Travel Team

May 23, 2012 Jacob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-humanitims, finished-irp-books

Book Review
Travel Team
By:Jacob Wirth

The name of the book is Travel team and the Main character is a young boy that is small for his age. His name Danny, he is a big fan of sports and loves to play basketball. Danny finds out there are tryouts for the travel basketball team and wants to join, all he does is practice till it gets to dark and his parents tell him to come in for the night. “Danny would put chairs out there and dribble through them like he was dribbling out the clock at the end of t...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Josh B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

In my book “Travel Team” by Mike Lupica, Little Danny Walker tries to follow in the footsteps of his father as one of the greatest basketball players to come out of Middletown. This book has action, suspense, love, and most of all basketball. All reasons for why I love this book. If you like emotional sport books or any of Mike Lupica’s other books, you’re going to like this one.

I like to compare this book to another book by Mike Lupica called “The Big Field”. They are both about sports and both...more In my book “Travel Team” by Mike Lupica, Little Danny Walker tries to follow in the footsteps of his father as one of the greatest basketball players to come out of Middletown. This book has action, suspense, love, and most of all basketball. All reasons for why I love this book. If you like emotional sport books or any of Mike Lupica’s other books, you’re going to like this one.

I like to compare this book to another book by Mike Lupica called “The Big Field”. They are both about sports and both have a young boy with a love for the game. The main character in each book had a father who became famous in a particular sport but suffered a career ending injury that split them apart from their sons. These books don’t only show a boy excelling in the sport he loves, but him also becoming close to his father again. If you’ve read and enjoyed “The Big Field”, then you’re going to love “Travel Team”.

Characterization plays a big part in this book. Danny has many different relationships with many different people, all with a purpose. Danny had a close relationship with a girl named Tessa. They would often instant message on the internet and hang out around town. Lupica shows the growing relationship between Danny and Tess throughout the book to have a girl be Danny’s go-to-gal whenever he was looking for advice or someone to talk to. The author also uses the character, Ty Ross as the popular jock that great at basketball, to be a close friend of Danny’s rather than an enemy. Even though their dad’s had a rivalry and they were on different teams, Ty still believed that Danny was a good basketball player and deserved a spot on the 7th grade traveling basketball team.

During the book, Danny gets cut from the traveling team for the first time because he was simply too small. His dad, who once played for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, felt bad and created a second 7th grade basketball team that he would coach and Danny would lead. Their team goes on to scrimmage the other traveling team lead by Ty who ends up breaking his wrist, keeping him out of basketball until February. After that Danny and his dad have trouble getting into games and tournaments. Danny also has to live with the fact that he accidentally broke Ty Ross’s wrist. In the book, Lupica sends a message to the readers saying that you should never give up something that you love, because one day giving that special thing up, could turn into your biggest mistake.

I award this book 5 stars because I simply loved it. The author combines characterization, emotion, and sports together to create a great story that anyone could relate to in some way. This book is a great read for anyone, especially if your love sports. I can’t find any way to describe this book other than saying it was a great book.
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May 17, 2013 Brooks Cataudella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Travel Team by Mike Lupica
I recently read Travel Team by Mike Lupica, and thought it was a great book. It was a bit cheesy at times, but the overall message was excellent. I thought Mike Lupica did an excellent job keeping the reader entertained. I like this book most importantly because it was about sports. I also liked it because it was a comeback story about a kid just like me.

I really like how I could connect with Danny in Travel Team. Danny was the shortest kid on his basketball team, and...more

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May 09, 2013 Derek added it

Mike Lupica wrote this book to be an inspiration to many children all over the world. Danny Walker always grew up being the little guy and was said to have a disadvantage. He also got cut from the travel team he had been waiting to play for since he started playing basketball, because his dad played on that team and was their star player. When Danny got cut, this was a huge blow to his self esteem, considering his best friend was on the travel team. Against all of these odds, Danny was still abl...more Mike Lupica wrote this book to be an inspiration to many children all over the world. Danny Walker always grew up being the little guy and was said to have a disadvantage. He also got cut from the travel team he had been waiting to play for since he started playing basketball, because his dad played on that team and was their star player. When Danny got cut, this was a huge blow to his self esteem, considering his best friend was on the travel team. Against all of these odds, Danny was still able to be successful with a bunch of other kids said to be "not good enough." This serves as an inspiration to anyone who reads this book. No matter what people tell you, there is always hope, and Danny proved this throughout the novel. It may not be easy, and may take a lot of practice, but it pays off.

