Game Changers #2: Play Makers

Gr 4–7—Coming down off the high of a football championship, Ben McBain and his sixth grade team, the Rams, are making a quick transition into the basketball season. Ben is known as the best point guard in the county, and with his friends Sam, Coop, and Shawn playing alongside him, the team has a strong chance of winning another championship. But suddenly everyone is talking about an impressive new player for the Bears, the Rams biggest rival. His name is Chase Braggs, and his shooting and ball-handling skills are only surpassed by his flamboyant style and showy attitude on the court. To keep his team winning and his top spot in the league, Ben buries himself in intensive extra practices, driving away his best friend, Lilly, and leading to a season-ending injury for another friend and key team member. Through these losses Ben grasps the impact his attitude and actions are having on his teammates and is reminded to value people more than winning. Laced with almost nonstop basketball action, this title (Scholastic, 2013) is a prime example of Lupica's gift for developing believable characters and dialogue that middle-grade boys can relate to. Fred Berman returns to narrate this second installment in the series, creating distinctive voices for various characters and delivering basketball play-by-play as smoothly as any courtside announcer. This book will be a winner with sports fans.—Tara Hixon, Cashion Public Schools, OK