‘’HOOPS’’ is the story of a 17 year old basketball prospect whose dream is on the edge of a good future or nothing at all. Lonnie Jackson is an African-American born and raised in Harlem, from an unstable family. Lonnie Jackson has more of a focus on basketball then school. This book shows how hard and tough it is to live in Harlem. Lonnie and some of his friends are signing up for a citywide tournament, but they must find a coach. One day Lonnie decides to go shoot baskets at a local park and suddenly finds a man lying in the middle of the court, drunk and singing passed out. Lonnie finds out that the unknown drunk man ends up to be an ex-pro basketball star named Cal, who became their basketball coach. But there’s a catch. Cal made a deal with Lonnie that if he could beat Lonnie in a one on one game, then cal would become the coach; if Lonnie wins then cal would step down.

Walter Dean Myers is phenomenal author known for many novels and award winning books. Myers is known for writing books about struggles and hard times in teen’s lives in today’s situations. Walter Dean Myers has written a new novel called Dope Sick, about a young man’s life changing in 24 hours.