The Turnover

Gr 3-7–Lucas Winston is having a great year. He has great friends, he’s making good grades in school, and his basketball team, the Wolves, coached by his grandfather Sam Winston, is undefeated so far. Lucas’s father is deceased, but Lucas is close to his mom and Sam has stepped into the role of father figure. He and Sam bond over basketball, and Sam always offers solid life advice along with basketball tips. But things start to unravel when Lucas, a passionate writer, wants to compose a biographical paper about his grandfather. Against Sam’s wishes, Lucas researches his grandfather’s past. In the process, a secret comes to light that threatens the team, and more importantly, Lucas’s relationship with his grandfather. Once again, Lupica has crafted characters who are sympathetic and realistic. The writing style is age appropriate with engaging dialogue and captivating scene-building, particularly those of the basketball games.