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Box Out
John Coy turns to the high-stakes world of high school basketball in this fast-paced YA novel.
Liam has just been bumped up to starter on the varsity basketball team, and the pressure's on. With the girls' team heading to State, the boys' team is under even greater scrutiny than usual in Liam's small midwestern town. When the team's coach starts counting on the power of prayer---and enforcing teamwide participation---Liam finds himself in a spotlight that's more nerve-racking than any trip to the free-throw line. In trying to stand up for what's right, Liam is forced to stand up for himself---against his teammates, his fellow students, and even his parents.
Liam has just been bumped up to starter on the varsity basketball team, and the pressure's on. With the girls' team heading to State, the boys' team is under even greater scrutiny than usual in Liam's small midwestern town. When the team's coach starts counting on the power of prayer---and enforcing teamwide participation---Liam finds himself in a spotlight that's more nerve-racking than any trip to the free-throw line. In trying to stand up for what's right, Liam is forced to stand up for himself---against his teammates, his fellow students, and even his parents.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
91 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
John Coy
40 books46 followers John Coy is the author of young adult novels, the 4 for 4 middle-grade series, and fiction and nonfiction picture books. John has received numerous awards for his work including a Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for best first picture book, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, Notable Book for a Global Society, and the Burr/Warzalla Award for Distinguished Achievement in Children’s Literature. He lives in Minneapolis and visits schools around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
January 11, 2015
I just finished an intriguing book called "Box Out" by John Coy. The main character of this book was Liam Bergstorm who had to face one major situation to be apart of something he wanted for so long. In my opinion no one could have handled the situation better than Liam.
First off, Liam was a sophomore in high school who was a junior varsity basketball player. However, a player on varsity had a season-ending injury which provided Liam a chance on the varsity team. Coach Kloss, the varsity coach, had to make a decision whether or not to put Liam on the team. Because of his great play, Coach rewarded Liam by letting him play varsity basketball as a sophomore.
This was when the conflict started to build up.Even though Liam was excited about playing varsity basketball, he had to face one main conflict. Liam found out that Coach Kloss led prayers in the locker room before the game and during halftime. Liam knew that religious prayers could not be done in public schools and tried to resolve this issue.The involvement of his parents and teachers provided some heart skipping action in this fascinating book.
The overall message in this book was for everyone to stand up for themselves even though hardships get in the way.The way Liam acted showed that everyone should stand up for themselves. Therefore, I would recommend this book for people who like basketball and nail-biting decisions that have to made on the line.The short chapter length kept my attention and made it enjoyable to read.
First off, Liam was a sophomore in high school who was a junior varsity basketball player. However, a player on varsity had a season-ending injury which provided Liam a chance on the varsity team. Coach Kloss, the varsity coach, had to make a decision whether or not to put Liam on the team. Because of his great play, Coach rewarded Liam by letting him play varsity basketball as a sophomore.
This was when the conflict started to build up.Even though Liam was excited about playing varsity basketball, he had to face one main conflict. Liam found out that Coach Kloss led prayers in the locker room before the game and during halftime. Liam knew that religious prayers could not be done in public schools and tried to resolve this issue.The involvement of his parents and teachers provided some heart skipping action in this fascinating book.
The overall message in this book was for everyone to stand up for themselves even though hardships get in the way.The way Liam acted showed that everyone should stand up for themselves. Therefore, I would recommend this book for people who like basketball and nail-biting decisions that have to made on the line.The short chapter length kept my attention and made it enjoyable to read.
April 22, 2020
Box Out by John Coy is a book about high school sophomore Liam Bergstrom who just joined his school's varsity basketball team. He has to deal with a lot of confusion throughout the book, like when his coach does prayers before the game and is subtly racist to their star black player, Darius. I think that it is a good book that does a good job on talking about high school.
There are a few reasons I think Box Out does a good job hitting high school problems and situations. One example of this is the one I already mentioned, coaches/teachers integrating religion when it is not appropriate. While this has never happened to me, I have heard stories about this happening and it is not appropriate. There is also a religious meeting the team has that everyone is supposed to go to an it seems very cultish. The coach was the reason all that happened so he was even trying to spread his religion and force it on the team even out of school. Another good hit on high school was Liam's girlfriend situation. He had a girlfriend that had went to France to study abroad and when she was there, she broke up with him over email. I think this is a great projection of how high school is in real life because of multiple reasons. First, most high school relationships don't last long and I think theirs had been going for 2-3 months. Another reason is the girl breaking up with Liam over email which 100 percent sums up today because people are scared of confrontation so she just did it thousands of miles away from him over email.
To conclude, Box out is a pretty solid book that is pretty accurate on high school topics, therefore being relatable to high schoolers and junior high schoolers. I would say I recommend to kids from grade 7-10.
