School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Ray Wisniewski loves basketball. However, at his New Jersey high school, the Polish boys are expected to excel at wrestling while basketball is left to the black kids. Initially, he struggles to make the team, attributing his failures to the fact that he is white. Once he makes it, he has trouble integrating with his mostly African-American teammates as well as some discomfort at home with the racist attitudes of his family and friends. The story ostensibly follows Ray from his sophomore through his senior year. Unfortunately, his sophomore and junior years are covered in one chapter each, creating a rather jerky pace. The central conflict is never entirely clear, though in the end one realizes that this is because Krech has attempted to show how prejudice motivates almost all of the characters in one way or another. The conclusion ties up all the racial conflict in a way that is satisfying while remaining realistic. The characters are compelling and their dialogue, complete with all the grammatical inconsistencies of typical male teen banter, rings true. The basketball action is fast paced enough to hold the interest of reluctant readers who are fans of the sport. If Paul Volponi's Black and White (Viking) and Matt de la Pe-a's Ball Don't Lie (Delacorte, both 2005) are popular, it is likely that Rebound will also be well received. While not a first purchase, this novel will find an audience.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.