Hoop Queens - Hardcover

Smith Jr., Charles R.

3.71

34 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 076361422X ISBN 13: 9780763614225

Publisher: Candlewick, 2003

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Cheer on twelve professional women basketball players with a collection of vivid poems by Charles R. Smith Jr. set against vibrant photographs of the players in action.

Seven-foot-two-inch Margo Dydek blocks shots like a "Fly Swatter." Ticha Penicheiro feeds the ball to her teammates like a "Chef . . . mixing / and tossing / and chopping / and whipping." And then there’s "Fire Starter" Chamique Holdsclaw, rapidly racking up points and "blazing a trail with moves that scorch."

These are just three of the twelve women profiled by Charles R. Smith Jr. in a remarkable group of poems honoring the unique talents and determination of some of the best female players in professional basketball. With its arresting visual layout, action photographs on craft paper, and kinetic lyrics illustrating each player’s style, HOOP QUEENS will grab the attention of any kid who loves basketball - and score a slam-dunk with teachers of poetry. The book’s special cover treatment includes a cloth spine and cover stamping, giving a textured feel.

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About the Author:

Charles R. Smith Jr. says that while growing up in California, he read anything he could get his hands on. "Reading books filled with stories and poems inspired me to write my own," he says. "The more I read, the more I wrote. And if I wasn’t reading a book, I was playing a sport: I played everything, particularly basketball, and spent many afternoons on the court, perfecting my jump shot." While working on his high school yearbook as a writer, Charles R. Smith Jr. was introduced to photography and immediately decided to make a career out of it. He graduated from photography school and headed to New York to pursue his dream. "I continued with my writing, and, with a heavy influence of rap music,
began writing more poetry instead of stories," he says. "Now, I have combined my photographic skills with my love of reading, writing, and sports to create an exciting career for myself!" Among the books the poet-photographer has written and illustrated is RIMSHOTS: BASKETBALL PIX, ROLLS, AND RHYTHMS, which was selected as an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-8-Smith, the author of Short Takes: Fast Break Basketball Poetry (Dutton, 2001), returns to basketball with these lyrical rap poetry tributes to 12 WNBA stars. He gives each player a nickname based on her style, and launches into his ode with all the excitement and grace of the game. For example, Ticha Penicheiro, "The Chef," is described: "Racing and running/and spinning and swerving/in total control/while feeding and serving/delicious assists/with wrist-flick tricks,/Chef T serves/dishes with slick/style and/skill,/finesse and/flair-." Chamique Holdsclaw, the "Fire Starter," throws the winning basket: "Finger-roll finish/for last-second win,/rising and floating/like smoke/to the rim./Blazing a trail/with moves that scorch,/another hot performance/from The Human Torch." Sheryl Swoopes, "The Board Snatcher/BulletPass Catcher,/charging hard/through-the-lane/coming-right-at-ya.-/The Ball Stripper/Defense Slipper,/right-side fadeaway/net-cord-ripper" is nicknamed, simply, "All That." Action photos of the athletes are pasted large on colorful, dynamic backgrounds that barely hold the motion-filled poems to the page. Notes about each player and poem communicate the joy Smith finds both in watching the game and writing poetry. Pure pleasure for basketball fans and inspiration for kids who doubted poetry was alive, this book, like Swoopes, is "all that."-Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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