#MMGM : Wish I Was a Baller by Amar Shah & Rashad Doucet
ABOUT THE BOOK
BALLER is part NEW KID, part THE TRYOUT, and part DRAGON HOOPS
Amar Shah has some story to tell! In 1995, he was a fourteen-year-old aspiring sports journalist (and basketball superfan) angling to get into an Orlando Magic team practice. He did, and it took him on the ride of his life!
WISH I WAS A BALLER is a graphic memoir chronicling Amar's real-life experiences as a fourteen-year-old sports journalist covering the golden era of the NBA, when he befriended Shaq and hung out with Michael Jordan and the Bulls-all while surviving the high school caste system, dealing with crushes, and friendships being tainted by jealousy.
REVIEW
Amar Shah joins his private high school's journalism class hoping to write stories about sports, especially basketball. A surprising encounter with the coach of the Chicago Bulls opens doors that he jumps through with both feet. Amar's opportunity to report on the Orlando Magic and Shaquille O'Neill thrills him to no end but leads him to do some unwise things. And despite the remarkable things he got to see and experience (picture with Shaq on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids), he still deals with normal high school challenges. Jealousy from friends and colleagues, a crush, and the ups and downs of friendship all cause struggles for Amar. Cultural elements and celebrations give readers a glimpse into the world Amar lived in 1995. The author uses the back matter to explain which parts of the story are accurate and which parts were tweaked to make the story work as a book as well as include some photographs and other documentation of events. This book makes for a delightful read with interesting characters and some fascinating experiences. Many kids who dream of being a professional athlete will relate to Amar and his dreams and perhaps even be inspired to follow their dreams in other ways. The art turned out fantastic with the action moving forward crisply and facial expressions showing feelings in powerful ways. An overall winner of a book for young sports and writing fans.
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