There are a few reasons I think Box Out does a good job hitting high school problems and situations. One example of this is the one I already mentioned, coaches/teachers integrating religion when it is not appropriate. While this has never happened to me, I have heard stories about this happening and it is not appropriate. There is also a religious meeting the team has that everyone is supposed to go to an it seems very cultish. The coach was the reason all that happened so he was even trying to spread his religion and force it on the team even out of school. Another good hit on high school was Liam's girlfriend situation. He had a girlfriend that had went to France to study abroad and when she was there, she broke up with him over email. I think this is a great projection of how high school is in real life because of multiple reasons. First, most high school relationships don't last long and I think theirs had been going for 2-3 months. Another reason is the girl breaking up with Liam over email which 100 percent sums up today because people are scared of confrontation so she just did it thousands of miles away from him over email.
To conclude, Box out is a pretty solid book that is pretty accurate on high school topics, therefore being relatable to high schoolers and junior high schoolers. I would say I recommend to kids from grade 7-10.
February 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I personally like it because basketball is my favorite sport and it tells a story of a kid who has the same desire as me for basketball. I have not seen the movie so I do not know if it is worth seeing or not. However, the Novel is well worth reading, because this may pertain to some people who go through the same issues as Liam does in the book. The book was published on July 1, 2008. John Coy is known for writing teen/ children books, including box out. The author likes to focus on the story of the main character and use only dialogue from other characters during a conversation. This book is nonfiction. In this book Liam Bergstrom is faced with the pressure of being pulled up on the varsity basketball team. Before games and during halftimes, Coach Kloss would make the team pray. Liam did not like this, he felt as if he was forced to participate in these prayers. He had talked to his parents about this and they suggested talking to someone. Liam decided to wait, until one day he took this struggle into his own hands. He called an organization that he found online and found out it was unconstitutional to lead any type of prayer at a public school unless everyone agrees to it voluntarily. He finally decided to have a letter sent to the school on his situation. He was called into the principal for questioning and then explained the situation to coach, which led to him quitting right before walking out. The characters are well developed, it tells a background story of Liam in the beginning, and how he has always loved basketball and also about his family. Readers can relate because they may be in a relationship, which may lead to stress in your athletic event. The story does not relate to geography.
The plot is unpredictable. It starts with his situation with being pulled up to varsity and finding out they lead prayers before the games and during halftime. He decides to quit after taking matters into his own hands by having a letter sent to his school. He is offered an opportunity by the girls varsity coach to help them practice on their playoff run to state, which he decides to take. He takes the opportunity because his friend who also stood up to Coach Kloss, Darius, also took the opportunity. This book is not very relatable to any other book I have read. There is a controversial issue of religion in general and in public schools The main point of this novel was that everyone needs to stand up for themselves at one point in life, even if it brings along hardships, like giving up a spot on varsity and basketball in general. I would recommend this book to kids who are teenagers that play basketball or any other sport. Younger kids would not like this book. Any gender can read this book. It is very appropriate for advanced students, it uses advanced word choice.
The plot is unpredictable. It starts with his situation with being pulled up to varsity and finding out they lead prayers before the games and during halftime. He decides to quit after taking matters into his own hands by having a letter sent to his school. He is offered an opportunity by the girls varsity coach to help them practice on their playoff run to state, which he decides to take. He takes the opportunity because his friend who also stood up to Coach Kloss, Darius, also took the opportunity. This book is not very relatable to any other book I have read. There is a controversial issue of religion in general and in public schools The main point of this novel was that everyone needs to stand up for themselves at one point in life, even if it brings along hardships, like giving up a spot on varsity and basketball in general. I would recommend this book to kids who are teenagers that play basketball or any other sport. Younger kids would not like this book. Any gender can read this book. It is very appropriate for advanced students, it uses advanced word choice.
December 25, 2021
Box Out (Hardcover)
by John Coy (Goodreads Author)
This book is a book that had puts its main focus on basketball, totally 100% basketball book.
I did enjoy reading the book because I am a hooper but if I wasn't a hooper I think I would be given a 1 star for this book.
I think this book chooses readers.
I think the author really knows how to write a basketball book and understand basketball, but I think he understands basketball too much that makes this a good "BASKETBALL" book, but as a book, I don't know.
But I did enjoy reading the book and I really liked the story.
I think it is a really nice book for hoopers.
by John Coy (Goodreads Author)
This book is a book that had puts its main focus on basketball, totally 100% basketball book.
I did enjoy reading the book because I am a hooper but if I wasn't a hooper I think I would be given a 1 star for this book.
I think this book chooses readers.
