Full Court Dreams

April 1, 2008
This entry in the Impact series of hi-lo sportsfiction begins with Annie oversleeping on the day she is to try out for the basketball team. Last year, she and her friends were cut, while Sarah and Dani, mean girls to the core, made the team. Annie, Emma, and Meganhave both hopes and fears about the lengthy tryouts, but only Megan isnt sure if she really wants to be on the team. Told from Annies point of view, the book marches steadily through several tryouts before the expected ending. The writing is unremarkable, butthe story doescapture the anxiety that often accompanies playing sports. Taking the girls through several days of tryouts seems artificial, but it builds a little tension, and Megans indecision makes for a nice twist. The gray-washed, full-page pictures will attract readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)