Question
From Geoff Herbach, the critically acclaimed author of the Stupid Fast series, comes a compelling new YA novel about basketball, prejudice, privilege, and family, perfect for fans of Jordan Sonnenblick, Andrew Smith, and Matt de la Peña.
For Adam Reed, basketball is a passport. Adam’s basketball skills have taken him from an orphanage in Poland to a loving adoptive mother in Minnesota. When he’s tapped to play on a select AAU team along with some of the best players in the state, it just confirms that basketball is his ticket to the good life: to new friendships, to the girl of his dreams, to a better future.
But life is more complicated off the court. When an incident with the police threatens to break apart the bonds Adam’s finally formed after a lifetime of struggle, he must make an impossible choice between his new family and the sport that’s given him everything.
“I know I will fight injustice, and sometimes that means a protest and a battle....but I think many times that means just being a good, kind person in the world.”
Include 1 quote from the text with an explanation about what this quote means or reveal.
(Ideas: a quote that shows the main conflict, that shows characterization, that shows the author’s skill at creating mood, that foreshadows a later event in the story, summarizes the text, highlights important facts, etc.)
For Adam Reed, basketball is a passport. Adam’s basketball skills have taken him from an orphanage in Poland to a loving adoptive mother in Minnesota. When he’s tapped to play on a select AAU team along with some of the best players in the state, it just confirms that basketball is his ticket to the good life: to new friendships, to the girl of his dreams, to a better future.
But life is more complicated off the court. When an incident with the police threatens to break apart the bonds Adam’s finally formed after a lifetime of struggle, he must make an impossible choice between his new family and the sport that’s given him everything.
“I know I will fight injustice, and sometimes that means a protest and a battle....but I think many times that means just being a good, kind person in the world.”
Include 1 quote from the text with an explanation about what this quote means or reveal.
(Ideas: a quote that shows the main conflict, that shows characterization, that shows the author’s skill at creating mood, that foreshadows a later event in the story, summarizes the text, highlights important facts, etc.)
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
One impactful quote from the text is: **“I know I will fight injustice, and sometimes that means a protest and a battle....but I think many times that means just being a good, kind person in the world.”**
This quote highlights the central conflict in Adam's life as he navigates the complexities of his world both on and off the basketball court. It reveals his understanding that while fighting against injustice can involve overt actions—like protests—often, the more subtle and everyday choice to be kind and decent to others is equally important. This reflects Adam's character development, showing that, despite the challenges he faces as an orphan and a person of color in a society with deep-rooted prejudices, he aspires to maintain his humanity and moral integrity.
Furthermore, the quote encapsulates the larger themes of the novel, which include the struggle against societal prejudice, the importance of community and family, and the personal growth that comes from facing adversity. It suggests a duality in Adam’s journey—he must not only excel in basketball, which symbolizes his escape from hardship, but also confront the realities of prejudice and injustice. This sets the stage for the pivotal moments in the story where Adam is forced to make difficult choices, emphasizing the complexity of his experience and foreshadowing the conflicts he will encounter as the narrative unfolds.
This quote highlights the central conflict in Adam's life as he navigates the complexities of his world both on and off the basketball court. It reveals his understanding that while fighting against injustice can involve overt actions—like protests—often, the more subtle and everyday choice to be kind and decent to others is equally important. This reflects Adam's character development, showing that, despite the challenges he faces as an orphan and a person of color in a society with deep-rooted prejudices, he aspires to maintain his humanity and moral integrity.
Furthermore, the quote encapsulates the larger themes of the novel, which include the struggle against societal prejudice, the importance of community and family, and the personal growth that comes from facing adversity. It suggests a duality in Adam’s journey—he must not only excel in basketball, which symbolizes his escape from hardship, but also confront the realities of prejudice and injustice. This sets the stage for the pivotal moments in the story where Adam is forced to make difficult choices, emphasizing the complexity of his experience and foreshadowing the conflicts he will encounter as the narrative unfolds.