Long Shot

Long Shot

Written by: Chris Paul

Illustrated by: Frank Morrison

I chose this book so I could add a little variety to my blog. I am just starting to read sport picture books. I want to make sure that I read a little bit of everything while I am taking this course.

One neat aspect of this book is that it is written by a NBA All-Star. A student who is interested in sports, perhaps basketball in particular, would more than likely find this book to be a really fun read. Although the story is fiction, the plot of the book directly relates to NBA All-star Chris Paul himself. In fact the main character within the story is named Chris.

The main theme of the story is that one is never too small to dream big. Chris is the smallest boy trying out for the varsity basketball team. Most everyone told him that he was too small to play basketball, however, his name ends up on the final roster for the varsity basketball team. This book really hit home for me because my fiance has told me a story about himself that it very similar to this story. He was small in high school, I'm talking like 100lbs, and he tried out for the Varsity Soccer Team. NO ONE, including his mother, thought he had a chance to make it. As luck had it, he made the team and was the smallest player on the team for 3 years! (And from I hear he was pretty good ;) but I may just be biased!) In conclusion, I'm thinking that students would also make a connection to this story.

The illustrations within the book are so fun. The are page-filling, colorful, and realistic cartoon-like. I have never seen illustrations like these before and I was instantly drawn to them. They nicely help aid the words of the book. This book is recommended for students between the ages of 4 and 8. I would extend this age range to 4+. The language within the story is simple but plentiful. I feel as if any middle schooler, high schooler, or adult could easily relate to this story.