Three on Three

Lesley Shortt is an elementary-school teacher in Milton, Ontario.

What could be better for two basketball fanatics like Kia and Nick than
the chance to win tickets to see the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre
and a basketball personally autographed by Jullas “Jewel” Johnson?
Clark Boulevard Public School is having its first-ever three-on-three
basketball tournament, and Kia and Nick are determined to win. They know
they will have a surefire team if they can manage to recruit Marcus, an
excellent player from Grade 5, even though they are only in Grade 3.

Marcus, who is from the wrong side of town, has a mostly absent father
and no mother, the complete opposite of Nick’s family situation. Nick,
Marcus, and Kia play together and do well in the playoffs but soon
realize that to be a team, they must pull together. When money goes
missing from the wallet of Nick’s mother on the night before the big
playoff, people are forced to make choices.

This is an exciting story with many twists, excellent vocabulary, and
an appealing message (i.e., a team needs to be a team in every way).
Boys and girls alike will readily identify with the characters and
setting. Highly recommended.