Thematic Lists

Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students--a bunch of energetic young men--are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy--or someone's going to get hurt. Saving this class is going to take a genius. Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Celebrate seventy-five years of the NBA in this exciting and beautifully illustrated middle grade account of the legendary athletes, coaches, and teams that changed basketball forever and created a national phenomenon enjoyed by millions today. The National Basketball Association is the biggest league for one of the nation's most beloved sports. Played in massive stadiums by athletes who are now household names, with millions of fans around the world, basketball has truly become a global phenomenon. But it didn't always exist the way we know it now. Follow basketball from its humble beginnings as a casual indoor pastime played in gyms and colleges through its evolution for seventy-five years of hardcourt history. The NBA gained legions of fans thanks to the introduction of rules like the three-point line and the twenty-four second clock, and teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters, who paved the way for desegregated teams. Discover the story of the legendary Olympic Dream Team of 1992 and beloved players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, along with the early game-changers who made basketball what it is today.

Everything you wanted to know about basketball--and more! For die-hard basketball fans and casual spectators alike, this collection of fascinating facts about the game will be a welcome addition to their library. From the origins of the game to how much players are paid, and the evolution of the basketball shoe, this book covers a wide range of topics. Among others are how the color barrier was breached, the rise of women's basketball, and innovations that have made the game accessible to disabled athletes. Lots of humorous, colorful illustrations, charts, and graphs make this ideal for visual learners, while the short chapters encourage browsing.

Why do NBA players only have 24 seconds to score a basket? What's the geometry behind making the perfect shot? Become a basketball pro and learn all about the numbers and math behind this popular sport. Numbers are everywhere in basketball--from the dimensions of the court to the points you can score to the digits on each player's jersey. In this awesome new book, you'll learn how these numbers make basketball the game we know and love today, and also get a few tips along the way on how to improve your game. As Kobe Bryant wrote in his Foreword for the book, "Sucess is in the detail--and the detail is in the math." Read about amazing statistics and learn how to track the stats of your favorite basketball stars. Discover how to improve your bounce pass and chest pass with geometry and physics. Colorful graphics explain the math behind the sport, and cool photos make you feel like you're right on the court. Filled with sports trivia and fun activities at the end of every chapter, this book is sure to be a slam dunk with kids who can't get enough of the game and want to learn more.

In this book, early fluent readers will discover the STEM concepts behind basketball, while learning about the motion and movements of the sport and the technology of athletes clothing and gear

Keeping up with the fascinating facts about basketball can make your brain feel like it's been dribbled down the court! You hear about great players (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA MVP six times), powerful dynasties (the Boston Celtics won eight NBA championships in a row), and huge performances (Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game). Colorful infographics convey key information about basketball--such as diagramming plays, explaining game strategies, and celebrating record holders. Content-rich "data art" allows readers to take in information through visual literacy skills. The vibrant infographics on each spread appeal to struggling readers and help them analyze and interpret information and statistics.

LeBron James dribbles around defenders before flying in the air for a thunderous dunk. Kobe Bryant watches the game clock tick down to one second before firing a game-winning jump shot. Author John Albert Torres provides the skills readers need to get them on their way to becoming a superstar. From shooting to passing and dribbling to defense, there are fun skills and drills to try with friends, including tips and tricks from the pros.

The true story of the high-flying Harlem Globetrotters -- the team that changed basketball forever. In this book you will find one-finger ball-spinning, rapid-fire mini-dribbling, and a ricochet head shot! You will find skilled athletes, expert players, and electrifying performers -- all rolled into one! You will find nonstop, give-it-all-you've-got, out-to-win-it, sky's-the-limit BASKETBALL! You will find The Harlem Globetrotters, who played the most groundbreaking, breathtaking ball the world had ever seen. With rhythmic writing and dynamic illustrations, Swish! is a celebration of the greatness, goodness, and grit of this remarkable team.

When they piled into cars and drove through Durham, North Carolina, the members of the Duke University Medical School basketball team only knew that they were going somewhere to play basketball. They didn't know whom they would play against. But when they came face to face with their opponents, they quickly realized this secret game was going to make history. Discover the true story of how in 1944, Coach John McLendon orchestrated a secret game between the best players from a white college and his team from the North Carolina College of Negroes. At a time of widespread segregation and rampant racism, this illegal gathering changed the sport of basketball forever.