The theme of the book is to never give up. Do not let other people make the decisions for your life based on what they say. Everyone told Danny he was too short to play basketball, or be any good at it. Even the coach of the local travel team thought this. It would have been easy for Danny to listen to what everyone else was telling him and just give up on basketball. But he did not give up that easy, he wanted to work for it. His determination is what led to his success, not just his talents. If it was based solely off of talent, the local travel obviously would have beaten Danny's team because they were more talented. But Danny's team did not give up just because everyone told them they could not win, they were determined to practice hard every day and win. They never gave up on their basketball team and you should never give up in anything else either.

This book was a description of Danny's basketball life. Mike Lupica wanted readers to experience his life first hand and make them feel like it was their own life. This was a very effective style to write this book in because I did not want to put the book down. I felt as if Danny's games were my own games and it was my own life. The book was very elaborate in every scene and painted a picture in the minds of every reader. I could visualize every game, every shot, every second. I felt as if Danny's best friend, Ty, was my best friend (he actually had the same last name as me so it was easy to relate).

I loved this book. I would love to read it again, any time I have the chance. I never wanted to put this book down. I think one reason this was the case was because it was about something I love, sports. Many books that are about sports would only be entertaining for athletes because they can relate, but this book would be a great read for anyone. I do not think I would change anything about this book because I loved it so much. It is similar to another book I have read because I have read another book written by Mike Lupica. The style was the same in this book and in his other book, Heat. I would give this book 6 stars out of 5 if that was possible so I will just settle with 5 stars.(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Jake H rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: enriched-reading-semester-2-2013

Plot-
Danny Walker, a very small basketball player, was cut from his traveling basketball team. He was a very good player, but he was to small. Danny specialized in passing the ball, he was one of the best passers for his age group. It was hard for Danny when he was cut from the basketball team because years ago, his dad, Richie Walker, led the very same team to the National Championship. Richie became famous as a kid because that was when ESPN just started to make sports stories. They started of...more Plot-
Danny Walker, a very small basketball player, was cut from his traveling basketball team. He was a very good player, but he was to small. Danny specialized in passing the ball, he was one of the best passers for his age group. It was hard for Danny when he was cut from the basketball team because years ago, his dad, Richie Walker, led the very same team to the National Championship. Richie became famous as a kid because that was when ESPN just started to make sports stories. They started off with little stories until they grew into what they are today, one of the most watched sports channels. Richie got drafted to the NBA, but later got washed out. One day, Richie came to visit his son that he has not seen in a long time. Once Richie heard the bad news, he tried to cheer Danny up. Richie had an idea to start his own basketball team so he can give Danny and all of the other kids who got cu a second chance. Can they rise up to play against all of the bigger kids? Can they get to a National Championship? Can Richie coach his team well enough?

Characters-
Danny Walker- Short, great passer, has great confidence, plays and practices basketball all of the time in his back yard.
Dynamic Character- Because Danny finally realizes that your don't have to be the biggest or the strongest, but putting all of you have and practicing hard can win it all.
Richie Walker- Washed out Basketball player, Used to be great when he was a kid, doesn't see his kid very often.
Ty- A friend of Danny's, Best basketball player in their town.
Will- A friend of Danny's(probably his best friend), Plays on his team, Helps Danny out a lot.
Jeffery Ross- President of Middle Town Savings Bank, Middletown Chamber of Commerce, and Middle Town Basketball, Ty's father, Full of himself.

Key Issues- I think the main idea of this book is that working as a team and being coached good is the key to winning. You don't always have to be the fastest, strongest, smartest, or tallest.

