Genre: Realistic, Sports, Basketball
Setting: Southern California
Themes: identity, being true to yourself, personal gifts, jealousy/envy, friendship, teamwork
AR BL: 5.2 AR Points: 10.0
Alerts: Very mild boy-girl friendship; True does make a mistake that brings him in contact with law enforcement (with appropriate consequences for his actions).
Highly Recommended: 5th Grade and Up ; 4th graders who like more meaty / mature sports stories may enjoy this one also, but parents should be aware that the protagonist is in high school and that means more mature issues.
Wow! What can I say? I really liked this story and I am not a huge basketball fan. Baseball -- Yes! Football -- sometimes. Basketball -- not so much, but this book was good, very good. I read it in one sitting.
Drew Robinson is a player. He was born to play basketball. Even as a youngster he could dish the ball so well, he played point with guys much bigger and older. He's been featured on All-American teams and has even owned the top two spots on ESPN's top plays of the day. No doubt about Drew Robinson is a "True" player, a natural, may even have the possibility of becoming a legend, but Drew has begun to believe the hype surrounding him. "Lebron Junior," indeed. Drew is surrounded by people who are willing to do anything to get Drew to the pros. Nothing else matters. Or does it? Will Drew fall victim to the hype, or will he discover what it takes to be a True Legend?
One night, while practicing his game at a local park, Drew sees a ghost practicing on the old court, a player that strikes awe in Drew. Ghost or man? Which is he? Who is he? Whatever or whoever, he has the skills to have played with the pros. So what is he doing here on a rundown court? Drew needs to find out more about the "ghost" and wants to learn more about his game. Can the ghost "school" Drew in what really matters in the game, before it is too late for Drew?
This book is about so much more than basketball. It is about discovering what matters in life and being true to the gifts God has given each and everyone. The basketball scenes are extremely well-done and hold your breath exciting. After all, Lupica is a renown award-winning sports writer. He knows his stuff, but the real story in True Legend, the story that kept me reading half the night, is not about the team's season and attempt for a state championship but the story that developed Drew's character.
Readers will find themselves cheering for Drew, his best friend Lee (who might have been my personal favorite character), and others in the book, not only as they play the game of basketball but as they learn to play the game of life. This was my first Mike Lupica book, but I don't think it will be my last, especially if he goes beyond the sports hook in all of his books.
Former University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari said about True Legend, "Mike Lupica captures the passion of basketball, the allure of NBA stardom, and the risks kids will take to get it. True Legend gets it right." I agree, True Legend is a game winner of a read.
Mike Lupica talks with Matt Lauer of the the Today Show about True Legend:
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