The million dollar shot

Format:

Book

Title:

The million dollar shot

Author:

Gutman, Dan.

ISBN:

9780786803347

9780786812202

9781424221066

9781423100843

9780613118699

9781442033580

9780786822751

9780329106829

9780786817467

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Hyperion Books for Children, 1997.

Physical Description:

114 pages ; 22 cm.

Summary:

Eleven-year-old Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.

Reading Level:

Middle School.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader 4.2.

Accelerated Reader AR MG 4.2 3.0 26736.

Reading Counts RC 3-5 4.8 5 Quiz: 13064 Guided reading level: S.

Subject(s):

Basketball stories.

Contests -- Juvenile fiction.

Wealth -- Juvenile fiction.

Basketball -- Fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Lyons Public Library	JR GUT	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	J FICTION GUTMAN	Searching... Unknown

There's nothing but net in this engaging tale of basketball and life.

Eddie "Air" Ball wants to win the Finkle Foods poetry contest for a chance to sink a million-dollar free throw at halftime of the NBA finals. He knows he can make the shot, no problem. He's not so sure he can write a winning poem, though. Luckily, Eddie has the help of his best friend, Annie "Oakley" Stokely. Not only is Annie as good at shooting baskets as Eddie is, she also knows a lot about writing poems. But someone wants him to miss and will stop at nothing to keep Eddie from winning. Together, the two friends might have a chance to win the money that will help their parents move them out of their trailer park homes.

Author Notes

Dan Gutman was born in New York City on October 19, 1955. He received a degree in psychology from Rutgers University in 1977. He started a video game magazine in 1982 called Video Games Player, which later became Computer Games. When the magazine went out of business in 1985, he decided to become a full-time writer. He wrote several non-fiction baseball books for adults, before changing his focus to non-fiction sports books for children. In 1994, he decided to switch to children's fiction. He is the author of the Baseball Card Adventures Series, My Weird School series, My Weird School Daze series, My Weirder School series, and The Genius Files series. In 2014 his title, Texas with Love, which was the fourth book in the Genius Files Series, made The New York Times Best Seller List.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-Eleven year-old Eddie Ball has a problem. He and his mother have dreamed of moving from the trailer park where they live, but now she has lost her job with Finkle Foods. Eddie and his friend, Annie, learn of a poetry contest sponsored by Finkle Foods. The winner of the contest gets an opportunity to sink a foul shot during halftime at the NBA finals and win one million dollars. Eddie is a good basketball player, and with coaching from Annie's father, he becomes even better. Mr. Finkle tries to get Eddie to throw his chance at winning the money because Finkle Foods is in financial trouble. Another complication arises when it appears someone is trying to sabotage Eddie's practice sessions. Eddie's friendship with Annie, the mystery of the sabotage, and the growing relationship between Eddie's mother and Annie's father create several interesting storylines. Narration by Johnny Heller is clear, and he does an excellent job portraying Eddie and the other characters. His reading enhances the humor and excitement of the story. The suspense and sports action will especially hook reluctant readers. A good choice for school and public libraries.-Ginny Harrell, William M. McGarrah Elementary School, Morrow, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

When eleven-year-old Eddie Ball wins a poetry contest sponsored by a local candy factory, he also wins the opportunity to hit a 'million dollar shot' at the NBA Finals. Suspense builds as the company's owner tries to bribe Eddie to take a dive. A light but enjoyable, fast-paced read. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 4^-6. When Eddie Ball wins a poetry contest sponsored by a local candy company, he gets a chance to earn a million dollars by sinking a free throw at an NBA finals game. Gutman succeeds in generating plenty of excitement for the big moment, but he isn't afraid to slow the pace to focus on Eddie's relationships with his widowed mother; with his best friend, Annie, an African American girl who lives in his trailer park; and with Annie's dad, who blew his chance to make it to the NBA and is determined to see Eddie succeed. Younger readers will enjoy trying to figure out who is behind a series of mysterious pranks designed to unnerve Eddie, but the mystery is too obvious to challenge older kids. Overall, this is a solidly written story that will appeal to a larger audience than most sports novels do. --Lauren Peterson