Nick and Kia get excited when their school gym teacher announces a three-on-three basketball tournament. The two most dedicated players in grade three, they know they'll be tough to beat. But when Nick finds out they'll be up against teams in grade four and five, he is ready to throw in the towel before they start. How can shrimps like them ever hope to beat the older kids? Kia, however, is undaunted. They need a third player for their team anyway, she reasons, so why not go after the best player in the school? Marcus is bigger, tougher and in grade five. But it's not as easy as Kia thinks to convince Marcus to join their team. And there's no guarantee the older boy won't change his mind before the tournament begins. Marcus is often uneasy around them, but worse, Kia and Nick find themselves making enemies of some of the kids in the upper grade. Nick realizes it's going to take more than skill at basketball to win this tournament and make friends with Marcus without becoming targets for the older kids off the court. Eric Walters is the writer of a growing list of popular titles for young adult and reluctant readers, and he is a favorite visitor of school classes all over the country. His award-winning and nominated titles include Trapped In Ice, Stars and Diamonds in the Rough. His first book for Orca, War of the Eagles, won the prestigious Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award. In this, his first title for younger readers, Eric draws on his years of experience as a basketball coach. Three on Three is the first of eight books in the Nick and Kia basketball series. Book two is Full Court Press. Book three is Hoop Crazy! Book four is Long Shot. Book five is Road Trip. Book six is Off Season. Book seven is Underdog. Book eight is Triple Threat.

Eric Walters, basketball coach turned writer, has given basketball enthusiasts in the third through fifth grade a chapter book they will enjoy. And this goes for boys and girls alike, which continues a refreshing trend in fiction for kids. Nick is ten years old and his best friend, Kia, is also 10. They have the love of the game in common as well as the fact that they are the best players in the third grade. When a school competition is announced, they have to choose a third person to team up with for the First Annual Clark Boulevard Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament. Marcus, the fifth grader they choose, lives with his father in a lower income neighborhood. While he is a great basketball player, he struggles with writing the essay that each kid needs to submit to qualify for the competition. These differences, ones that the kids seem to take in their stride, come to the forefront when Nick's mom suspects that Marcus may have stolen money from her purse. Though not developed in depth, the novel has a worthwhile message about jumping to conclusions. However mostly, it is just a fun book about playing hard and loving the game of basketball. 1999, Orca Book Publishers, Ages 8 to 11, $4.50. Reviewer: Kathleen Orosz

Categories:

• Children's Books
  
  
  • Literature & Fiction
    
    
    • Chapter Books & Readers
      • Chapter Books