I think the author really knows how to write a basketball book and understand basketball, but I think he understands basketball too much that makes this a good "BASKETBALL" book, but as a book, I don't know.
But I did enjoy reading the book and I really liked the story.
I think it is a really nice book for hoopers.
November 29, 2017
When I started to read Box Out, I thought that it was going to be about a kid that loved to
play basketball. I also thought that he was going to have some trouble. When I continued to
read the book, I was not off by much.
Box Out is about Liam Bergstrom, who is a sophomore and gets moved up to play on
varsity. The season goes on. The coach starts to like Liam. All throughout the season, Liam got
into a problem with coach's routine for games and practice. He does not know what he should
do about it. He chooses what he believes he should do. After that, he goes and helps the basketball
to get them better for the next game.
I would recommend this book to people that like sports and conflict. I would recommend
this book because it has some real-life problems that people face and don’t know how to fix
them. For these reasons, I say that everybody needs to read this book.
play basketball. I also thought that he was going to have some trouble. When I continued to
read the book, I was not off by much.
Box Out is about Liam Bergstrom, who is a sophomore and gets moved up to play on
varsity. The season goes on. The coach starts to like Liam. All throughout the season, Liam got
into a problem with coach's routine for games and practice. He does not know what he should
do about it. He chooses what he believes he should do. After that, he goes and helps the basketball
to get them better for the next game.
I would recommend this book to people that like sports and conflict. I would recommend
this book because it has some real-life problems that people face and don’t know how to fix
them. For these reasons, I say that everybody needs to read this book.
October 21, 2021
Good book, never had any boring parts and sends a good message.
September 30, 2013
The lights are on and the game is about to begin. Adrenaline pumps through the veins of every player. The coach enters the locker room, telling the X’s and O’s of that night’s game. Then, the coach orders the players to bow their heads and say The Lord’s Prayer. This is a public high school, you think in the back of your mind; this isn’t legal. Now, the question is do you stand up to your coach, or stay back in the crowd?
This perfectly describes the situation of Liam Bergstrom in Box Out by John Coy. Liam is a 6’4 sophomore who has just been brought up from JV basketball to play varsity when a senior goes down. Playing on varsity as a sophomore is unheard-of at Horizon High School in Wisconsin, and Liam is thrilled with the opportunity. That’s before he realizes Coach Kloss of varsity basketball runs things a little differently than JV. Before every game and after the game, the coach forces the players to say the Lord’s Prayer. When Darius (the team’s star player) walks out on the team because of the coach’s policy, Liam begins to realize what is going on. While his mom encourages him to take action, his father tells him to let someone else worry about it, confusing Liam immensely. Liam’s stress level is at an all-time high with his girlfriend Kenzie staying in France for a semester, and he doesn’t know who to listen to anymore. Quickly, friendships are tested for Liam, relationships are tested, and people’s priorities are soon revealed as Liam begins to decide what to do in his stressful high school life.
Overall, Box Out flourishes with the fact that the John Coy describes everything in crystal clarity, from the setting to the looks of the characters. Coy has mastered the art of capturing the teenage mind through the vivid experiences he shares with his audience through Liam’s eyes. The exposition of the book starts out a little slow by describing the daily life of Liam, with the twist of Liam being pulled up to varsity. The pace soon quickens in the rising action as the Christian prayers increase with number. Coy has also tackled a major factor of society today in the fact that he gives his clear opinion about the idea of separation between church and state, and raises own questions in our daily lives about what truly acceptable means to different people. The character of Liam is one the audience cannot resist, and will find themselves backing his decision to the very end. The way Coy master the immaturity and rebelliousness of a teenager truly brings his protagonist to life. Coy also manages to create not one true antagonist, but still is able (through multiple characters) pressure Liam in his everyday life. Coy’s setting of the story introduces itself masterfully, taking place in wintertime Wisconsin; it would bring the feeling of basketball season to life even in the middle of summer. Coy also manages to squeeze into this 276 page novel a theme of doing the right thing, no matter what else people say to you to try and change your opinion.
Overall, I give this book a 9/10 rating for the fact it develops nicely into a written book over time with just a few flaws. I would’ve put a little more action into the story itself and develop one of (if not more) of the female characters in the story. The story starts out a little slow, but with time, you will figure out why this book is a must read.
