Mike Lupica
I have a son who loves basketball, so under the guise of finding him some good book to read, I found Mike Lupica. He writes sports books for kids, and he really knows how kids think. My son loves his books, and so do I. His writing gives me insight into the way boys think.
If I had to choose a favorite (a horrible thing, really) I would have to say that Travel Team was the one. The discourse about basketball is refreshingly realistic, and so are the kids' personalities. Dad isn't perfect (not even close) and our hero, Danny Walker, is a kid you would want your son to befriend.
Lupica's style really works - he writes for kids but doesn't sound like a grown-up talking to a kid. He sounds like a kid talking to a kid. The idea that a grown man can still remember what it's like to feel the rejection of being twelve years old and cut from a team is pretty awesome. Lupica pulls it off beautifully - if I didn't know better, I would swear he was no older than fourteen.
But then, aren't all men really still kids?
If I had to choose a favorite (a horrible thing, really) I would have to say that Travel Team was the one. The discourse about basketball is refreshingly realistic, and so are the kids' personalities. Dad isn't perfect (not even close) and our hero, Danny Walker, is a kid you would want your son to befriend.
Lupica's style really works - he writes for kids but doesn't sound like a grown-up talking to a kid. He sounds like a kid talking to a kid. The idea that a grown man can still remember what it's like to feel the rejection of being twelve years old and cut from a team is pretty awesome. Lupica pulls it off beautifully - if I didn't know better, I would swear he was no older than fourteen.
But then, aren't all men really still kids?
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