Ball Don't Lie
Dec 2007 · Sold by Delacorte Press
3.7star
22 reviews
Ebook
288
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Pena's Ball Don't Lie "is a must-read." [The Bulletin]
Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He’s a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn’t seem to belong.
But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he doesn’t have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.
Matt de la Peña's breakout urban masterpiece, Ball Don’t Lie takes place where the street and the court meet and where a boy can be anything if he puts his mind to it.
★"[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la Peña has skillfully brought him to life."-School Library Journal, Starred
"Riveting...Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable...basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages."-Booklist
"Stunningly realistic."-VOYA
"Gritty and mesmerizing."-Kirkus Reviews
"I have never before seen blacktop ball depicted so well. In this novel, you will find its flash, its power, and its elegance without chains. This is powerful stuff."-Antawn Jamison, forward for the Los Angeles Clippers
"Truly authentic in its examination of both the game I love and the invariable missteps toward manhood. You cannot fail to be moved by the eloquence and truth of this story."-Rick Fox, former forward for the Los Angeles Lakers
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He’s a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn’t seem to belong.
But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he doesn’t have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.
Matt de la Peña's breakout urban masterpiece, Ball Don’t Lie takes place where the street and the court meet and where a boy can be anything if he puts his mind to it.
★"[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la Peña has skillfully brought him to life."-School Library Journal, Starred
"Riveting...Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable...basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages."-Booklist
"Stunningly realistic."-VOYA
"Gritty and mesmerizing."-Kirkus Reviews
"I have never before seen blacktop ball depicted so well. In this novel, you will find its flash, its power, and its elegance without chains. This is powerful stuff."-Antawn Jamison, forward for the Los Angeles Clippers
"Truly authentic in its examination of both the game I love and the invariable missteps toward manhood. You cannot fail to be moved by the eloquence and truth of this story."-Rick Fox, former forward for the Los Angeles Lakers
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
Ratings and reviews
3.7
22 reviews
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
March 13, 2012
De La Pena shoots and scores in this inspiring tale of Sticky, a 17 year old basketball prodigy with OCD, and emotional scars that put him far behind in the race of life. The story tells of Sticky's struggles throughout his life in a vivid display of imagery and flashback, varying from a typical day at the infamous Lincoln rec basketball gym, through each foster home Sticky has lived in, leading up to the mystery and suspense of the climax of the novel where each character must make potentially life changing decisions.
The story is set in the dark side of Venice beach and features a variety of supporting characters, each playing vital roles in Sticky's life. Through De La Pena's skilled, almost poetic, use of imagery and description through 3rd person narration, its almost like you witness Sticky's thoughts and emotions unfolding before your own eyes, inside the tattered walls of Lincoln Rec.
To summarize, this book is a story of a pariah, a story of passion, a story of pride, a story of and motivation, and the anthem to underdogs everywhere, screaming anything is possible.
Ivan Nathaniel
- Flag inappropriate
December 26, 2013
About the author
Matt de la Peña is the first Mexican American author to win the Newbery Medal. He attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at San Diego State University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches creative writing. Ball Don't Lie is his first novel. Look for his other books, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, I Will Save You, The Living, which was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book, and The Hunted, all available from Delacorte Press. You can also visit him at mattdelapena.com and follow @mattdelapena on Twitter.
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