Hoops of Steel

Jackson O'Connell is the main character in this book. Basketball is Jackson O’Connell’s life. Much more than a game, it allows him to cross barriers of class and race, and make new friends from the rival high school. Driven by his passion for hoops, he can almost forget his alcoholic father and a night of violence that tore his family apart. Jackson’s senior year included zits, girl shyness, and rumors that isolate him from most of the school. He doesn't have many friends and his closest is his Granny. Granny isn't actually his grandmother but a neighbor who is really close and enjoys basketball as well. Team politics keep him off the starting lineup of the basketball team, his hopes for a scholarship plummet like an airball. His self-confidence in tatters, Jackson makes errors on and off the court that almost cost him a friend and the girl of his dreams. Jackson must learns how to rebound from anger and starts shooting from the heart.