This perfectly describes the situation of Liam Bergstrom in Box Out by John Coy. Liam is a 6’4 sophomore who has just been brought up from JV basketball to play varsity when a senior goes down. Playing on varsity as a sophomore is unheard-of at Horizon High School in Wisconsin, and Liam is thrilled with the opportunity. That’s before he realizes Coach Kloss of varsity basketball runs things a little differently than JV. Before every game and after the game, the coach forces the players to say the Lord’s Prayer. When Darius (the team’s star player) walks out on the team because of the coach’s policy, Liam begins to realize what is going on. While his mom encourages him to take action, his father tells him to let someone else worry about it, confusing Liam immensely. Liam’s stress level is at an all-time high with his girlfriend Kenzie staying in France for a semester, and he doesn’t know who to listen to anymore. Quickly, friendships are tested for Liam, relationships are tested, and people’s priorities are soon revealed as Liam begins to decide what to do in his stressful high school life.
Overall, Box Out flourishes with the fact that the John Coy describes everything in crystal clarity, from the setting to the looks of the characters. Coy has mastered the art of capturing the teenage mind through the vivid experiences he shares with his audience through Liam’s eyes. The exposition of the book starts out a little slow by describing the daily life of Liam, with the twist of Liam being pulled up to varsity. The pace soon quickens in the rising action as the Christian prayers increase with number. Coy has also tackled a major factor of society today in the fact that he gives his clear opinion about the idea of separation between church and state, and raises own questions in our daily lives about what truly acceptable means to different people. The character of Liam is one the audience cannot resist, and will find themselves backing his decision to the very end. The way Coy master the immaturity and rebelliousness of a teenager truly brings his protagonist to life. Coy also manages to create not one true antagonist, but still is able (through multiple characters) pressure Liam in his everyday life. Coy’s setting of the story introduces itself masterfully, taking place in wintertime Wisconsin; it would bring the feeling of basketball season to life even in the middle of summer. Coy also manages to squeeze into this 276 page novel a theme of doing the right thing, no matter what else people say to you to try and change your opinion.
Overall, I give this book a 9/10 rating for the fact it develops nicely into a written book over time with just a few flaws. I would’ve put a little more action into the story itself and develop one of (if not more) of the female characters in the story. The story starts out a little slow, but with time, you will figure out why this book is a must read.
October 29, 2012
Box Out By: John Coy
I have recently read "Box Out" by John Coy. There are many interesting points and topics to discuss about the book. The main character ran into many obstacles throughout the book which made it very compelling.
The main character of the book is Liam Bergstrom. Liam is a high school sophmore who is promoted to his varsity basketball team. He is very ambitious and he has a friendly personality. Mr and Mrs. Bergstrom are Liam's parents. Seth is Liam's best friend who helps Liam overcome problems throughout the book. Coach Kloss is the varsity basketball coach. MacKenzie is Liam's girlfriend. Darius Buckner is Liam's friend and teammate for a period of time. Iris, Leah, and Chloe are the girl's basketball team's main players and Jack is the coach. This book would be classified as a sports or realistic fiction book. After Liam gets moved up to varsity, he was feeling good. Until, he found out about his coach leading prayers in the locker room. Liam knew this was wrong since this was in a public school so he decided to take action. When the girl's basketball coach Jack was looking for good players to help the girls inn practice, he knew Liam and Darius would fill the roles so they became part of the team as the girls team began their journey to states. The theme of this book is to fight for what you beleve in. Many ups and downs happen throughout the book that lure you in to find out what happens in the end, you just have to read it!
In my opinion, this was a very good book. i enjoyed reading it because i can relate to Liam being a basketball player. My favorite part of the book was when Liam is in the process of fighting for what he beleves is right because he has to make many sacrifices in this part of the book. I usually am not much of a reader but this book was so engaging that I wanted to read outside of school! The author succeeded wehn he put a spin on a book with a relitivly normal topic of basketall, it is one of the more unique books I have read. There is one thing I would change about this book. The twist or suprise happened towards the middle of the book instaed of the end which made it a little hard to follow. I woyld recommend this book to another person. If you like sports, realistic ficton, or both, than this is the book for you.
All in all, "Box Out" is a very good book that I enjoyed very much. If you are looking for a good book to read, I would recommend this book beacause I guarantee you it will receive a good review from you too.
I have recently read "Box Out" by John Coy. There are many interesting points and topics to discuss about the book. The main character ran into many obstacles throughout the book which made it very compelling.
The main character of the book is Liam Bergstrom. Liam is a high school sophmore who is promoted to his varsity basketball team. He is very ambitious and he has a friendly personality. Mr and Mrs. Bergstrom are Liam's parents. Seth is Liam's best friend who helps Liam overcome problems throughout the book. Coach Kloss is the varsity basketball coach. MacKenzie is Liam's girlfriend. Darius Buckner is Liam's friend and teammate for a period of time. Iris, Leah, and Chloe are the girl's basketball team's main players and Jack is the coach. This book would be classified as a sports or realistic fiction book. After Liam gets moved up to varsity, he was feeling good. Until, he found out about his coach leading prayers in the locker room. Liam knew this was wrong since this was in a public school so he decided to take action. When the girl's basketball coach Jack was looking for good players to help the girls inn practice, he knew Liam and Darius would fill the roles so they became part of the team as the girls team began their journey to states. The theme of this book is to fight for what you beleve in. Many ups and downs happen throughout the book that lure you in to find out what happens in the end, you just have to read it!
