MMGM: Double Dribble by W.C. Mack

Published: November 5, 2013
ISBN: 1619631296
Genre: Middle grade, contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, children
Themes: friendship, basketball/sports, family, self-discovery, twins, team
Add it on: Goodreads, / Amazon / Barnes And Noble/ *Indie Bound*

About The Book: One month ago, academic whiz Russell Evans never thought he'd be a basketball superstar. But now he's playing on the seventh-grade team alongside his fraternal twin, Owen, and they're tearing up the court. The Pioneers are on a winning streak, and Russ and Owen are getting along better than ever. Until the Matthews twins (Mitch and Marcus) show up. These twins are a triple threat: practically basketball pros, academic geniuses, and . . . identical. Things heat up on the court and in the classroom as these brothers are poised to rule the school.

Now Russ and Owen are fighting for the spotlight, and sabotage seems like their only hope. But when Marcus suffers an injury and Mitch falters during a big game without him, it becomes clear that the Matthews are powerless when separated. Will Russ and Owen take advantage? Or do they have other plans in mind?

First Line: The Woodland Wildcats were going down!

What Others Are Saying: "In this follow-up to Athlete vs. Mathlete (2013), fraternal twins Russell and Owen Evans are the foundation of their seventh-grade basketball team.[...] They subsequently intimidate and wow their new classmates. Owen and Russell’s ability to operate individually is contrasted with the insular world Mitch and Marcus have created for themselves. The author gives the Matthews twins a bit of a pass in terms of how their attitude initially sets the Evans twins against them, but, in the end, all the boys must work out a satisfactory way to coexist as teammates. The basketball action—usually seen through the eyes of Owen—is well paced and will appeal to athletes and mathletes alike."  —Booklist

"Although hardly an insightful examination of brotherly problems, ample basketball play-by-play makes this a more attractive offering for reluctant readers." —Kirkus Reviews

Bloggers Weigh In:

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What I Thought: This is actually the second in the series, the first called, Athlete vs. Mathlete is about the twins and their struggle to find their place and get along. Double Dribble picks up where the first book left off. It isn't necessary to read the first to understand the second. I love the POV change every chapter and Mack has done an excellent job of differentiating the voice. I appreciated that her characters aren't stereotypical jocks or good students. This is  fast moving, full of lively conversations and interior dialogue. Boys and girls will appreciate the details and challenges these middle grade students experience. 

About The Author: W.C. Mack

Website

Blog

Who: W. C. Mack was born in Vancouver, B.C. and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Always a Canucks fan, she has also been known to cheer for the Portland Winterhawks.

MMGM: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-long Shang

(Whoops! This was the one for today...)
About The Book: In this humorous and heartfelt debut about a split cultural identity, nothing goes according to plan for sixth-grader Lucy Wu.Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of having the best year of her life. She's ready to rule the school as a sixth grader and take over the bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her plans are shattered when she finds out that Yi Po, her beloved grandmother's sister, is coming to visit for several months -- and is staying in Lucy's room. Lucy's vision of a perfect year begins to crumble, and in its place come an unwelcome roommate, foiled birthday plans, and Chinese school with the awful Talent Chang.

First Line: There is a Chinese story that goes like this: An old man lived at the edge of the northern frontier.

One Great Line: The whole party was becoming a mess wrapped up in a disaster covered in a mistake.(210)

What Other's Have Said: "In Lucy Wu, author Wendy Wan-Long Shang has accomplished something quite difficult: She's made a girl who constantly feels sorry for herself extremely funny and relatable as Lucy attempts to strike a balance between parental expectation and self-fulfillment, her Chinese heritage and the American lifestyle." —Susan Carpenter LA Times

"There’s little in the way of plot twists that experienced readers won’t see coming, but the cultural depiction of the Chinese-American family, Shang’s use of traditional tales and Yi Po’s heart-wrenching story add dimensionality and heft, and the novel’s final scenes are genuinely touching." —Kirkus

What I Thought: I love, love, love Lucy Wu. She is clearly trying to navigate the issues of duel cultures and Shang does an excellent job of contrasting her U.S. upbringing with her heritage. When her Great Aunt comes to live with her you can just feel her embarrassment. Lucy is the perfect mix of teen angst. Complete with sardonic moping and crazy humor, so hilarious you can't help but like her.  

Awards: (Holy jumpin' gummi bears!)

2012-2013 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee 2012 Kansas Reading Circle Catalog
2013 Maine State Book Award Nominee
2013 Rhode Island Children's Book Award
2012-2013 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Master List (Vermont)

Many thanks to the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for selecting LUCY for its CCBC Choices List and to Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee, for including LUCY for its Best Children's Books of the Year list.

The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association has awarded LUCY its 2012 Children's Literature Award. And my fellow Mixed-Up Files blogger Sheela Chari received Honors in this category for her amazing book, Vanished.

LUCY was a finalist in the CYBILS (Children's and Young Adult Blogger Literary Awards) Middle-Grade Fiction category for 2011!

The Wall Street Journal blog, Speakeasy, mentioned LUCY as part of its "Best of Asia and Asian-America 2011".

The American Booksellers Association has made LUCY a New Voices middle grade book selection! New Voices selections represent ten middle grade and ten young adult books by debut authors. Now I've got some reading to do!

LUCY has received Silver Honors from Parents' Choice! Parents' Choice "honors material that respects a child’s age, interests and abilities, and adheres to universal human values".

Wendy  Shang

About The Author: 
Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Website
Twitter

Who:I was born in Wilmington, Delaware. After a brief stay in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my family moved to northern Virginia, outside of Washington, DC, and I live there now. My husband is also from this area, and we feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by lots of family. We have three kids, one dog and two cats.-Website

When:Like many writers, I loved to write as a kid. I wrote my first book when I was about five - it was called The Big Fight and it was about a bunny and a sheep arguing over who was the fluffiest. Like many writers, I went on to law school. (Well, not right after being five. A little later than that.)-Website