Slam! Paperback – May 1, 2008

I read this for the second time in my life, first as a teenager and now as a middle aged adult.It holds up with it's portrayal of inner-city life through a teenagers eyes. A lot hasn't changed in 20 years, unfortunately.This is a must read for teens of all backgrounds, as it explores topics of class, privilege, and most importantly friendship.I found the sentence structure a bit difficult to read as it's written though the main characters voice. But this gives strength to the honesty of the book.

I like that there is a life lesson to be learned in this book.

I got this book for my eleven year old and he loves it. Sad to say it was so good to him, he couldn't put it down. He ended up taking the book to school with him and got in trouble for reading. How could I be mad at my child getting in trouble for reading? I thanked his teacher and being that I'm a teacher too, I did talk to him about being responsible in school. My child has never enjoyed reading a book so much. I recommend it for other boys coming of age.

My son loved it!

I'm a teacher and used this book with my 8th grade. The audio book is well read with great tone and inflection. I found it very useful, because my students struggled with the dialect of the characters.

I read this book for the first time when I was in middle school and fell in love with it. I thought it was time for me to own it and give it a little reread since I haven't read it since the first time and man is it even better now.

How the story was so relatable to teens.It resonated with my grandson because he could to see how doing well in school and do well with something you really care about is important

Slam! is a young adult novel about an African American high schooler named Greg Harris, nicknamed Slam due to his impressive maneuvers on the court. While the premise of the black kid athlete has been written about several times, Myers' story is not about a kid rising from the dust and leaving the projects. The story focuses on the push and pulls of Greg's life as he struggles to handle the onslaught of challenges at this new school. Greg feels overwhelmed from his temper to his deteriorating friendships with his friends in the hood and the surprising relationships he starts in school, his grades, facing his racist teachers, and the dozens of expectations pushed on to him.The plot revolves around a question: Can Greg find his strength to rise to these expectations? Can he play the game? What I liked is how this book is not super deep, it is written from the first-person point of view, and the syntax stays between simple to intermediate. The novel is perfect for readers who enjoy reading emotionally charged internal monologues and very relatable situations.I would not coin this novel as a book about basketball but more so, a novel about what the sport teaches and offers children, specifically students of color. The book does not focus on basketball references, but helps you center your focus on Greg and the value of sportsmanship and teamwork. You do not have to be a big basketball fan to read the story, but if you enjoy basketball Myers provides excellent gameplay throughout the novel.Overall the novel's rating is "Issa Good Read." It is not too heavy or light, but just right. The novel's pacing is steady, and though you want Greg to experience a more significant breakthrough at the novel's end, keeping in mind, he is a sixteen-year-old kid entitled to making mistakes, and not having the world figured out makes it a pleasant read.I recommend it to middle and high school students (8th-9th grade).

10/10