Other Information-
I gave this book the rating that I did because I don't normally read basketball books because I'm not a big fan of it, but this one was more about working hard at what you love to do. Because Danny practiced a lot, he became a great passer. I liked this book, although I had to read a lot more pages than normal (274), it was worth it. I liked the ending of this book. It is a good way to end the book in my opinion. People who like sports should read this book. This book is very long. It is worth reading if you pay attention to the big and small details.(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Neil Chambers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Travel Team by Mike Lupica was one of the best books that I have read because it related to me in many ways. The connection to my life as well as many intriguing events throughout the story and a great plot made it a great read for me. This book relates to me because it is about a kid, Danny, who loves basketball, but is on the shorter side, but makes up for it through hard work, dedication, and simple love of the game. Although, being short is one of his biggest adversities, his parents also ha...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Zach Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mike Lupica wrote this book to be an inspiration to many children all over. Danny Walker always grew up being the little guy and was said to have a disadvantage. He also got cut from the travel team he had been waiting to play for since he started playing basketball, because his dad played on that team and was their star player. When Danny got cut, this was a huge blow to his self esteem, considering his best friend was on the travel team. Against all of these odds, Danny was still able to be su...more Mike Lupica wrote this book to be an inspiration to many children all over. Danny Walker always grew up being the little guy and was said to have a disadvantage. He also got cut from the travel team he had been waiting to play for since he started playing basketball, because his dad played on that team and was their star player. When Danny got cut, this was a huge blow to his self esteem, considering his best friend was on the travel team. Against all of these odds, Danny was still able to be successful with a bunch of other kids said to be "not good enough." This serves as an inspiration to anyone who reads this book. No matter what people tell you, there is always hope, and Danny proved this throughout the novel. It may not be easy, and may take a lot of practice, but it pays off.

The theme of the book is to never give up. Do not let other people make the decisions for your life based on what they say. Everyone told Danny he was too short to play basketball, or be any good at it. Even the coach of the local travel team thought this. It would have been easy for Danny to listen to what everyone else was telling him and just give up on basketball. But he did not give up that easy, he wanted to work for it. His determination is what led to his success, not just his talents. If it was based solely off of talent, the local travel obviously would have beaten Danny's team because they were more talented. But Danny's team did not give up just because everyone told them they could not win, they were determined to practice hard every day and win. They never gave up on their basketball team and you should never give up in anything else either.

This book was a description of Danny's basketball life. Mike Lupica wanted readers to experience his life first hand and make them feel like it was their own life. This was a very effective style to write this book in because I did not want to put the book down. I felt as if Danny's games were my own games and it was my own life. The book was very elaborate in every scene and painted a picture in the minds of every reader. I could visualize every game, every shot, every second. I felt as if Danny's best friend, Ty, was my best friend (he actually had the same last name as me so it was easy to relate).

I loved this book. I would love to read it again, any time I have the chance. I never wanted to put this book down. I think one reason this was the case was because it was about something I love, sports. Many books that are about sports would only be entertaining for athletes because they can relate, but this book would be a great read for anyone. I do not think I would change anything about this book because I loved it so much. It is similar to another book I have read because I have read another book written by Mike Lupica. The style was the same in this book and in his other book, Heat. I would give this book 6 stars out of 5 if that was possible so I will just settle with 5 stars.(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Zach Han rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about a young basketball player named Danny Walker. He tries hard to get on the basketball team. Danny usually makes the team, until this year. When he didn't makes the team, he felt confused. He later found out that he didn't make the team because he was to small. Danny's dad decides to make a team for him. Danny's dad used to play basketball until he got in a car crash. They then won a couple of games and eventually made playoffs. Danny's dad then gets in another car crash. After...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently read Travel Team by Mike Lupica, and thought it was a great book. It was a bit cheesy at times, but the overall message was excellent. I thought Mike Lupica did an excellent job keeping the reader entertained. I like this book most importantly because it was about sports, basketball in particular. I also liked it because it was a comeback story about a kid just like me.
I really like how I could connect with Danny in Travel Team. Danny was the shortest kid on his basketball team, and...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Nicole added it

“He didn’t make the travel team,” she said now on the quiet, dark street. Your travel team.
“Look at him play, how could he not make the travel team?”
“They told him he was too small.”

Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the court, but no one plays with more heart or passion than he does. None of that matters when he is cut from the local traveling basketball team because he was too small. This is the same team that got his father to be where he is today, a professional basketba...more “He didn’t make the travel team,” she said now on the quiet, dark street. Your travel team.
“Look at him play, how could he not make the travel team?”
“They told him he was too small.”

Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the court, but no one plays with more heart or passion than he does. None of that matters when he is cut from the local traveling basketball team because he was too small. This is the same team that got his father to be where he is today, a professional basketball player. Danny struggles with the results of the travel team, but this doesn’t stop him from playing the game.

Danny Walker’s hopes were crushed when he saw the results of the travel team. He was deemed as “too small” to play on the travel team by Mr. Ross, his dad’s old rival opponent in basketball. Mr. Ross found that size and strength were more important than knowing the game. Danny tries to not let this bother him, but all he wanted to do this year was to show his parents that he could play. He wanted to prove to them that he could be just as good as his dad, Richie Walker.

Richie Walker had found out this terrible news. It was impossible, he saw his kid play. He was an amazing player! Then he found out who was behind all of this. He couldn’t believe that Mr. Ross, his old rival, had not accepted Danny on the team; not only because of his size, but because of Richie too. Then Richie came up with a plan. He would create his own travel team! The plan was dubious at first, but he would do whatever it took to help his son fulfill his dream.

Richie then set out to find the players for his new travel team. Danny wasn’t the only kid that got cut for the wrong reasons. Together, Danny and the die-hard kids got together to play ball. Most of all, was the much-needed strength to encounter all the obstacles that are in their way from winning the state championship. Getting to the championship will take wit, strength, passion, and heart. Can they prove that your heart cannot be measured?

Travel Team is a great novel! It conveys the message to never give up, regardless the size of the obstacle. I felt that this novel was very inspirational. It basically tells you to not give up on your dreams, no matter the size. I normally read romance novels, but Travel Team sparked my interest. I’m glad I read it. Travel Team was a very entertaining book!
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Nov 28, 2012 Aaron Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Travel Team, by Mike Lupica, takes place in the small town of Middletown in 2004. Twelve year old Danny Walker is your average kid who has a distinct love for the game of basketball, in spite of his below average height. He hopes to someday play for the Middletown Vikings, Middletown’s own 7th grade travel basketball team – the same team his dad, Richie Walker, led to a national championship when he was twelve. Unfortunately, young Danny’s dreams are crushed when he is informed by Mr. Ross, his...more Travel Team, by Mike Lupica, takes place in the small town of Middletown in 2004. Twelve year old Danny Walker is your average kid who has a distinct love for the game of basketball, in spite of his below average height. He hopes to someday play for the Middletown Vikings, Middletown’s own 7th grade travel basketball team – the same team his dad, Richie Walker, led to a national championship when he was twelve. Unfortunately, young Danny’s dreams are crushed when he is informed by Mr. Ross, his father’s childhood rival, that he was deemed “too small”, and therefore did not make the cut. As much as he would like to shrug this off, he has a hard time doing so considering this is what he has waited his whole life to prove to not only himself, but to his Dad and the entire town of Middletown as well, that he is just as good, if not better, than any of the other kids playing, despite his size. His mother, Ali, and friends, Will and Tess, try to cheer him up, but to no avail, as Danny is convinced that if he can’t play for travel, then he doesn’t want to play at all. All of a sudden, the great Richie Walker returns to Middletown with a great idea: how about him and Danny create their own travel team? Although skeptical at first, Danny reluctantly agrees to this crazy idea. A father and a son must work together to endure all obstacles, including finding enough talented players to make a team and fighting a few inner demons along the way, to reach their number one goal: win a national championship.
Travel Team, for me, was a great, inspirational read. It left me thoroughly satisfied, and even wanting a sequel, which thankfully, there is. It was very realistic and the characters were easily relatable. Mike Lupica does a great job of taking a possible real-life situation and making an inspiring, humorous, light-hearted and kid-friendly story about achieving goals, regardless of any obstacles that may get in the way. Sports fans, athletes, teens, kids, or even adults would enjoy this story. 5/5 stars from me.
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Nov 28, 2012 Rocco Parillo rated it 4 of 5 stars

