Summer Ball (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Danny Walker said to his parents, "You know that growth spurt you guys have been promising me my whole life? When does that kick in,..." (more)
Key Phrases: bad court, travel team, Coach Powers, Richie Walker, Danny Walker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—This novel continues the story of Danny Walker, the basketball-obsessed hero of Travel Team (Philomel, 2004). In the interval between the two books, the 13-year-old and his friends went on to win the travel-team championship. Now that they are heading off to summer basketball camp, Danny is feeling the pressure of being number one. He plays as well as ever, but he's still the smallest boy on the court and anxiously hoping for a growth spurt. As the story begins, things quickly go wrong for him. He fights with his girlfriend before he leaves; at camp, he's separated from his friends and assigned a berth in the younger boys' cabin. There are many familiar elements and few surprises here, yet Lupica breathes life into both characters and story. Danny is a classic sports-story underdog, but he's also sympathetic and engaging. He is surrounded by a cast of supporting characters who add humor and whose interactions ring true. When Danny befriends Zach, who is a younger version of himself, readers see the protagonist grow in empathy and self-awareness. Sports fans will relish the on-court action, expertly rendered in Lupica's taut prose. This worthy sequel to Travel Team should earn a wide audience.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Danny Walker is back in this sequel to Travel Team (2004). This installment takes Danny to a summer basketball camp, where the scrappy hero faces some of the country's best players in his age group. Early on, Danny finds himself spending a lot of time on the bench because his coach (a retired college coach) determines that he is too short for the game. Danny suspects, however, that the coach's antagonism may have more to do with an old grudge the coach holds against Danny's dad, a former basketball star. Eventually, though, Danny's tough-minded determination wins the day as he helps lead his team to victory. Lupica is at his best when he puts the reader right in the center of the action on the court. His game descriptions are fast, accurate, and exciting. Young sports-fiction fans will eat this up. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399244875
• ISBN-13: 978-0399244872
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #557,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Danny Walker's Biggest Fan, May 24, 2007

A Kid's Review

I am an 12 year old boy and I have read all of Mike Lupica's books. I couldn't wait until this one came out because Travel Team was my favorite and I knew that this was another book about Danny Walker. Mr. Lupica makes you feel as though the characters are real people and people you wish you could hang with. The stories make you want to keep reading until you find out how it all works out. I loved Summer Ball and wish I hadn't read it so fast.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the Travel Team sequel, May 23, 2007

By	jbird (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

Just finished Summer Ball and it exceeded my expectations. I was of the opinion that Travel Team was the best book ever written....WRONG! Summer ball grabs you at the beginning and never lets go. Mr Lupica has displayed in his artful way what freindship and loyalty is all about. You want to stand and cheer for a basketball player that anyone would pull for. This is a must read, enjoy!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Slammin'' story for the class!, May 29, 2007

By	Nora A. Thompson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just read Summer Ball to my class, and let me tell you it was phenominal! My class was so excited to read this story every day. I started out reading a chapter a day but my class could not get enough! One day during a rainy recess my student's requested that we read the story as our activity for recess. The story is of a 13 year old boy who goes to a basketball summer camp. He has the stigma of being short, however it seems to have gone away by when he mentors a younger camper. Lupica captures the nerves of leaving home and the desire to be the best. Reading this to my homeroom has been a Slam Dunk!