Travel Team

Mike Lupica
Popular Fiction
Pages 1-89

Danny Walker is the son of a the famous basketball star Richie Walker, who is knows for taking the 7th grade Middleton travel team to nationals and winning it when he was 12. The first season Richie was in the NBA he was in a car crash and now he will never be able to play basketball again. His wife and him are divorced and he hasn't spent much time with his son, and whenever he comes over for the holidays the stay is always brief. However, Danny Walker is cut from the 7th grade travel team, the Vikings, because Mr.Ross says he is to short. He has always been the shortest in his grade, but that hasn't stopped him from being the best ball handler in town or from being the best passer. In pick-up games Danny was the 1st to be picked by a team captain because everyone knew how good he was. Mr.Ross had played with Richie on the 7th grade travel team and throughout high school. Richie was always the star and Mr. Ross was always second stuck behind his shadow. Also, Ty Ross who is the best player in the entire town and one of the best in the nation is close friends with Danny and knows that Danny should have made the team. After, hearing the new that Danny was cut from the team Richie shoes up in town to help his son out, talking about why he didn't make it. The next day Richie was watching Danny play a pick up game, with the boys that made the team, at the fare and blowing by them with Ty on his team. Mr. Ross came up to say hello and Richie took no time is asking why Danny didn't make the team. Mr. Ross could only say that he was to short and if he didn't like the system he should make his own team.

I really like this book because the main topic is about my favorite sport basketball. I can truly relate to Danny because I was cut from the 9th grade high school team in New Jersey because i just moved into town and no one knew me. But the next year I started JV and sat Varsity. Now next year I will again be playing another varsity season for Homestead, after just moving here this year. I really think Mr. Ross cut Danny because he was jealous of Richie. The last quote of the chapter by Mr. Ross foreshadows that Richie is going to in fact make his own team with all the kids who were told they weren't good enough to play.