1)The book travel team was about a boy named danny who was a 7th grader who was pretty good at basketball but, he was a little to short. all danny wanted was to be on the same travel team his father was on but when he doesnt make the team and him and his dad decide to make their own travel team, danny has to face many challenges to keep his team going in the playoffs. things get crazier when his dad gets in a car accident which ended his basketball career in the first place, danny has to pretty...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Kristopheroy Fojas rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book I read was "Travel Team," by Mike Lupica. The main character in the story deals with Danny, who loves to play basketball and always makes the travel basketball team. Although one year he didn't make the team, due to his size. He was one of the best in his town. His father, the great Richie Walker is the best to come out of Middle town, but had his career ended due to a car accident. While Danny's dad set him up for a new travel team, his father got into another car accident, and couldn...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Jacob Bergroschtje rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 24, 2012 02JulianB rated it 5 of 5 stars

New York's best selling book "Travel Team" Again by Mike Lupica is the best book that i have ever read in my entire life! It's about a boy named Danny Walker who was one of the shortes kids in the 7th grade but that didnt matter because danny had the best skill, the best dribbling, and best of all he had the biggest Heart! Danny's mom and dad were divorced his dad superstar Richie Walker the one who led the Vikings to the championships, then going to the NBA to play for the Warriors one year and...more

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May 20, 2012 Taylor Litson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story was about Danny Walker and his Travel Team, they might not be that big but they are the true team with heart. They dont always win but they truly play as a team and thats what counts. The main characters in this story were: Danny Walker, Ty Ross, Will Stoddard, Tess Hewitt, Alie Walker (mom), Richie Walker (dad), and Teddy Moran. They all play a huge part in this book wether it's showing courage, teamwork, or even love for one another. Although they all ran into some problems such as...more This story was about Danny Walker and his Travel Team, they might not be that big but they are the true team with heart. They dont always win but they truly play as a team and thats what counts. The main characters in this story were: Danny Walker, Ty Ross, Will Stoddard, Tess Hewitt, Alie Walker (mom), Richie Walker (dad), and Teddy Moran. They all play a huge part in this book wether it's showing courage, teamwork, or even love for one another. Although they all ran into some problems such as being cut off of a basketball team, divorced parents, or even falling in love with someone. My favorite character was definately Ty Ross by far. The reason I think this is because even though he is the richest kid in town, and he the best at sports, he would rather play with his true friends like Danny Walker instead of being forced to play on his fathers team that he doesnt even like. Another reason is because he cares for others and he treats them with respect and I think that is one reason why he is so popular.

In this story I can relate to a lot of things that are happening. Such as when you are playing a sport, which I play very many but the point is that you have teamwork and it's not how big or good you are because one person can't do all of the work it takes the whole team. Another thing I can relate to is injuring one of my own players and that person is no longer to play sports anymore, it wasn't on purpose but when you do something like that it really makes you feel bad. The last thing that I can relate to in this book is about friends and girls. Sometimes you may not be the most liked person in a group of your friends but you will always will know that you will always be there for your friends even if something bad goes down. Now about the girls part, in this book Danny Walker has a huge crush on Tess Hewitt and she encourages him to do his best in everything he does and I can also to relate to this in my personal life, but what I am saying is do what you want to do dont always do what others want you to do.

I honestly thought this book was really good. My favorite part of this book was when Danny Walker and Ty Ross make a new basketball team and lead them all the way to the championships just like Danny's father did when he was a child. My least favorite part of this book is that Danny Walker doesn't realize how much Tess Hewitt likes him and it had my so frustrated when Danny doesn't realize it, and the worst thing is that he likes her too. If I could change anything in this book it would definately be to make it that Danny and Ty were best friends from the start so that they didn't have a weird tension between each other. Otherwise this book was terrific!

