decides to watch a baseball game his dad was coaching, even though he hated baseball. He sees a child called Bix. He is white, but Jerome wants to be friends with him anyway. Jerome gets transferred from his old grade school to Chestnut Junior High. His mother was hospitalized when the cable of the elevator she was riding snapped and she fell three stories. Since she was now hospitalized, Jerome had to take Home Economics class to learn how to cook for his family. He meets Bix, again, in the class and they get to know each other over time. Jerome teaches Bix how to play basketball at his "secret court". They share each other's feelings, discuss situations, and what two pals would do. Bix plays his step-dad in a game of basketball for the right to see his mother in Duke Mental Hospital, since he was just going to his Aunt's house before that. In the game, Bix wouldn't throw any fakes. Bix hated lying, jokes, or any type of tricks. Jerome had a talk with Bix that set everything straight. Bix won the right to see his mother. Jerome went with to see his mother. Bix realized he had nothing left but Jerome as a friend. What does he do? Read the book and find out.

I Will Play my Game under Spin Light



The plot of this story begins when Jerome is talking about how great Bix was. He was talking about how Bix ran away and never came back. Then he talks about in the past, how he ran away and why he ran away. Next is when he meets Bix and becomes friends with him and helps him to learn the game of basketball, and to learn that fakes aren't always bad.
Liked the book because it was different of how Carl Deuker stated the book in the present and traveled to the past. There was also lots of suspense. Like when Bix was really bad at basketball, you wondered if he would get better or if he would get worse. There was some humor too. Usually it was when Bix and Jerome Joked. There were also some sad parts. One of them was when Bix's mom could hardly remember Bix. Overall It was a great book.

Jerome Foxworthy and Bix River become best friends when Jerome teaches Bix how to play basketball. However, the book is not only about basketball. Knowing how to play basketball is a metaphor on how to face life's challenges. For example, Bix had to deal with his father's death and his mother being in the mental hospital. I enjoyed how the relationship between these two teenagers grew not only because they were practicing how to play basketball correctly, but also more importantly how they tried to apply what they learned on the court to what problems they were facing off the court. For those who enjoy reading about sports and about the mysteries of life, they will truly find this book satisfying.

Children are taught that they should tell the truth, no matter what. But is that how things really are? There's truth, and there's diplomacy. How much of truth is in diplomacy, and vice versa? What if a child isn't taught diplomacy? Does that make his world black and white?

That seems to be the case for Bix Rivers, since he went from complete honesty to complete dishonesty after realizing that complete honesty doesn't always work. He doesn't understand that sometimes you have to fumble through the gray areas in order to get to where you're going. Jerome Foxworthy tries to explain it to him, but Bix just doesn't get it.

I admire Bruce Brooks for bringing such intriguing questions to kids, and doing it through a fun and interesting story.