The Rebounder

Children's Literature - Debby Buchanan

Hamilton High's basketball coach, Doug Fulton, dreams of a championship season, and he may finally have the team who can do it, if he can recruit transfer student Chris Patton to the team. Chris is a natural player, but unfortunately he has reasons of his own for refusing to play basketball, no matter how much the team may need him. When Chris finally does agree to play, it is Coach Fulton who has reservations, having learned the tragic secret that troubles Chris. Dygard writes an exciting story, full of sports action, as well as a compelling story about a young man's struggle to make peace with himself and his past.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Small-town high school basketball coach Doug Fulton needs a good center. He notices a tall, athletic-looking transfer student named Chris Patton and wonders why he's not interested in playing. Some investigation reveals that the boy was involved in an unusual accident that left an opposing player with a damaged eye. Eventually, Chris decides to suit up and the Panthers excel. However, another accident causes him to quit, and it is only after some scrabbling on the part of Fulton and the team manager that Chris is convinced that the injuries caused by his flying elbows are not his fault. At the novel's end, the Panthers seem ready to win a conference championship. This is a fairly common plot from old-fashioned boxing stories-boxer hurts man in ring, etc.-folded into a basketball setting. It's somewhat original in that it is told from the coach's perspective and not a player's. Because of this, Fulton is the only character readers get to know very well. Yet, he's certainly a nice guy and sports fans will appreciate seeing how he tries to mold his team. Although a simple story, it is well told, and readers will appreciate the straightforward plot and action.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL

Carolyn Phelan

A six-feet-six-inch, athletic-looking transfer student would catch the eye of any high-school basketball coach, but when Coach Fulton invites the boy to tryouts, Chris will only say, "I'm not a basketball player." After accidentally injuring an opponent during a game the previous season, Chris quit playing basketball. And he "doesn't" want to talk about it. Coach Fulton offers the boy the unpressured support he needs to return to the sport he loves. Bucking the stereotype of the high-school coach who cares little about the players individually, Dygard portrays Fulton as a sensitive individual whose awareness extends far beyond the scoreboard. However, telling the story from Fulton's point of view puts readers at a distance from Chris' internal conflict, which young people might have found more absorbing than his coach's problems. Readers who look for play-by-play action in basketball books will find several convincing game scenes here.