CLUTCH TIME

Being the best on the court doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot to learn about playing the game of life.

Being a top-ranked player comes with a lot of new pressures for 14-year-old basketball phenom Kofi Douglass. Though their Milwaukee community has suffered a recent tragic loss, Kofi and his mother are also still reeling from the day his father was arrested seven years ago—and basketball has become a complicated way of coping. Through all the challenges, Kofi has a staunch best friend in Mecca, but even she’s beginning to recognize how he’s started to let basketball and his ego get in his own way. Meanwhile, former friend (now bitter rival) Ripp Ransom will take advantage of any misstep to get ahead of Kofi, leading to some action-packed showdowns on the court. These scenes, coupled with flashbacks that contextualize Kofi’s story, make for a compelling sports drama with a lot of heart. In this stand-alone companion to Shot Clock (2022), the authors believably frame Kofi’s slow path toward maturity on and off the court, presenting it as the real key to his overall success. Ballplayers will appreciate the hoops details, playful slang, and healthy dose of trash talk, while the images of healing from loss and unfairness will be accessible and refreshing for any readers. The cast members predominantly read Black.

Thoughtfully portrays a boy who’s balancing hoop dreams and emotional maturity to achieve impressive ends.