Night Hoops [Paperback]

Carl Deuker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2001

A gripping new novel by the author of such successful sports fiction as Painting the Black and On the Devil's Court.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10-Nick Abbott finds himself trying to deal with his parent's divorce and a host of other problems that face him during his sophomore year. He wants above all else to be a star player on his high school basketball team. As the story progresses, Nick learns how to control the tempo of a game as a point guard, and he also begins to reach a greater maturity in his life. Central to the story is his relationship with his disturbed and angry teammate and neighbor, Trent Dawson. The young men form an uneasy bond as they quietly practice each night on Nick's backyard court. Eventually, they become a dominating duo on the court, with Trent's aggressiveness complemented by Nick's feel for the game. This is an excellent novel. Nick's first-person narration is authentic throughout. The author perfectly captures the swirl of ideas in the adolescent mind. The descriptions of the games are well written and accurate. Best of all, the complexities of basketball are contrasted with the complexities of life. Nick learns how important it is to make adjustments during the course of a game, and he learns that adjustments are also important in life. This message is imparted subtly, though. Deuker delivers a story that features rounded characters dealing with real problems, set against the backdrop of a varsity basketball season.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Always in the shadow of his older brother, Scott, Nick begins to catch his father's attention when Scott gives up basketball to spend more time on his music, and Nick's basketball prowess develops. Nick's talent is further nurtured by nightly one-on-one games with a disturbing neighbor, Trent Dawson. A master at writing good basketball sequences, Deuker vividly depicts every fast break, every trap, but as with On the Devil's Court (1988), he uses basketball as a device to tackle larger issues. This time, Deuker is writing about choices: Scott elects music instead of basketball and his father's approval; Trent seems to be choosing school (via basketball) instead of a life of crime; and Nick decides to support Trent despite his father's advice and his peers' disapproval. Complex characters make the story compelling. The basketball coach, Mr. O'Leary, is particularly endearing, gruff, and exacting but also willing to gamble on the kids when the moment seems right. Deuker offers no easy answers; he's honest enough to leave Trent's future unresolved. The conclusion isn't entirely realistic, but the story is satisfying and hopeful, and the book will be an easy sell. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (December 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064472752
• ISBN-13: 978-0064472753
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #828,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Night Hoops, March 16, 2005

By 

Brian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Hoops (Paperback)

Carl Dueker creates a well-written story about a young boy's love for the game of basketball and his everyday life. Nick Abbott is a sophomore in high school and wants to be the star basketball player more than anything.
He faces several problems in his life. For example, his parents are going through a divorce. Also, Nick has to face his angry neighbor, Trent Dawson, who is also on the basketball team. The boys start to become friends as they practice playing basketball every night on Nick's backyard court. Nick starts to grow up in many ways on the court and off of it while he is dealing with his new life changes. The main message of the book is that it is very important to make adjustments during the course of a game, as well as, to learn that adjustments are important in life, too.
Night Hoops was a really great book and I recommend this to all boys. This is a great novel about basketball and friendship. I really understood this book and what Nick was thinking the whole way through. Carl Deuker shoots and scores with this book, Night Hoops!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Night Hoops, January 27, 2005

By 

D. Geer "deathbycupcakes" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Hoops (Paperback)

This book has good points and bad points. One of the good points is the fact that its a story about two completely different people who are brought together by their common interest in basketball. Another good point is that one of the characters father keeps pressuring him into basketball but instead he follows his dreams and plays the trumpet in the school band. Some bad points are that the book is too predictable. For example like they win a basketball game by a buzzer beater shot. Another bad point is that the book moves kind of slowly. I still enjoyed the book very much.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesomest Book, February 12, 2002

By 

A 12-year old reader (A quaint town in NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Hoops (Paperback)

Basketball, Passion and friendship is what this book is about. Nick Abbott is your average basketball loving 9th grader who decides to try out for the varsity team at Bothell High School. But just like the game, Nick's life has some twists and tuns, some low points and high ones. How will he handle the neighborhood bullies, Trent Dawson and his crazy brother Zack? And what about his father and his trumpet loving older brother? MOST important, what about the part that decides his future, the tryouts? This book kept pulling me in, and I wanted more. Nick's life revolves around basketball, but with it come some unexpected surprises, that make you love Nick and his world even more. From a girl's view, this book deserves five stars, and I think that a guy who loves, or even doesn't love basketball, would really like this book.