Though not as widely known as other basketball legends, hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of the game's all-time greatest players--an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. A member of the early, scrappy NBA and one of the first professional African American players, Elgin (b. 1934) played in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, taking risks on and off the court. Known for his acrobatic style of moving and shooting, he inspired others to get creative with their game. But when traveling for away games, hotels and restaurants weren't as welcoming of Elgin as they were of his white teammates. Together, Elgin and his teammates boycotted places practicing segregation until the entire NBA followed suit. From picture book powerhouses Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison, Above the Rim is a peek into the early days of the NBA, a poetic telling of the life of an under-known athlete, and a celebration of standing up for what is right

From the New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes Rebound, the dynamic prequel to his Newbery Award-winning novel in verse, The Crossover. Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. Chuck Bell takes center stage as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to. A novel in verse with all the impact and rhythm readers have come to expect from Kwame Alexander, Rebound goes back in time to visit the childhood of Chuck "Da Man" Bell during one pivotal summer when young Charlie is sent to stay with his grandparents where he discovers basketball and learns more about his family's past.

"The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. 'Cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood--he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it's all on the line. In this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander, Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.

El fenoḿeno del baśquetbol, Josh Bell, y su hermano gemelo, Jordan, son los reyes de la cancha, con esos crossovers inesperados que hacen llorar a los jugadores maś duros. Pero cuando Jordan conoce a la nueva chica del colegio, lazos entre los gemelos se empiezan a desanudar. El baloncesto y la hermandad se entrelazan para mostrarles a Josh y Jordan que la vida no viene con un manual de jugadas y que, a veces, el asunto no es ganar.
Spanish translation of The Crossover

By winning the state high school basketball championship in 1955, ten teens from an Indianapolis school meant to be the centerpiece of racially segregated education in the state shattered the myth of their inferiority. Their brilliant coach had fashioned an unbeatable team from a group of boys born in the South and raised in poverty. Anchored by the astonishing Oscar Robertson, a future college and NBA star, the Crispus Attucks Tigers went down in history as the first state champions from Indianapolis and the first all-black team in U.S. history to win a racially open championship tournament--an integration they had forced with their on-court prowess. From native Hoosier and award-winning author Phillip Hoose comes this true story of a team up against impossible odds, making a difference when it mattered most.

Mo's latest obsession is basketball. He's determined to learn how to pass, but as the shortest member of the team, he can't seem to launch the ball high enough. Can Mo learn to pass in time to help his team win the big game?

Bunny and Nasir have been best friends forever, but when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship across town, Nasir feels betrayed. While Bunny tries to fit in with his new, privileged peers, Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir can't help but wonder why the neighborhood is falling over itself to help Bunny when Wallace is in trouble. When Wallace makes a bet against Bunny, Nasir is faced with an impossible decision--maybe a dangerous one. Told from alternating perspectives, After the Shot Drops is a heart-pounding story about the responsibilities of great talent and the importance of compassion.

Basketball is a passport. For Adam Reed, this means basketball can take him anywhere. Before basketball, Adam moved from Poland to the United States. Adam's mom died, and his father left him. His adopted mom, Renata, brought him to Minnesota, where his only friend is Barry Roland, and where Kase Kinshaw calls him "the Refugee." Adam does not like to talk about his life before basketball--it gives him nightmares, an inky blackness chasing him in his dreams. On the court is where Adam finds happiness. Because of basketball, he meets Carli Anderson, who smells like honey and who shoots a basketball with feathery fingertips. Adam is invited to join a select AAU team, with all-stars like Devin Mitchell and Khalil Williams. And this changes everything. Adam begins to find what he's always wanted: a family. Basketball is more than a passport. This great new life, though, is more complicated. Like so many times before, Adam sees how easy it is to lose what you love. When an off-court incident threatens Adam's basketball career--and his new family--he must decide what matters to him most.