In my opinion, this was a very good book. i enjoyed reading it because i can relate to Liam being a basketball player. My favorite part of the book was when Liam is in the process of fighting for what he beleves is right because he has to make many sacrifices in this part of the book. I usually am not much of a reader but this book was so engaging that I wanted to read outside of school! The author succeeded wehn he put a spin on a book with a relitivly normal topic of basketall, it is one of the more unique books I have read. There is one thing I would change about this book. The twist or suprise happened towards the middle of the book instaed of the end which made it a little hard to follow. I woyld recommend this book to another person. If you like sports, realistic ficton, or both, than this is the book for you.
All in all, "Box Out" is a very good book that I enjoyed very much. If you are looking for a good book to read, I would recommend this book beacause I guarantee you it will receive a good review from you too.
June 5, 2011
Another stellar sports novel from John Coy, who wrote Crackback. Liam is a sophomore and has just been moved up to the varsity basketball team. The head coach runs things very differently from the JV coach, including leading team prayers in practice and before (during and after) games, and requiring players to participate in a student-led Christian religious group. Although Liam is Catholic, he is pretty sure the coach of a public high school team should not be requiring students to participate in religious activities. Liam realizes that if he questions the coach, he will get little time to play during the games -- and if he doesn't play, his team will be more likely to lose as Liam is one of their tallest and best rebounders. The other players know what Coach expects, and they are willing to go along to get to play ball. It's hard to stand up for what's right, especially when it could cost you your dreams -- and other people's dreams too. The basketball scenes in this are even better than the football scenes in Crackback! All my ballplayers should pick this one up. 7th grade and up.
October 20, 2014
Box out
By John Coy
Liam Bergstrom leads a normal life, he just gets called out for the Varsity school basketball team. Liam has 2 problems in his life right now, his girlfriend is in France, alone on a trip with some friends, the other problem is the coach of the Varsity team. The Coach is leading prayers in the locker room and Liam does not feel comfortable but does not want to do anything about it because he is scared he will get kicked off or won’t get enough playing time, what will Liam will do about it, what will become of his future.
I like this book because it is about a real person who lives a real life but it has so much suspense and just makes you want to know what he is going to do about it so bad. I recommend this book to anyone who loves sports and especially basketball. If you also like the book Box out then I recommend the books and you should read them in order here is the order, Top of the order, Eyes on the goal, Love of the game, and Take your best shot featuring the same people in different stories. Also read Crack back which is by John Coy.
By John Coy
Liam Bergstrom leads a normal life, he just gets called out for the Varsity school basketball team. Liam has 2 problems in his life right now, his girlfriend is in France, alone on a trip with some friends, the other problem is the coach of the Varsity team. The Coach is leading prayers in the locker room and Liam does not feel comfortable but does not want to do anything about it because he is scared he will get kicked off or won’t get enough playing time, what will Liam will do about it, what will become of his future.
I like this book because it is about a real person who lives a real life but it has so much suspense and just makes you want to know what he is going to do about it so bad. I recommend this book to anyone who loves sports and especially basketball. If you also like the book Box out then I recommend the books and you should read them in order here is the order, Top of the order, Eyes on the goal, Love of the game, and Take your best shot featuring the same people in different stories. Also read Crack back which is by John Coy.
