Strong to the Hoop [Hardcover]

John Coy (Author), Leslie Jean-Bart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

When James is finally allowed to play basketball on the main court with the older boys, he has to prove he can hold his own. It's Skins against Shirts, and James is guarding Marcus, the biggest Shirt of them all. Marcus is all muscle, but James has skill and determination on his side. In the end, there's much more than the game point riding on James's last shot. John Coy's energetic prose captures the intensity and emotion of the competition, while Leslie Jean-Bart's photo collages convey the gritty pace of the game.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This eye-catching picture book blends photography and scratchboard drawings in a series of arresting mixed media collages. Coy's (Night Driving) tale describes a dream come true for James, a 10-year-old tagalong who finally gets to play a game of four-on-four with the older boys. Staccato bursts of dialogue and description ("I zoom down the court, ferocious like a lion") emulate the stop-start rhythm of the game as the Shirts and Skins face off. Up against Marcus, whose "muscles push out his shirt," James is off to a rocky start, but he proves he can hang tough, coming through to sink the winning game point shot. Despite a few awkward transitions in the text (e.g., James snaps out of a reverie about playing as an All-Star so abruptly that readers may initially miss why he's been pulled into the game), the kinetic mood is contagious. First-time picture book artist Jean-Bart's innovative use of collage highlights the central action of each illustration; for instance, a photograph in sepia tones with the barest touch of color (for the basketball or the boys' shorts) creates a spotlight on James and Marcus, while black-and-white scratchboard fills in the backdrop. The artist fuses realism with a darkly atmospheric mood to give the compositions an authentically gritty urban feel. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-In this uniquely designed picture book, 10-year-old James finally gets to play basketball with his older brother's friends and proves he can hold his own. Basketball terminology abounds ("glides down the lane," "flips a finger roll") and should delight children who also yearn for the day when they will have the self-confidence to play with an older crowd. Jean-Bart uses photography and scratchboard drawings to create the collage illustrations; Polaroid transfers made from the collages create the final images of James on the court. The text, set in "Blur Light," gives the appearance of a typewriter font with blue as the main color and red or purple to emphasize certain words and phrases. As unusual and attractive as these photographs are, they are dark. Therefore, this book is best suited for individual readers rather than for group read-alouds.
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880000806
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000809
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,364,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, I'm the author of the picture books Night Driving, Strong to the Hoop, Vroomaloom Zoom, Two Old Potatoes and Me, and Around the World. Strong to the Hoop is also available in Spanish as Directo Al Aro and Two Old Potatoes and Me is available in Chinese.

I am a member of the NBA Reading All-Star Team as part of the Read to Achieve program. Crackback, my first young adult novel, is about high school football and my second, Box Out, is about high school basketball.

I am working on a middle-grade series and the first two books, Top of the Order and Eyes on the Goal, are now out. Love of the Game, the third book will be published in October of 2011. I live in Minneapolis and visit schools nationally and internationally.

Check out www.johncoy.com for more information, and yes, it's fine to use the material for author studies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Count it!, December 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Strong to the Hoop (Hardcover)

John Coy's ``Strong to the Hoop'' is exactly that -- a book that drives hard and scores with a story of playground hopes, doubts and triumphs, combined with vibrant photo-based visuals. It's the story of James, an undersized kid who suddenly finds himself called to play ball with the neighborhood big boys. By the time the teams reach game point, James has learned a lot about the game and himself, and while his triumph may be small it is also inspiring. ``Strong to the Hoop'' is also alive with sounds that get the reader in the game -- a bouncing ball in the opening, the heavy breathing and terse ``woofing'' between players on the court, even the ripping of a shirt. And though it involves boys, it's not only for boys. Girls now have plenty of sports opportunities, and know well the challenges of the game (not to mention the countless opportunities to discover new strengths and prove oneself among the big kids). ``Strong to the Hoop'' will appeal to boys and girls who enjoy the the test.

A disclaimer, sort of: I know John Coy personally but if you have any doubt that his work is terrific check out ''Night Driving'' -- and the NY Times reviews of it. It's not just me.

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong to the Hoop, May 25, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Strong to the Hoop (Paperback)

" He and Slinky lift me up, and i grin a championship smile." Strong to the hoop is about a ten year old boy named james, who wants to play basketball. The only thing stopping him from doing so is that his brother and his freinds wont let james play because he is too small.Then he finally gets his chance to show the other kids that he can play when one of their players het hurt and needs a sub.
I liked how the author described how everything happened and i really liked the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who likes sports or short stories because of the basketball theme.
THis book is diffferent from other chidrens books because it is a lot more realistic and has a more believable theme
The authors style was verky discriptive and visual, which made the book more enjoyable. Overall i thought it was a good book and had a great ending.

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong to the Hoop, May 22, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Strong to the Hoop (Paperback)

Strong to the Hoop is about is about a boy named James. He absolutely loves to play basketball. He and his brother go to the park a lot to play basketball. He is to young to play with his brother and his friends. He plays on the side hoop and practices his shot. He hopes one day that he just gets to play for a little while.
Then one day he gets that chance. His brother gets hurt during the game. Thiers was no one else their to fill in for him. They were talking to each other wonder if they should ask James to play. Then they finally ask him and he is happy. He doesn't start out very well and his team is wandering if they should have even taken him. Then he makes a good shot and convinces them they can win this. Will James and his team win the game? You will have to read the book to find out.