If I could recommend this book to anyone I would chose anyone who loves sports and learning about teamwork, and how to have courage when you aren't the biggest player in the game, you just have to believe in yourself. I think this book wasn't written for just one type of person, I think it was written for everyone. It is truly a really good book and It is one of my favorites. I recommend that anyone who finds this book reads it because of how good it is!

T H E E N D!:)(less)

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May 07, 2012 Chris Salisbury added it

I read the book "travel team" by Mike Luupica. The story takes place in Middletown, New York. This is a city on Long Island.The main character is Danny Walker. He is a twelve year old boy who lives only with his mom, and his dad used to play NBA basketball for the Warriors. Danny is a little short for his age, but he has played basketball all his life still. So when tryouts come around for the 8th grade travel team, Danny is eager to make the team. I thought this part was very suspenful because...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Trae Wells rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was a very interesting book;I could relate the story to my own personal life. The book was about an undersized middle school boy named Danny who's father was an idol in their town. The reason his father was greatly admired was because when he was younger he led the same team that he tried out for to a national championship. Also, his father Richie Walker was in the NBA when a tragedy destroyed his career, for he was involved in a car accident, and his leg was smashed. After t...more I thought this book was a very interesting book;I could relate the story to my own personal life. The book was about an undersized middle school boy named Danny who's father was an idol in their town. The reason his father was greatly admired was because when he was younger he led the same team that he tried out for to a national championship. Also, his father Richie Walker was in the NBA when a tragedy destroyed his career, for he was involved in a car accident, and his leg was smashed. After the accident, Richie could never play again. When dealing with this tragedy, he left his wife and son, in which his son Danny who had made the travel team for three years was cut this year because he was too short. Danny was one of the best players in the whole town. The man responsible for cutting Danny was the coach, Mr. Ross. Mr. Ross who had a son named Ty Ross was definitely the best player in the state. Ty had broke his hand during a scrimmage against the Warriors, and it was Danny's fault. Danny was a good friend of Ty, and was sad for many days. Danny, who rarely saw his father, was playing basketball in his front yard when he heard comments about his shot. He turned to see his father, Richie Walker. Richie may of found the real reason for Danny not making the team. Richie Walker and Mr. Ross had a strong dislike for each other. Richie felt he needed to take action, therefore; he made a team who's name later became the Warriors. The team was full of kids who were told they couldnt make the team for the wrong reasons. These reasons being that they were either too skinny, too fat, or too short. The warriors' main players were Danny; his bestfriend Will; and a huge boy named Matt. Before the boys' practice began, the girls team practiced first. On the girls team, there was a girl whose name was Colby Daanes. She was a natural, and later on became a part of the warriors. However, the warriors had almost given up hope after losing all of their first nine games. Then, one day they played a team smaller than theirs, and won by a landslide, gaining their confidence. Their coach, being a big part of their winning streak, got into another car accident after the game, and was taken to the hospital. There was no one to coach the Warriors, so Danny became the coach of the team. As soon as the playoffs started, Ty Ross was able to play again. The first team Danny played was the Vikings, who happened to be Mr. Ross' team. On a cold day, Ty approached Danny and said, "I want to be on your team". Danny and Ty played great together, and together they beat the Vikings. They had won the championship. Danny had done it, just as his father did. (less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Joey Ahsmann added it

Travel Team Philomel Books/274 pages/Copyright 2004/$16.99
Mike Lupica ISBN 0-39924150-7

Travel Team is a book that is about a kid who is too small. Danny gets cut by the local travel basketball team that his dad played for. His parents are divorced but he lives with his mom. They live in a small town called Middleton. His dad won the national youth basketball championship for they’re town. His dad got to go on ESPN! After he gets cut by the travel team he decides to take a year off from basketb...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Braulio rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was very fascinating. I really enjoyed the book mainly because I could strongly relate to the main character. The story is about a seventh grade, 12 year old, boy named Danny Walker. He trys out for his seventh grade travel team and is cut. Now, Danny is short for his age and believes this is the reason for his being cut from the team. His father, Richie Walker, was a NBA player for the Golden State Warriors and former Middletown High champion in basketball when he was in sev...more

