Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up

by Jenn Bishop

Overview

Competitive basketball takes center court in this fast-paced novel about two girls finding the truth about themselves—and their families—against the backdrop of middle school and college hoops.

Cincinnati, Ohio, lives and dies by college basketball, with two elite Division I rivals separated by a mere three miles. Rory's dad just secured a new coaching gig at the University of Cincinnati, so it means yet another school and move for her, only this time to her dad's hometown. Rory's life revolves around basketball; she's never had a close friend outside of it. Could this be a chance for a fresh start?

Abby has always lived in Cincinnati, where her dad grew up playing ball and now coaches at Xavier University. But Abby has recently retreated from basketball after a frustrating season that left her confidence in shambles. This year, she finds herself on the outside looking in when it comes to her former teammates, and she could seriously use a new friend.

The coaches' daughters connect over their shared love of the game when Abby chaperones Rory on her first day of school. But when Abby's dad practically forbids their friendship because of something that happened between him and Rory's dad when they were younger, Abby and Rory have no choice but to move their budding friendship underground.

Can the two of them get to the bottom of what went down between their dads in the 1990s before history repeats itself?

SPORTS BOOKS FOR GIRLS: This book stars two protagonists who love basketball in their own ways and features a spectrum of characters (including a basketball-playing nun!) who engage with the sport individually and distinctly. The breadth of athletes reflects the reality of sports for kids and young teens, making the story appealing to a wide range of readers.

AUTHENTIC & ACCESSIBLE NARRATIVE: Reluctant readers and book lovers alike will find a genuine story that conveys real emotions, family struggles, and insecurities driven by the tension of middle school sports.

FAST-PACED AND FUN: Unraveling like a mystery but moving like a he-said, she-said, and traveling through time and generations, this book has the right level of high stakes to keep readers hooked to the end.

ENDURING LEGACY OF BASKETBALL: As one of the world's most popular sports, basketball is significant to people of all ages and carries a sense of nostalgia across generations. It's played in schools across the globe, on official sports teams and in gym class, and brings members of communities together in parks and recreational centers. This sport's positive influence on overlooked communities and students from economically impacted backgrounds also speaks to the importance of basketball at a social level.

Perfect for:

• Fans of basketball
• Anyone looking for basketball books for teens and tweens
• Parents, teachers, and librarians seeking positive children's friendship books
• Readers of YA sports novels like The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, and Knockout by K.A. Holt

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797217949
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	10/24/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Jenn Bishop is also the author of four other novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections and Bank Street College of Education best books and have been finalists for state book awards. She currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. What team do you think she roots for? Visit her online at jennbishop.com.

Editorial Reviews

“[T]his brisk and gracious upper-middle-grade selection is a top seed for collections and slam dunk for sports fans.” — Booklist

“Rich in tight bonds as well as savvy coaching on both game play and forgiveness.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A warm, funny, thought-provoking book that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.” —Barbara Carroll Roberts, author of Nikki on the Line

“A love letter to basketball and to all of us—girls and boys, men and women—captivated by the game.” —Andrew Maraniss, author of Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team 

“An exploration of family, rivalries, and forgiveness, this book scores big.” —Gillian McDunn, author of When Sea Becomes Sky and Caterpillar Summer

“Abby and Rory’s story is a slam dunk.”—Laura Shovan, author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

“Basketball-loving readers will adore this book, but it’s so much more than a basketball story. A beautifully crafted tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness, with characters so vivid and real you can’t help but root for them, on and off the court.” —Matt Tavares, New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Hoops

“A slam dunk for sports lovers, chili-on-spaghetti skeptics, and anyone still trying to find their place in

school, in friendship, or in life.” —Erin Yun, author of the Pippa Park series

“Jenn Bishop’s ode to basketball, friendship, and the city of Cincinnati charmed me from the first page and made me want to eat Skyline chili and get tickets to a March Madness game. I love Rory and Abby, and middle school readers will, too!” —Laurie Morrison, author of Up for Air and Coming Up Short

“The pacing is quick, and readers will not be bored with the family/friend drama and the basketball action. Abby and Rory are well-rounded characters with flaws, who come into their own as they realize how much one decision can change their whole lives.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/01/2023

Gr 5–8—When Rory's dad moves them to Cincinnati to coach college basketball, Rory meets Avery, and they hit it off right away. Avery's father also coaches a college basketball team, which just happens to be the biggest rival of Rory's dad's team. While college basketball rivalries can run hot, the girls discover their fathers knew each other back when they were the girls' ages and have an even deeper grudge. How can they maintain their new friendship when the divide between their families runs so deep? Very loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, this story of friendship, forgiveness, and most of all, basketball, is a quick read that will connect with readers whether they are sports fans or not. The book is told in the alternating points of view of Abby and Rory but with some interspersed chapters from their fathers' perspectives from the early 1990s. As the girls grow closer in friendship and navigate middle school, they discover more about what tore their fathers apart way back when. There are a ton of teams and basketball superstars referenced in the book; some will not know every player, but a seasoned fan will enjoy the nods to the greats, both recent and past. The pacing is quick, and readers will not be bored with the family/friend drama and the basketball action. Abby and Rory are well-rounded characters with their flaws who come into their own as they realize how much one decision can change their whole lives. The theme of forgiveness explored with their fathers is an especially touching aspect of the novel. VERDICT A worthy purchase for sports fans and any reader interested in friendship stories.—Molly Dettmann

School Library Journal

2023-08-11
History threatens to repeat itself as two new eighth grade friends try to find out why their dads seem to hate one another.

Practically from the moment Cincinnati middle schooler Abby volunteers to chaperone new student Rory on her first day, the girls form a tight bond. In fact, they discover to their shock, their connection is just like the one their own dads had as kids before something caused a decisive break. Even now, meeting years later as coaches of nationally ranked basketball teams at rival colleges, Abby’s dad won’t shake hands with Rory’s dad after a game. What happened? Neither of the fathers will talk about it. But as Rory and Abby gather clues and eventually suffer a traumatic break of their own, Bishop uses flashbacks to weave together two rich friendship stories that differ in detail but both turn on deep rifts caused by betrayals of trust—and, ultimately, are healed by talking things out. The struggles of the two daughters (both talented hoopsters themselves) with family and personal quandaries play out against a backdrop of March Madness, where their dads go head-to-head. Even though basketball’s more a diversion than the main event here, there’s some competitive action. The leads appear white; names and other cues identify significant characters of color in the supporting cast.

Rich in tight bonds as well as savvy coaching on both game play and forgiveness. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews