Wheel Wizards

by Matt Christopher

Seth learns to compete on the basketball court, despite his injury

Twelve-year-old Seth Pender thinks his life came to an end when he suffered a spinal injury that left him confined to a wheelchair. Seth, an athlete who loves basketball, is sure he’ll never play again. He grows sullen and silent, unresponsive when his family urges him to try to adjust. Then one day he sees an older boy who, like himself, is wheelchair bound. But this boy is playing basketball! How is that possible? Over the course of three years, Seth learns about the sport of wheelchair basketball: the similarities and differences between it and regular basketball, the skills one needs to excel at it, and the camaraderie that grows amongst the players. By the end of the story, Seth is better adjusted to his life, and ready to reach out a hand to help others find their way.

Johnny Long Legs

by Matt Christopher

Johnny’s tall, but can he play hoops?

Everyone in Johnny Reese’s new school assumes that his long legs will make him the star of the White Cats basketball team. But his legs have no spring, and his shorter teammates can easily out jump him. On top of his troubles on the court, Johnny has to get used to a new father and stepbrother who also expect a lot from him. Will Johnny Long Legs ever be the player everyone expects?

Shoot for the Hoop

by Matt Christopher

Can Rusty win the fight and return to the game he loves?

When Rusty Young is diagnosed with diabetes, his parents want him to stop playing basketball. But that doesn’t fit in with Rusty’s plan — and when he learns that his friends have formed a summer league team coached by an energetic newcomer, he’s determined to persuade his parents to let him join. However, that is only one obstacle he must overcome before he can wear the Cannerville Lakers’ uniform.

On the Court with… Dwight Howard

by Matt Christopher

Dwight Howard was a high school phenomenon who soared head and shoulders above all other players to become the number-one draft pick in 2004. Since joining the Orlando Magic, Howard has powered the team to its first NBA Finals in more than a decade. He’s an absolute monster on the boards.And in 2009 won the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award—before he was even twenty-five years old! With plenty of seasons still ahead of him, there’s no telling how high Dwight Howard will soar.

Great Moments in Basketball History

by Matt Christopher

The history of basketball is chock-full of famous buzzer-beating shots, amazing game-saving plays, and thrilling maneuvers that defy gravity. All fans have their favorite memory, just as they have their favorite team and their favorite player. Now here’s a book that offers a look back at more than fifteen of the sport’s best moments. The Block, The Steal, The Shot. Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Bird, Jordan, and James. Each entry captures the nail-biting tension of the minutes leading up to the play, as well as information about the superstar players that made them and the teams that they played for.