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Dec 10, 2010 Vincent Feng rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was really interesting. It is about how a middle school aged boy is not accepted on a travel team just because of his height. This boy is Danny Walker and his dad is the NBA famous Richie Walker who was on the team, Golden State Warriors. Since Danny is not accepted on the travel team, Danny and his father decide to create their own team called the Warriors. The team had nine seventh grade boys and one girl. They are losing every playoff game because all the seventh graders except Dann...more

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Oct 19, 2009 Konrad Obritzhauser rated it 5 of 5 stars

In a the 7th grade school of Middletown in St. Pat school Danny Walker,is cut from joining the 7th grade basketball travel team. He believe to have been cut because of his size, and after being cut from the team his dream of being a legendary basket ball player like his divorced father, Richie Walker, at his age has been crushed. Only to have reached redemption by his very father who started his own travel team to help Danny and the 7th graders who have been cut from St. Pat's travel team win th...more

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Aug 26, 2009 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-sports

Sports writer and sometime ESPN analyst Mike Lupica thoughtfully offers sports watching boys (and girls) a story with which they can relate. 12 year-old protagonist point guard Danny, works his tail off year round to try to make up in skill what he lacks in size, and measure-up to his estranged father, a local hero with a tragic past. When Danny misses the cut for Travel team for the first time ever, he comes out of sulking to discover the support network around him, and gathers a team of misfit...more

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May 25, 2009 Timmy rated it 5 of 5 stars

How would you fell if you got cut from a team because you were too short? Little Danny Walker knows how it feels. Danny Walker is an eleven-year-old boy, who adores basketball. He is also really good. When Danny tries out for the Middletown travel basketball team, his hopes are crushed because he finds out he is too short.

Danny Walker was just devastated by the fact he was too small. He had been on every travel team since. His mom, Ali, tries to clear his mind about the tragedy, but it won’t do....more

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May 10, 2013 Will Gustafson added it

"Travel Team" is a tale of a young basketball lover named Danny Walker. Danny is a very undersized, point guard who got cut from his local travel basketball team, the Vikings and formed a different team with some of the other kids who got cut as well. The purpose of this fictional novel is to entertain and inspire sportsmen of all ages. The story was composed by Mike Lupica.
The theme of this underdog story is that no matter how small or how much of a disadvantage you are at, if you work hard e...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Drew Rutledge added it

The book Travel Team by Mike Lupica talks about an inspirational story that explains a young boys rise to greatness on a travel basketball team. The main character of the story is Danny Walker. He is a twelve year old boy that is the son of the great basketball player Richie Walker. They live in Middletown and Danny lives only with his mom. His parents are divorced, and the dad rarely pops into town to see Danny. When the dad does come into town, it is uneventful, and usually leaves Danny in th...more The book Travel Team by Mike Lupica talks about an inspirational story that explains a young boys rise to greatness on a travel basketball team. The main character of the story is Danny Walker. He is a twelve year old boy that is the son of the great basketball player Richie Walker. They live in Middletown and Danny lives only with his mom. His parents are divorced, and the dad rarely pops into town to see Danny. When the dad does come into town, it is uneventful, and usually leaves Danny in the dumps. Danny is an aspiring basketball player that is trying to make the travel ball team. The only problem is that Danny is an undersized player that doesn't get too much recognition. He is constantly living in his dads shadow because he led the Middletown basketball team to the championship game when he was little.
The main plot of the story, is when Danny goes to tryout for the team. When Danny goes to tryout for the team, he is cut due to his size. Danny's dad gets wind of this and takes it into this own power to create his own travel ball team. The Warriors. The team that Danny was cut from was his friend Ty's team. His dad Jeff Ross was the head coach of the team, and was Danny's fathers childhood rival. Danny's team is a team full of misfits. The team consists of all the kids that got cut from the Vikings, Jeff Ross's team. Danny's team shows extreme perseverance, determination, and heart while they move along to the championship.
To me this book shows me how to be a better player for the game I play. It taught me how to be a team player and never quit. Danny to me, played with a chip on his shoulder, he always was out to prove he was the best player. No matter what size he was. This book showed me that if you put your mind to something, you will accomplish it. There is a girl in the story named Tess, she in my opinion pushed Danny. Danny in the book would never admit he liked her, but I feel like he always cared what she thought of him. He went to her multiple times in the book for advice on what to do, or to just talk. Without her Danny probably would of quit basketball after he got cut from the travel team.
In conclusion, this book was extremely motivating. It kept me on the edge of my seat and got me to really think about my life and how I approach my game. Danny Walker was not the tallest kid of the bunch, but he had the most heart and drive of them all. This book shows that if you have the heart and determination to get the job done, you will. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to. (less)

