ABOUT THIS BOOK

TOBY WHEELER LOVES basketball and playing pickup games at the local rec center. No coaches, no practices, just nonstop action with his best friend, JJ, at his side. But lately JJ's been acting like he's too busy for Toby, and Toby knows it will only get worse once basketball season begins at their junior high. That's because JJ is the star of their school team, while Toby is just an ordinary gym rat.

When Coach Applewhite offers Toby a chance to join the team, Toby's eager to prove he can keep up with JJ. But then the coach announces the lineup, and Toby's hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: he's an eighthgrade benchwarmer! Befriending the coach's daughter only makes matters worse. Now the only way Toby will get in the game is if he starts thinking like a team player, on and off the court.


REVIEWS

“A truly great basketball story. Every hoops fan will love this book.”–Phil Jackson, member of the NBA Hall of Fame and head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thatcher Heldring has had several jobs in book publishing. He has also worked as a small forward, a goalie, a scorekeeper, a coach, a rabid fan, and a benchwarmer. He and his wife, Staci, live in Seattle, a good place for indoor sports.


RELATED LINKS

Click here for the TOBY WHEELER: EIGHTH-GRADE BENCHWARMER BookTalk