{"product_id":"rez-ball-isbn-9780063160378","title":"Rez Ball","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e falling in love with.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter decades of rez teams \u003cem\u003ealmost\u003c\/em\u003e making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"Debut author Graves (Ojibwe) presents a deeply personal look at grief, the weight of expectations, and the ways we find connections with those we have lost... This one shoots and scores.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Debut author Graves, who is Ojibwe like Tre, doesn’t shirk from showing his community’s ugly experiences, but he never languishes in them. Well-paced and exciting—the action of the basketball games is exceptionally well written—this is a solid piece of sports fiction.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Influenced by Byron’s own experiences, the challenges Tre faces are realistically difficult, including a team-wide drinking habit that nearly derails everything and Tre’s crush and best friend hooking up behind his back. That realism is nicely balanced, however, by a story that dutifully follows the beats of great sports movies with motivational speeches, unbelievable comebacks, raucous crowds, heartbreaking losses, and a lot of heart up to the final buzzer.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children’s Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Once started, even the most reluctant readers will be hard-pressed to hit the pause button.\" [audio edition] - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Debut author Graves, who is Ojibwe, realistically depicts life living on a reservation via Tre’s earnest first-person POV, and plentiful fast-paced basketball game sequences will appeal to fans of sports fiction.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Heartdrum","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890466746597,"sku":"NP9780063160378","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063160378.jpg?v=1730233348","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/rez-ball-isbn-9780063160378","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}