So, my kiddo, who's been newly obsessed with basketball thanks to some older cousins, needed a non-fiction book for a school assignment, and this one, "Basketball" by Michael Hurley, seemed like a safe bet. It promises a peek into the history, evolution, and big names of professional basketball. He's really into the players, so I figured that would be enough to keep him interested. The cover made it seem pretty accessible, too, not too dense or intimidating.
He actually picked it up and read it without a ton of complaining, which is a win! He kept saying things like, "Did you know they used to use a soccer ball?" and "Wow, these guys were really good!" So, I think it definitely hit the mark on the cool facts. The writing itself is pretty straightforward, nothing too complicated. He breezed through it in a couple of reading sessions. There are lots of pictures, which helped keep him engaged, and they're all clear and relevant to what he was reading. It felt like the right length for him to get through without losing focus.
It's an AR level 4.2 book and worth 0.5 points. Honestly, the points were a bonus! He's in second grade, and it was just right for his reading level. The word count is around 885, so it's a shorter book, which is perfect for those quick reading assignments.
If your kid is already into basketball and you need a quick and easy non-fiction read for school, this one is a good choice. It's not super in-depth or anything, but it’s a solid introduction to the sport's history and some of its biggest stars. If your kid couldn't care less about basketball, though, you might want to skip it. But for a budding basketball fan, it’s a pretty solid choice.