January 16, 2018
"Box Out" by John Coy is a book that can be challenging at times and even slow ,but overall can be entertaining to the reader leaving me wanting to know more of the story and its characters. This was a book that I struggled to read when I first picked it up, then later it caught grew me closer to is as I could relate in some of the ways the main character was facing his problems. This book follows a high school sophomore who plays on the boys varsity basketball team and it shows how his life gets interfere with the game of basketball and his personal relationships. This novel has a lot to do with high school struggles and sports that a common teenager would face in his life. I would recommend this to people who play or enjoy sports and those of who deal with a conflict that your the only one against. This story shows courage and strength for a sophomore to stand up to his coach and teammates around him to do what he thinks is right. If you have ever read "Payback Time" by Carl Deuker or "Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger then this book will really grab your attention, making it a suitable book for you to sit down and enjoy. If you like the feeling of shock and misdirection this book holds a lot of that, with the character finding dead ends that seem helpless and turning it around to discovering the truth about the people around him. This book can hit a couple of groups whether aged or youthful and you'll still end up appreciating John Coy's art work. I will be honest and say at some points it seems like it gives you unnecessary information that can take away the tense emotion. The thing that really ties in this book is the literary terms used throughout the narrative. As a reader I could see a lot of literary terms being used making the publication a great book to really soak up and learn a message from leaving you more intelligent and understanding then before. My first of three terms is characterization which is used to introduce just about every character in the book including the main character Liam Bergstrom. As said on page one "Coach Kloss pints to the metal folding chair in his cramped office. He's a short, solid guy who looks more like a wrestler than a basketball coach." and also on the same page it says "Liam Bergstrom folds his thin, six-foot-four-inch frame and sits on the edge of the chair." The author John Coy likes to throw this information out so you can visualize what the character looks like and can understand the story a little better. For instance his height can help him with basketball and his thin shape makes him athletic and fast, which are both characteristics of a great player. His writing shows him as a nice kid but not very brave and gets nervous but as the story progresses he becomes more daring. The next literary technique I discovered was an easy one which is conflict. Which is a literary device used for expressing a resistance the protagonist of the story finds in achieving his aims or dreams. Without spoiling the main plot and problem, Liam confronts his coach about the problem on page 102 which looks like "Coach, i've never been on a team where we pray together before games... and i've been thinking about it." This is when he finally shows up and tells his coach that he has a problem. After this part the rest of the story changes dramatically and everything right for Liam goes wrong. My final literary technique is Imagery used wherein the author uses words and phrases to create “mental images” for the reader. This helps the reader understand what he is reading and feels like hes actually there in the book experiencing what the main characters is seeing or feeling. Page 5 has a good example of this "The pep band blares the school song, and every-body stands and sings...The bleachers are three quarters full and his mom and dad stand in the parents' section. Mom waves and nudges Dad, who's talking with the friends he plays basketball with." The descriptive wording shows were he is and also tells you information you may need later like how popular the games are which can have an impact on the players when they compete. The literary devices are used well and often to bring this book all together, only some parts are confusing and could need a little more imagery and characterization. I simply enjoyed the book, but I do think the ending could have been more suspenseful and leave the reader wanting more. Something like a foreshadowing of a second book, but at the end of this I kinda already saw the ending coming and what was to happen. Overall a good book that is a nice read which can get the readers mind to think.
August 31, 2018
How do you talk to adults when they won't listen and your just a kid. That's exactly what Liam has to face in this book, he has to go against the teacher the principal and even his parents to prove a point but most won't listen.“I'm calling you up, Bergie. Your now on the Horizon High School varsity”Sophomore Liam Bergstrom just got moved up to varsity basketball.Box Out by John Coy is a well written novel that is a great page turner and brings reality into the book with the issues of an everyday teenager. It all starts at Horizon high School in around the 2000’s when coach kloss calls him up to play varsity when a senior gets injured and they need a guys to grab rebounds. It just what liam wished for, but be careful. Everything starts to go down hill, Everyone on the team is willing to do what coach says and even practice the same religion as him just to keep their spots but liam isn't a follower he wants to take his own road.In additions to all of that his girlfriend breaks up with him through e-mail, and things just aren't going his way. Again and again liam has to learn how it's hard for a teenager to prove a point or even to talk to adults, and now liam has to get the guts to stand up for what he thinks is right and go his own road or will he just do nothing and be a follower like everyone else and let coach keeping on illegally leading prayers.
I would recommend this book because it dives deep in to social issues and i can personally relate to struggling to prove myself to adults just because i'm a teenager.
August 31, 2018
Have you ever missed the game winning shot? Well this happens in Box Out by John Coy. Liam Bergstrom is getting pressured from the boys varsity basketball team at his high school by Coach Kloss. They lost one of their bigs on the team due to an injury, causing Liam to be pressured to play on varsity because of his height. Liam says yes to the coach and when it comes to their first game there down. Liam gets fouled and shoots two free throws, he goes up to the foul line and gets the ball, “ Broke, the word from the Crosston game echoes in his mind. The first shot bounces off the rim,” he missed the first foul shot and already is thinking that he screwed it up. He made the second free throw but that wasn’t good enough for his team. Later, in the locker room the team was getting down on Liam and were upset because he missed the game winning shot. Not only did he have all that pressure from being on the varsity team he also had a lot of pressure from his girlfriend that was in france for a month. He was told to call and email her every night and some nights he forgot because he was too busy with basketball. Then the girlfriend called him one night and he answered…
Personally, Liam connected with me as I, too, have missed the game winning shot in the semi-finals and thought that I lost the game for the team. If I made that shot we would have gone to the championship game.
Personally, Liam connected with me as I, too, have missed the game winning shot in the semi-finals and thought that I lost the game for the team. If I made that shot we would have gone to the championship game.
