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If you loved
Books like Night hoops
A gritty, sweat-soaked exploration of how the rhythmic thump of a basketball in the dark can forge a lifeline between two troubled kids. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Night hoops.
- shadowy
- anxious
- cathartic
- lonely
- 01
The Moves Make the Man
Bruce Brooks
A sensitive, grounded exploration of a fragile bond forged on the basketball court amidst the heavy weight of emotional turmoil.
- 02
The Crossover
Kwame Alexander
A kinetic, rhythmic exploration of brotherhood, basketball, and the sudden, sharp pains of growing up.
- 03
Summer Ball
Mike Lupica · 2007
A sweaty, fast-paced summer on the court where the biggest opponent is your own self-doubt.
- 04
Slam!
Walter Dean Myers
A rhythmic, grounded coming-of-age story that hits with the fast-paced energy of a streetball game and the heavy reality of growing up.
- 05
Upgrade U
Ni-Ni Simone
A high-energy, drama-fueled ride through the messy, exhilarating highs and lows of teen romance and self-discovery.
- 06
Along for the ride
Sarah Dessen
A warm, nocturnal summer breeze of a book about learning how to finally let go and just be a teenager.
- 07
Who let girls in the boys' locker room?
Elaine Moore · 1994
A spirited, sneaker-squeaking journey through the unfairness of middle school and the triumph of proving you belong on the court.
- 08
The Schwa was here
Neal Shusterman · 2004
A grounded, empathetic exploration of what it means to feel invisible and the quiet power of finally being seen by a friend.
- 09
Harbor me
Jacqueline Woodson
A quiet, deeply moving sanctuary of a story about the healing power of simply listening to one another.
- 10
Boot Camp
Todd Strasser
A harrowing, claustrophobic plunge into the brutal reality of a secretive teen boot camp where survival means risking everything.
- 11
Lost in the sun
Lisa Graff
A tender, character-driven journey through the heavy fog of guilt into the bright warmth of self-forgiveness and unexpected friendship.
- 12
Hold Still
Nina LaCour
A tender, aching exploration of the quiet spaces left behind by loss, and the slow, messy art of learning to breathe again.
