An engaging blend of sports fiction, history, and real-life issues.
A young man’s sports obsession shifts when he’s required to research the off-court life of his hoops hero in this work co-written by basketball legend Abdul-Jabbar and prolific author Obstfeld.
Monk Travers, African American star basketball player and team captain, gets caught vandalizing a rival school’s mural. Fortunately, the security guard calls his coach instead of his parents or the police. Coach Blaine suspends Monk, assigns him an all-school presentation on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and orders the team to clean up the damage. But there’s one catch: Monk must focus on Abdul-Jabbar beyond his basketball career. As Monk delves into his idol’s story, it feels as if Abdul-Jabbar is by his side, sharing visions of his life. When Coach demands to see his progress, Monk can’t find his work—it’s gone missing. Just when things can’t seem to get any worse, Coach meets with Monk’s parents, who are now also concerned about his single-minded focus on getting into the NBA. Eventually, Monk gains insight into the events that contributed to Abdul-Jabbar’s passion for activism and writing, leading him to fulfill the assignment in an original way that highlights his own talents. The co-authors skillfully weave biography, Black history, and realistic fiction into a cleverly conceived story about a Black teen who’s lost his focus. Monk has a strong support system of people who guide him toward appreciating a broader life journey. Laroche’s dramatic illustrations skillfully complement the storytelling.
An engaging blend of sports fiction, history, and real-life issues. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593835746
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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