Brushes and Basketballs

by Michele Jakubowski, Hédi Fekete (Illustrator)

Feeling torn apart by the Taylors recent move, Ashley Sanchez (Ash) and Ashlee Taylor (Lee) hope to find an activity they can enjoy together. Being so different from one another, this isnt as easy as it sounds. Ash wants to teach Lee some basketball moves, while Lee hopes to share her love of art with Ash. But sharing their hobbies doesnt go as planned, and soon Ash and Lee worry that they will never find the perfect activity for the two of them.

64 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2017

About the author

Raised in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Michele Jakubowski has the teachers in her life to thank for her love of reading and writing. Appropriately enough, it all started in the fourth grade when her teacher read the class Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Michele was so entranced, in fact, that when a class assignment that same year had her writing a letter to someone important, she chose to contact Ms. Blume; she couldn’t wait to tell her of her plans to become an author someday as well. After reading the rest of Judy Blume's books while in grade school, Michele was introduced to the classics by her seventh grade English teacher (Ernest Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea was a favorite). Two exceptional high school teachers motivated Michele to keep reading and To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye were the books that inspired her to write. Although she grumbled her way through Algebra and Chemistry while at Northern Illinois University, Michele loved her creative writing and literature courses. It was while completing her BA in English that a friend turned her on to the works of John Irving, a must-read author for her still today. While writing has always been a passion for Michele, she believes it is the books she has read throughout the years, and the teachers that assigned them, that have made her the storyteller she is today. It is in appreciation of these great works and wonderful people that she strives to create relatable and entertaining characters that may one day inspire a budding new author.

Michele lives in Powell, Ohio with her husband John and their children Jack and Mia.

Reviews

[Ruslana · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is really nice I recommend u to read it!🫐🤩

[Mattie]

Brushes and Basketball is the second book in the Ashley Small & Ashlee Tall series. Ash and Lee have bee best friends forever, but now they live further apart and don't get to spend as much time together. They're determined to find an activity they can do together, but when basketball and painting go wrong, they worry they won't have an activity together!

Ash and Lee are a brilliant example of friendship in a story for young readers. This book would be great for teaching a child about conflict in a friendship and being different from your friends.

This book contains a lot of text with occasional illustrations used only to support the story. There is a glossary of more challenging words in the back as well as some questions and activities to promote comprehension.

Ideal for: young readers aged 7-9.

As a white banded book, this story contains mostly medium and long sentences, requiring a reasonable level of inference and reflection while reading. This book can be read independently, although it is recommended that parents or teachers ask questions and prompt readers to challenge their comprehension.