From the #1 bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw comes a feel-good basketball tale reminiscent of The Blind Side. Forced to live on his own after his mom dies and her boyfriend abandons him, 12-year-old Jayson does whatever it takes to get by. He will do anything to avoid the foster care system. He manages to get away with his deception until the day he gets caught stealing a new pair of basketball sneakers. Game over. Within a day a social worker places him with a family from the other side of town, the Lawtons. New home, new school, new teammates.
Jayson, at first, is combatative, testing the Lawtons' patience at every turn. He wants out, yet the Lawtons refuse to take the bait. But not everyone in Jayson's new life is so ready to trust him. It's on Jayson to believe that he deserves a better life than the one he once had. The ultimate prize if he can? A trip to play in the state finals at Cameron Indoor Stadium–home to the Duke Blue Devils and launching pad to his dream of playing bigtime college ball. Getting there will be a journey that reaches far beyond the basketball court.
"Eager fans will find this a slam-dunk. A must-purchase."–Booklist
"Lupica's announcer-like delivery will have you breathless, on the edge of your seat, cheering."--Florida Times-Union
On sale: August 23, 2016
Age: 10 and up
Grade: Grade 5 & Up
Page count: 288 Pages
ISBN: 9781101997833
Reading level: Lexile: 840L
Mike Lupica (mikelupicabooks.com) is the #1 bestselling author of many popular books for young readers, including
Fantasy League,
QB 1,
Heat,
Travel Team,
Million-Dollar Throw, and
The Underdogs. He has carved out a niche as the sporting world’s finest storyteller. Mike lives in Connecticut with his wife and their four children. When not writing novels, Mike Lupica writes for New York's
Daily News and appears weekly on ESPN's
The Sports Reporters.
Praise for Fast Break"Eager fans will find this a slam-dunk. A must-purchase."
—Booklist
"Lupica's announcer-like delivery will have you breathless, on the edge of your seat, cheering."
—Florida Times-Union
"
Fast Break is the perfect middle-grade read for fans of basketball. With so much attention to detail in each game, readers are practically with the characters on the court....Lupica has done it again."
—VOYA
“The dynamics here are handled with subtlety and depth… Lupica delivers solid sports action and character growth
.”
—Kirkus Reviews
