Hoop Crazy is the third instalment in award-winning author Eric Walters’ basketball stories. Teammates and old friends Nick, Kia, and Mark are desperate to find another player for the upcoming three-on-three tournament. Help arrives in the odd form of Nick’s cousin Ned, who appears on a surprise visit with his mother. Nick and Ned are the same age born on the same day – but polar opposites. Nick is a sociable, sports-mad city kid, while Ned has grown up in wilderness isolation with his forest ranger parents and is, according to Nick, overly fond of bugs and big words. But somehow, Ned the Nerd must be transformed into a basketball player, and quickly.

Despite Nick’s hostile attitude, Ned perseveres in learning the game, even getting up in the middle of the night to practise shots. His diligence makes Nick ashamed of his own behaviour, and over midnight practice sessions the two boys learn to accept each other on their own terms. Walters shows his characters’ growth and connection through their actions and emotions, not by explicit statement, which adds to the book’s realism.

With detailed game plays and a fast pace, Hoop Crazy will surely appeal to basketball fans. Walters’ text is approachable for all readers beginning to feel comfortable with chapter books, and his dialogue flows naturally without stock phrases and repetition. The framework of a sports tournament is ideal to introduce valuable lessons about teamwork, the joy of sport as opposed to the joy of winning, and most importantly, learning to respect our different strengths and backgrounds. Walters weaves these concepts into the plot so subtly that young readers will readily absorb them along with the basketball action, humour, and satisfying conclusion.