Just as there are basketball leagues for all ages of kids, there are also some great basketball stories for all sizes of kids, and all levels of readers.
Some of the best basketball books I've read this year:
Picture Books
Swish by Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson - the pictures and text capture the excitement of the last minute of the girls' championship game between the Cardinals and the Blue Jays - I could almost hear the sneakers squeaking on the gym floor.
Salt in his Shoes by Deloris Jordan - a story of a young Michael Jordan chasing his basketball dreams
Easy Reader
Gus and Grandpa at basketball by Claudia Mills - Gus likes basketball and does well at practice, but has problems during the hustle and bustle of games.
Chapter Books
Basketball Bats by Betty Hicks (gr.2-5)
Five friends who play basketball find themselves challenged to beat a real team.
The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman (gr. 4-6)
Talk about pressure - If Eddie Ball sinks a free throw during halftime at the NBA championship, he can win a million dollars! Gutman, as always, writes with humor, compassion, and action. Exciting and fun!
Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica (middle school )
Molly Parker is twelve, and living with friends since her mother died. Her secret is that the father she never met is Josh Cameron, the MVP for the Boston Celtics. She schemes to meet the star, and persuade him that he's her father, but is this a good idea? The man only cares about basketball and himself - how can he be the father Molly deserves?
Toby Wheeler, Eighth-Grade Benchwarmer by Thatcher Heldring (middle school)
Toby Wheeler loves pick-up basketball, but he goes out for the team at school, because it's his only chance to spend time with his best friend. Toby finds basketball a little different when playing on a team.
other good basketball stories for middle schoolers:
