I would like to share a new chapter sports book Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up by Jenn Bishop (Author). My family received a copy of in exchange for this review. Check out the Press Release here:
I figured getting Charlie to read Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up would be harder than pulling teeth because Charlie doesn’t like reading books about girls. Or even knowing the play Basketball which Charlie lives for. I sat down and begin to read the book on my own.
David asked me what I was reading and I showed him the cover with a pair of hands a basketball on the cover. David said it looks interesting. I read the first chapter to David and he was surprised to find out it was about two girls. By the end of the chapter David asked me to keep reading the book out loud.
Charlie heard me and came and sat next to me. Charlie began to get into the story as well. I set the book down to help David make dinner. I walk back into the living room and Charlie is browsing through the book and he said I like the jerseys they use for the chapters. Charlie said seeing the countdown to March Madness was fun and he explained to me what it was.
We ended up reading the rest of the book as a family and studying the basketball team in our Homeschool PE Class. I love how the girls have to take there friendship undercover which Charlie said he could see doing. Even though they are forbid to be friends friendship preserves and everyone learns to get along.
Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is a chapter book for upper elementary students but I could see younger children like my niece who is 8 and my nephew who is 9 enjoying the story because they love basketball and play with Charlie. As a adult who doesn’t know much about basketball Charlie was able to read the story to me and explain what was happening bringing us closer together.
About:
Competitive basketball takes center court in this fast-paced novel about two girls finding the truth about themselves—and their families—against the backdrop of middle school and college hoops.
Cincinnati, Ohio, lives and dies by college basketball, with two elite Division I rivals separated by a mere three miles. Rory’s dad just secured a new coaching gig at the University of Cincinnati, so it means yet another school and move for her, only this time to her dad’s hometown. Rory’s life revolves around basketball; she’s never had a close friend outside of it. Could this be a chance for a fresh start?
Abby has always lived in Cincinnati, where her dad grew up playing ball and now coaches at Xavier University. But Abby has recently retreated from basketball after a frustrating season that left her confidence in shambles. This year, she finds herself on the outside looking in when it comes to her former teammates, and she could seriously use a new friend.
The coaches’ daughters connect over their shared love of the game when Abby chaperones Rory on her first day of school. But when Abby’s dad practically forbids their friendship because of something that happened between him and Rory’s dad when they were younger, Abby and Rory have no choice but to move their budding friendship underground.
Can the two of them get to the bottom of what went down between their dads in the 1990s before history repeats itself?
SPORTS BOOKS FOR GIRLS: This book stars two protagonists who love basketball in their own ways and features a spectrum of characters (including a basketball-playing nun!) who engage with the sport individually and distinctly. The breadth of athletes reflects the reality of sports for kids and young teens, making the story appealing to a wide range of readers.
AUTHENTIC & ACCESSIBLE NARRATIVE: Reluctant readers and book lovers alike will find a genuine story that conveys real emotions, family struggles, and insecurities driven by the tension of middle school sports.
FAST-PACED AND FUN: Unraveling like a mystery but moving like a he-said, she-said, and traveling through time and generations, this book has the right level of high stakes to keep readers hooked to the end.
ENDURING LEGACY OF BASKETBALL: As one of the world’s most popular sports, basketball is significant to people of all ages and carries a sense of nostalgia across generations. It’s played in schools across the globe, on official sports teams and in gym class, and brings members of communities together in parks and recreational centers. This sport’s positive influence on overlooked communities and students from economically impacted backgrounds also speaks to the importance of basketball at a social level.
Perfect for:
- Fans of basketball
- Anyone looking for basketball books for teens and tweens
- Parents, teachers, and librarians seeking positive children’s friendship books
- Readers of YA sports novels like The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, and Knockout by K.A. Holt
Meet the Author: Jenn Bishop
Jenn Bishop is the author of five novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Award Gold Award winner Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selection and Bank Street College best books and have been finalists for state book awards. She currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. Who do you thinks she roots for? Visit her online
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