September 9, 2021
Relaxing on top of his bed he hears his phone start ringing. He reaches over to pick it up, and sees that it is a unknown number but he picks it up anyways his mood changes from boredom to excitement when he soon hears he is finally getting what he has been wanting for so long.
Liam is a high schooler, who fears of losing his girlfriend, and has the dream of making varsity basketball. Liam attempts to help his team by playing well but attempts to accomplish getting over the fear of doing the right thing even if it hurts him. The fact that his coach is leading volunteered prayers in a public school locker room. Trying to keep a healthy relationship with his girlfriend who is overseas in france for a semester.
If the reader is paying attention, they might just realize that doing the right thing might cost you something but good always comes back to you. The cost of learning this lesson is somewhat high, but the payoff is usually worth it.
The final seconds of the game are counting down they pass the ball to liam who quickly passes it out to DRAKE WHO SHOOTS FROM BEYOND THE ARC 3..2..1. Whether the basket goes in or not, the game is won or not, the real challenge and point of it all doesn’t actually have anything to do with this game and has everything to do with the real game, living, learning, and loving.
Great book!
Liam is a high schooler, who fears of losing his girlfriend, and has the dream of making varsity basketball. Liam attempts to help his team by playing well but attempts to accomplish getting over the fear of doing the right thing even if it hurts him. The fact that his coach is leading volunteered prayers in a public school locker room. Trying to keep a healthy relationship with his girlfriend who is overseas in france for a semester.
If the reader is paying attention, they might just realize that doing the right thing might cost you something but good always comes back to you. The cost of learning this lesson is somewhat high, but the payoff is usually worth it.
The final seconds of the game are counting down they pass the ball to liam who quickly passes it out to DRAKE WHO SHOOTS FROM BEYOND THE ARC 3..2..1. Whether the basket goes in or not, the game is won or not, the real challenge and point of it all doesn’t actually have anything to do with this game and has everything to do with the real game, living, learning, and loving.
Great book!
March 16, 2021
( 4 sentence summation) At the beginning of this book, it talks about the struggles of Liam and how he was stuck on junior varsity basketball. He also has a struggle of his girlfriend being in France for the semester which worries him. As the book progresses, he starts out working and outhustling the varsity starter. This leads him to get invited to the group gatherings on Thursdays. This is controversial for Liam though because it is a religion-based meeting and he doesn’t practice the same religion. This leads Liam to confront the coach about it and the coach doesn’t react well. This is the climax in the book and I thought it was very interesting.
(4 sentence reflection) I thought it was a very solid book and I can relate to this because it talks a lot about basketball. This book was also very motivating because it was a junior varsity player that got moved up to varsity and got a lot of minutes. It also talks about a main component of basketball that the varsity does very well and that is why they are going to state which is rebounding. This was a very good read and I would recommend this to the people that play and watch basketball.
(4 sentence reflection) I thought it was a very solid book and I can relate to this because it talks a lot about basketball. This book was also very motivating because it was a junior varsity player that got moved up to varsity and got a lot of minutes. It also talks about a main component of basketball that the varsity does very well and that is why they are going to state which is rebounding. This was a very good read and I would recommend this to the people that play and watch basketball.
March 15, 2024
This book is about a boy named Liam who makes it into his high school's Varsity basketball team. At first, he's beyond excited, but as he spends more time with them, he realizes the many problems that exist within the team. During Liam's first game with them, their best player, Darius, quits. Additionally, Liam suspects that Coach Kross is being dishonest with him, and the other team members blindly follow whatever the coach says while talking bad behind Darius' back. Meanwhile, his girlfriend also seems to be dishonest, and his parents are looming over him with their own ideas of how he should act. Liam struggles with wanting to carve out his own path while also trying to do the right thing, even if his position in Varsity is at risk for it.
The book focuses on Liam's perspective and his development as a character. I like the way this story unfolds as Liam learns more about himself and what he wants instead of what everyone else wants. As he notices the wrongdoings of the people around him, he tries to build confidence in order to do what he thinks is right. It was nice to see him break out of his shell and take risks, eventually surrounding himself with people who are more genuine and honest. The book touches on religion, specifically the topic regarding Separation of Church and State, which I think provides good encouragement for young teens to stay curious and educated about the law. A major theme in the book is to always bounce back when you get kicked down, an experience which Liam goes through many times. I think this aspect of the story can serve as a valuable lesson for young people and is universally relatable.
