BASKETBALL TOWN

Basketball-loving Maxwell shows up to Basketball Town with hoop dreams…and a lot to learn.

Basketball Town is exactly what it sounds like, a world where basketball-shaped mountains loom in the distance, balls flow from waterfalls like wet jump shots, and even rainbows are basketball printed, all brought to life by Johnson’s charming digital illustrations. Maxwell immediately recognizes this as “THE BEST PLACE EVER” when he arrives after falling asleep one night. But eventually he discovers that competition in a town with only one thing on its mind is tough. Even the Mayor recognizes that Maxwell needs to work on his skills—in the appropriately named suburb of Skillsville. The ensuing training montage is as motivational as it is silly. Maxwell takes classes at “the College of the Crossover” and gets his “dunking diploma from Phi Slamma Jamma.” He’s good but still needs more work according to the Mayor, who looks curiously like Maxwell’s dad. The importance of dedication and teamwork is the ultimate takeaway of Maxwell’s stint in Basketball Town and something that carries him through the impromptu championship game he checks into with five minutes left—he scores the winning bucket!—all the way to when he awakes to real-world basketball practice with his team and supportive dad; readers will come away with good pointers on how to become strong athletes. Maxwell, his dad, and the Mayor are Black; Basketball Town is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A straightforward sports fantasy with invaluable lessons for young ballplayers.