Perry Wallace was born at an historic crossroads in U.S. history. He entered kindergarten the year that the Brown v. Board of Education decision led to integrated schools, allowing blacks and whites to learn side by side. A week after Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Wallace enrolled in high school and his sensational jumping, dunking, and rebounding abilities quickly earned him the attention of college basketball recruiters from top schools across the nation. In his senior year his Pearl High School basketball team won Tennessee's first racially-integrated state tournament. The world seemed to be opening up at just the right time, and when Vanderbilt University recruited Wallace to play basketball, he courageously accepted the assignment to desegregate the Southeastern Conference. The hateful experiences he would endure on campus and in the hostile gymnasiums of the Deep South turned out to be the stuff of nightmares. Yet Wallace persisted, endured, and met this unthinkable challenge head on. This insightful biography digs deep beneath the surface to reveal a complicated, profound, and inspiring story of an athlete turned civil rights trailblazer

Fast-paced, adrenaline-filled, and brimming with out-of-this-world athleticism, basketball has won the hearts of fans all across America--yet it is particularly popular among kids and teens. Giants of the game like Steph Curry, LeBron, and Michael Jordan have transcended the sport to become cultural icons and role models to young fans. From the cornfields of Indiana and the hills of North Carolina, to the urban sprawl of New York City, Chicago and L.A., love of the game stretches from coast to coast. Featuring Top Ten Lists to chew on and debate, and a Top 40-style Timeline of Key Moments in Basketball History, this comprehensive collection includes the greatest dynasties, from the Bill Russell-era Celtics, to the Magic Jonson-led Lakers, to the Jordan-led Bulls, right up to the Tim Duncan-led Spurs. All the greats take flight toward the hoop in this perfect book for young fans who dream about stepping on an NBA court.

The inspiring true story of a high-school basketball team that overcame desperate circumstances in 1980s Baltimore to produce four NBA players and give hope to a neighborhood and a city, thanks to a remarkable coach who relentlessly pursued perfection. As the crack epidemic swept across inner-city America in the early 1980s, the streets of Baltimore were crime ridden. For poor kids from the housing projects, the future looked bleak. But basketball could provide the quickest ticket out, an opportunity to earn a college scholarship and perhaps even play in the NBA. Dunbar High School had one of the most successful basketball programs, not only in Baltimore but in the entire country, and in the early 1980s, the Dunbar Poets were arguably the best high school team of all time. Four starting players--Muggsy Bogues, Reggie Williams, David Wingate, and Reggie Lewis--would eventually play in the NBA, an unheard-of success rate. In The Boys of Dunbar, Alejandro Danois takes us through the 1981-1982 season with the Poets as the team conquered all its opponents. But more than that, he takes us into the lives of these kids, and especially of Coach Bob Wade, a former NFL player from the same neighborhood who knew that the basketball court, and the lessons his players would learn there, held the key to the future. Drawing on interviews with Coach Wade, Muggsy Bogues, and others, The Boys of Dunbar is a remarkable testament to the power of dedication, inspiration, and teamwork. It is an ode to an extraordinary coach, a father figure who had lived the life of his players years before and who turned a dream into reality.

After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game of the season, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader for the Fighting Reindeer. Irene is as mean as she is beautiful, so Scottie makes a point to keep her distance. When the accident sends Irene's car to the shop for weeks' worth of repairs and the girls are forced to carpool, their rocky start only gets bumpier. But when an opportunity arises for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex--and climb her school's social ladder--she bribes Irene into an elaborate fake- dating scheme that threatens to reveal some very real feelings.

With this high-energy collection of poems and dynamic photos celebrating twelve pro ballers, Charles R. Smith Jr. scores another slam dunk. What's your game? Can you fly like Blake Griffin? Are you a lightning-fast force of nature like Russell Westbrook? Or are you a chameleon on the court, racking up nicknames like Steph Curry? From James Harden with his shimmy-shake-spin to "Lord of the Leap, Sir Alley of the Oop" Lebron James, here are a dozen profiles honoring the superb talents and skills of some of the best players in NBA basketball. With bold, graphic photographs and fun, accessible poems infused with his indomitable wordplay, Charles R. Smith Jr. captures the agility and finesse that each of these professionals brings to the game. Poem notes about each featured player offer further inspiration at the end.

Curious George has a playdate at a park designed or children of all abilities, perfect for his new friend, Tina, who uses a wheelchair. ;While they are playing together, Tina spots some kids playing her favorite game: basketball. George jumps right into the action, but Tina is too shy to ask to join. George suspects Tina is just as good--even better--than the other kids. Can he come up with a way to show the players she's got game and help her overcome her shyness? This story celebrates how kids of all abilities can play together!