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May 03, 2013 Hannaw rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2nd-brummel

I think this is a very good book so far. It has to do with basketball, this boy named Danny went out for the traveling team that his dad was on. He wanted to make it because his mother and father had gotten a divorce and also because he loved to play basketball. When he didn't make it he was upset. Then the whole school found out. He then went to there first practice to see how they played. I think his dads going to get him on the team. When he finds out that his dad comes back then he is excite...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Cody Putterman rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book that I read was Travel Team. It was about Danny Walker and how he and a bunch of his friends got cut from their twelve year old travel team because they wanted the team to be "bigger" this year. Danny and his friends started their own travel team and eventually played against and beat the original team that they got cut by. My impression of this book is that even if you have been counted out and nobody believes in you that is even more of a reason for you to try harder to win and prove...more

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May 31, 2012 Jack W rated it 4 of 5 stars

By: Jack Wirth

Danny Walker is an excellent basketball player. He has it in his genes. His dad played in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors. There is only one problem. Danny Walker has always been the shortest kid on the court.
Tryouts are coming for the local travel team and Danny is worried that even though he is an excellent basketball player, his height might come into question. A few days pass and the coach breaks the news face to face with Danny and his mother; he didn’t make the team. D...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Willy Wonka rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book Travel Team by Mike Lupica is a great book about the basketball adventures of Danny Walker, a twelve-year-old boy living in Middletown. This book keep you turning the pages with twists and turn you would never expect. This book isn’t just for sports fans though. Travel Team also includes Danny’s struggles off the court s well, including the difficulties of having divorced parents. Overall, I though this book was fantastic, and would recommend it to everybody.
Travel Team is the story of...more The book Travel Team by Mike Lupica is a great book about the basketball adventures of Danny Walker, a twelve-year-old boy living in Middletown. This book keep you turning the pages with twists and turn you would never expect. This book isn’t just for sports fans though. Travel Team also includes Danny’s struggles off the court s well, including the difficulties of having divorced parents. Overall, I though this book was fantastic, and would recommend it to everybody.
Travel Team is the story of 4’7” Danny Walker. After being cut from the travel team for his size, his dad, who isn’t around very often, decides to make a team for all the kids who were cut for all the wrong reasons. In the beginning, they look like they may never win a game, but as the season goes on, the team really comes together. Along the way his dad is trying to sober, and Danny is learning more about life than ever.
The stories main characters include Danny Walker, Richie Walker, Allie Walker, and Will, Danny’s best friend. Danny, the son of Allie and Richie Walker, has grown up with his mother his whole life. His dad, Richie Walker, who makes occasional visits, has had quite a life. He used to be the star of Middletown basketball. In seventh grade, his team won the national championship. After high school, he went on to play for Syracuse. He eventually made it to the NBA and played for the Golden State Warriors. He eventually ended his career in a drunken car crash. Danny’s mother, Allie Walker, is a very hardworking woman. She teaches at the school Danny attends, and she is consistently grading papers and setting up lessons for class. Will, Danny’s best friend, plays for the new team and can play basketball almost as well as he talks.
In my opinion, I think the author does a very good job at capturing a kid’s thought process. He always explains what Danny is thinking, and I almost feel as though I’m in the story. I can really relate to Danny’s love of the game and I think that’s why I like this book so much.
I would give this book five out of five stars. The author keeps you flipping the pages, and you can relate to at least one person in the story. This book is a perfect balance between a heart-warming story, and an underdog sports story.

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