Hoop Rat (Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novels)

Description

Trey McTiernan, the Spartans' team captain, becomes fast friends with Griffin Henshaw, the newest member of their squad. The problem is, Griff used to play for the Spartans' biggest rivals, the Goliaths, and the rest of the Spartans' think he's a rat. So, Trey's teammates set a trap for Griff to see where his loyalties lie -- and they ask Trey to be the bait! Trey doesn't know what to do. If his teammates are right, then betraying his friendship with Griff will save their season. But if they're wrong, then Trey will end up being the rat . . .

Scott Ciencin is a New York Times bestselling author of children's and adult fiction. He has written comic books, trading cards, video games, television shows, as well as many non-fiction projects. He lives in Sarasota, Florida with his beloved wife, Denise, and his best buddy, Bear, a golden retriever. Fernando Cano is an emerging illustrator born in Mexico City, Mexico. He currently resides in Monterrey, Mexico, where he works as a full-time illustrator and colorist at Graphikslava studio. He has done illustration work for Marvel, DC Comics, and role-playing games like Pathfinder from Paizo Publishing. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, singing, rowing, and drawing. Jesus Aburto has worked in the comic book industry for more than eleven years. In that time, he has illustrated popular characters such as Wolverine, Iron Man, Blade, and the Punisher. Recently, Jesus started his own illustration studio called Graphikslava. He lives in Monterrey, Mexico, with his kids Ilka, Mila, Aleph, and his beloved wife. Jesus enjoys spending his spare time with family and friends.

Ok, let me start out by announcing that I am NOT a sports fan. I'm not into sports...not a sports person whatsoever. You may have guessed this by the fact that I run a network of nerdy websites. I mean, I review books....what'd you seriously expect, right? Here is the thing with these releases from Capstone Kids [Stone Arch Books]....they rock, plain and simple. Why? Read on.... I gave this stack of books from Capstone and Sports Illustrated Kids to my own children and they went nuts! They too aren't into sports, but these aren't books for jocks. These are extreme sports and the focus is really on the characters and story. The sports hobbies are really just a backdrop. They're fun and interesting and not at all geared just towards jocky kids. We wanted to feature this series and bring them to your attention, whether you're a librarian, teacher or a parent, these titles should be in your possession! They can be purchased in hardback library binding or softcover. http: //booklegiondotcom.blogspot.com/2010/02/sports-illustrated-kids-book-series.html-- "Book Legion" Sports Illustrated Kids, in conjunction with Stone Arch Books, created a series of sports related fictional comic stories for elementary and middle school kids. The comics are designed to teach lessons on teamwork, sharing, anger control, bullying, fair play, disability inclusion, gender inclusion, and other lessons through a sports framework. Both mainstream and alternative sports are included: - Snowboarding - Baseball - Football - Basketball - Paintball - Hockey - Skateboarding - Soccer Many of the stories feature an overenthusiastic or even out-of-control parent or coach who pushes a kid to be overly aggressive and win at all costs. After a quick talk with a sage advisor they change their ways and even apologize to the player. Okay, so it's an ending with a pretty-bow. I'm typically more of a fan of authentic stories rather than teachable moment morality tales or after-school specials, but I understand the place that morality tales play in the classroom especially with younger kids. Considering the discussion of bullying within schools and society recently, perhaps we need more direct instruction on how to treat other people and behave within society. I think these would be well played on the elementary or early middle school level, but I suspect seventh and eighth graders might wholly reject the titles with their eye rolling, sighing and general sardonic teenagerness. That doesn't mean they don't need the lessons or should not have the lessons, but you might encounter resistance. The elementary level is where this series will do its good. Classroom teachers and even physical education teachers could use this series to help instruct kids on the complicated issues of bullying, ball hogging, aggression, and extreme sports pressures. Even on the elementary level we see students pushed very hard by parents or coaches to accel, win and often hurt or punish the other team. Learning to deal with those pressures at an early level can help with character development on and off the field. ART REVIEW SI Kids comics are designed like a TV sports show with stats, bios, and after-game interviews. The whole package is designed to engage reluctant readers in a TV-style experience. Once hooked, it can teach them honorable sports conduct. In a further attempt to gain entrance into modern minds, SI Kids comics use colorized manga with simple panel layouts, which is popular among youth. AGE RECOMMENDATION Chris' Rating: Ages 7 and older Publisher's Reading Level: Grades 2-3 Publisher's Interest Level: Grades 3-8 Lexile levels, ATOS, and Guided Reading levels are available on all the titles in the series. BE AWARE There are bullies and ultra-aggressive parents, but they always learn their lessons in the end. OTHER INFORMATION Publisher: Stone Arch Books Genre: Sports Format: Reinforced Library Binding Pages: 56 Color: Full color Google Previews are also available for some of the titles. CHRIS' RECOMMENDATION: Recommended-- "The Graphic Classroom Blog" Standard sports cliches play out in both titles. In Hoop Rat, Griffin Henshaw, 14, joins the Spartans but doesn't receive a warm welcome-he's the former captain of the archrival Goliaths, and his new teammates wonder where his true allegiance lies. In Scramble, reluctant backup QB Ben Paulson, 14, must step into the big shoes of suspended golden boy Wes Blake. Both books build tension, leading to high-pressure games at their climaxes. Brisk pacing should keep readers interested, but the stories have fairly abrupt conclusions. Themes of self-confidence, loyalty, and friendship come across loud and clear. Characters are flat, with a minimum of development. Design plays a key role, as each book opens with an ESPN-style "special report" featuring main character bios and a "ticker" at the bottom of the page. The stylized, vaguely anime-inspired art employs bright colors and dramatic shifts in perspective to keep the excitement high. While both titles have generic plots, sports-loving reluctant readers will likely be sucked in.-- "School Library Journal"