Whether readers are fresh on the hoops scene or pounding the hardwood for a pro career, How Basketball Works, part of the How Sports Work series, will inspire anyone's game. Text that is as exciting to read as the sport is to play looks at what makes a basketball the shooting, passing, and slam dunking tool that it is; the parts of the court and how each affects a player's game; the science behind refining your skills; and how height became a dominating force on the court. How Basketball Works brings together dynamic maneuvers, fast-paced athletic grace, and an especially sleek style for a comprehensive look at a sporting event loved the world over.

Rip and Red are best friends whose fifth-grade year is nothing like what they expected. They have a crazy new tattooed teacher named Mr. Acevedo, who doesn't believe in tests or homework and who likes off-the-wall projects, the more "off" the better. They also find themselves with a new basketball coach: Mr. Acevedo! Easy-going Rip is knocked completely out of his comfort zone. And for Red, who has autism and really needs things to be exactly a certain way, the changes are even more of a struggle. But together these two make a great duo who know how to help each other--and find ways to make a difference--in the classroom and on the court. With its energetic and authentic story and artwork, this is a fresh, fun book about school, sports, and friendship.

One day at the basketball court, two kids, a familiar challenge--H.O.R.S.E.' But this isn't your grandmother's game of hoops. Not when a layup from the other side of the court, standing on one foot, with your eyes closed is just the warm-up. Around the neighborhood, around the world, off Saturn's rings . . . the pair goes back and forth. The game is as much about skill as it is about imagination. A slam dunk from award-winning author and illustrator Christopher Myers, H.O.R.S.E. is a celebration of the sport of basketball, the art of trash-talking, and the idea that what's possible is bounded only by what you can dream.

A brief introduction to the game of basketball as intended to be played by children.

What happens when the mightiest of mortals take on the greatest of gods in an apocalyptic basketball showdown? Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and the rest of the Gods' squad have all the powers of the universe at their disposal-which makes for a deadly defense and an unstoppable offense. But those "pesky Mortals" are always causing trouble, and with hunky Hercules at the top of his game and Achilles' heel healing nicely after his surgery, the Mortals manage to stay alive until halftime. Who knows what mythological magic the Gods will have to conjure up to win this Hellenic heart stopper? Complete with toga-clad announcers and a halftime report on the wonders of ancient Greece, Kevin O'Malley's Mount Olympus Basketball makes learning about ancient Greek myths more exciting than March Madness.

Just one week after Professor James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 for his male physical education students, female students at nearby Smith College had adopted the sport and made it their own. From being sequestered in empty gyms to playing before millions on TV, women have played basketball with passion, intensity, and skill ever since. This thorough and lively history traces basketball's development from the sedate movements of early 20th century maidens to the dramatic and flamboyant power of Olympic and professional athletes. Discover how basketball's rich and controversial history has shaped the sport into the demanding, but rewarding pursuit it has become.

My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. 'Cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood--he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it's all on the line. See the Bell family in a whole new light through Dawud Anyabwile's dynamic illustrations as the brothers' winning season unfolds, and the world as they know it begins to change.
Adapted from the award winning novel of the same name

In his latest graphic novel, Dragon Hoops, New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches. Gene understands stories--comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn't get sports. As a kid, his friends called him "Stick" and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men's varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he's seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn't know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons's lives, but his own life as well.

A Map to the Sun is a gripping YA graphic novel about five principle players in a struggling girls' basketball team. One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren's messages to her friend go unanswered. Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their high school. With Ren's new friends and Luna all on the basketball team, the lines between their lives on and off the court begin to blur. During their first season, this diverse and endearing group of teens are challenged in ways that make them reevaluate just who and how they trust.

In Sam Bosma's debut graphic novel, a young explorer and her musclebound friend go treasure hunting in a mummy's tomb--but if they want to get rich, they're going to have to best the mummy in a game of hoops! Can they trust their bandaged adversary to play by the rules? Or will they be stuck in the tomb . . . forever?

With more than 80 activities in each book, these valuable resources will enrich your curriculum. For each activity, literature links promote reading, while Internet links encourage the best use of technology. Individual and team projects for K-5 classrooms, connected to NCTE standards.
Includes an activity related to Basketball Invention Month

Build key math skills with hands-on activities that bring real-life applications to the classroom. These fun, standards-based activities develop higher-level thinking. We've included skill lines and a detailed skills grid so you'll be able to see how each math idea ties to your curriculum.
Has an activity related to basketball

101 Fun Warm-Up and Cool-Down Games provides the antidote to the age-old warm-up and cool-down routines of jogging and stretching. These games engage students and athletes in fun warm-ups that will prepare them mentally and physically for their activity and cool-downs that will help them recover.
Includes a section on basketball

The traditional, highly structured, teacher-directed approach of teaching tactics and skills separate from games is quite boring for kids--who, after all, just want to play the game. Transforming Play: Teaching Tactics and Game Sense shows you how to use games to keep kids active and involved. It also shows you how to teach kids the fundamental movement skills and knowledge of basic game strategy that will help them develop a lifelong love of activity. You will learn how using a game sense approach to teaching games and sports can make activity meaningful for all kids, from the novice to the very skilled.
Includes a section on basketball

Finally, a resource that offers in-depth, complete seasons and enables you to easily apply the sport education model of teaching and coaching. Sport Education Seasons includes three complete seasons—basketball, soccer, and fitness education—plus a multitude of lesson plans and reproducibles. They will empower you to reach your potential and teach your participants how to perform as players, coaches, referees, and self- and peer evaluators using this proven educational model.
Includes items related to basketball

The Physical Education Activity Handbook, Thirteenth Edition provides existing and future physical education teachers with the content knowledge and teaching techniques they need to offer their students a chance to learn a wide range of engaging activities. More than 40 activities are explained, with essential information such as equipment, rules, skills and techniques, teaching and learning strategies, and a comprehensive reference section for further expertise. Activity chapters instruct the reader in three key areas: what the activity is, how to do it, and how to teach it to others. Using this text, teachers and teachers-in-training alike will be fully prepared to offer their students a varied learning experience that is engaging, exciting, and meaningful. The Thirteenth Edition features the addition of Zumba and Pilates content, new instructive web links in the end of chapter material, and updated instructions and photos.
Includes section related to basketball

Hilda Fronske helps teachers learn how to correctly and effectively demonstrate sports skills so that students will remember the skills. A wide variety of sports are covered, from volleyball to archery.
Includes a section on basketball

The fourth edition of Principles of Safety in Physical Education and Sport contains practical advice on the safety factors to consider when teaching sport and physical activity programs, including cycling, volleyball, and lacrosse. Checklists and outlines help facilitate lesson planning, as do pre-class safety checks.
Includes a section on basketball

Learn how to use sport as the common element to build an effective physical education program that includes students with and without disabilities. Inclusion Through Sports is not merely a how-to for disability sport; it presents games and activities derived from six popular disability sports that will improve appropriate services to students with disabilities and broaden and enrich your curriculum for all students. If you are a teacher with minimal or no training in adapted physical education and you're being asked to teach students with disabilities, then this book is for you!" "The disability sports featured in this book are promoted through organizations that conduct national or international competitions, so students learn skills that they'll have a greater opportunity to use throughout their lifetime. Specific inclusion suggestions address the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains, so students with disabilities can play decision-making roles that engage them as full participants." "For each sport you'll find an assortment of individual, small group, and teamwork games, complete with easy-to-follow adaptation guidelines. Each game is organized by game level, formation, equipment, description, and extension. The games are also grouped according to functional profiles for students with low, moderate, and high ability, so you can easily tailor your class activities to the capabilities of your students.
Includes a section on wheelchair basketball

Intended for physical education teachers, this DVD contains two lessons on heart physiology and basketball conducted by an advanced skills teacher to show a range of teaching and learning techniques. Includes examples of immaculate planning, active role playing, and assessment

Filmed over a five-year period, this documentary follows the lives of two inner-city kids with aspirations to play professional basketball

Dave Libbey challenges you to maximize your strength and improve all your weaknesses in your officiating career

St. Sabina Academy, an all-black Catholic school in Chicago, wanted to join the Southside Catholic Conference to give its students more opportunities to compete. Initially rejected, the school finally was allowed to join, but withdrew before the first season was over

30 years, 30 stories, 30 filmmakers: 30 years of sports covered in 30 stories by 30 different film directors
Includes stories related to Basketball