The book focuses on Liam's perspective and his development as a character. I like the way this story unfolds as Liam learns more about himself and what he wants instead of what everyone else wants. As he notices the wrongdoings of the people around him, he tries to build confidence in order to do what he thinks is right. It was nice to see him break out of his shell and take risks, eventually surrounding himself with people who are more genuine and honest. The book touches on religion, specifically the topic regarding Separation of Church and State, which I think provides good encouragement for young teens to stay curious and educated about the law. A major theme in the book is to always bounce back when you get kicked down, an experience which Liam goes through many times. I think this aspect of the story can serve as a valuable lesson for young people and is universally relatable.
October 16, 2017
When 10th grader Liam is bumped up to play Varsity basketball, he is a little nervous but mainly excited to get to work. But when the coach starts every game with a prayer and unofficially requires his attendance at a weekly morning prayer group, Liam starts to feel uncomfortable and does some research as to whether that is legal and what he can do about it. This is a decent premise, but Liam's voice didn't ring true to me at all. He never was never believably angry, and he just seemed sort of like a goody-two-shoes who didn't want the coach breaking any laws, not like a kid who was being coerced into a religion he didn't believe. If you really, really want to read about incredibly detailed basketball plays, you might enjoy this. The basketball game descriptions are detailed and go on forever.
November 7, 2017
Do you like basketball and drama? If so, this is the book for you. Liam is the main character in the book, he loves the game of basketball and his girlfriend. He was asked to play on the varsity team because of an injury. The coach said he would be the perfect person since he is tall and can get rebounds. Coach Kloss is the varsity coach and every time before games he makes the team pray. Liam the new player on the team doesn't like that he makes them do that. "I Quit" This was the last words Liam said to his coach. This is an aha-moment because Liam quit the basketball team and now he doesn't have a team to play on. I really liked this story because I love the game of basketball and reading about basketball makes me want to read more. The book surprised me because I didn't think that Liam would quit the team, he worked very hard to get on the team. Overall, I really liked this book.
December 3, 2018
"Box Out" is by far on of the best books that I have read. It wasn't necessarily suspenseful but it was exciting to read. The book starts off with Liam Bergstorm making it onto the Varsity Basketball team at his school. Liam goes through some troubles with his girlfriend, Mackenzie, being in France, his mom pressuring him to study for the SAT, and not really knowing anyone on the basketball team. Throughout the story Liam goes through more trouble with the coach pressuring the team to say prayer during games. Liam makes a big decision which changes people's view on him.
I recommend this story to people that love reading about sports. At first I didn't think that I was going to like it but eventually I really ended up liking it. This book is a simple read that is really easy to understand. If you're stuck and don't know what you want to read, I recommend this book.
I recommend this story to people that love reading about sports. At first I didn't think that I was going to like it but eventually I really ended up liking it. This book is a simple read that is really easy to understand. If you're stuck and don't know what you want to read, I recommend this book.
March 25, 2020
Box Out is a story about a freshman Varsity center that plays for the Horizon High team. Although when he is called up from JV, nothings as it had seemed to Liam. At halftime during his first game, the team's star player, Darius quits the team. Also, his long-distance girlfriend is starting to like another guy and he is frustrated. All this time, the coach of the varsity team is leading prayers in the locker room and encouraging players to do so as well. Liam didn't feel comfortable with this so he ended up contacting a lawyer in Washington D.C. that called the school to stop. Liam then quit the team and began to become friends with Darius and practice with the girls' team. However, will he regret his decision? I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it was a solid book but didn't blow me away. I would recommend this book to anyone who plays or likes sports such as basketball.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2019
This book was very interesting for me. I related to the book as a person and could relate to it and enjoyed that. It was a view of a student athlete being in high school. Dealing with grades, basketball, family and friends. Just showing that there is obstacles that a student athlete has in high school and it isn't easy. Liam is the main character in the book. He has now finally got the chance to be on the varsity basketball team after the years of hard work to be finally at the top and be on the varsity squad. A obstacle he had to face was with his religion. He was jewish. The team lead prayer before the games to god. He didn't feel right and had to stand up for himself and what is right against his teammates, parents, and school workers.
October 31, 2019
This is a really good book. It first intrigued me because I play basketball. When I started reading it I fell in love because the way John Coy described the basketball games is detail made a movie go in my head. I could picture what was going on in the game and how the main character felt. And then when the story progressed John Coy still did an amazing job of keeping me intrigued. It may not of been an exciting topic of conflict but the way he made it progress with a snowball effect made it worth reading. This book has many ups and downs and that is also what I think makes it interesting.I would recommend this book to anyone but especially if you play basketball because it is a really interesting book.
November 20, 2017
Sophomore Liam Bergstrom just joined the varsity basketball team. His teammates made varsity because they're good. Liam's here because he's tall and Coach needs a guy who can grab rebounds. It's the chance Liam's been waiting for, but already he's playing catch-up. The other guys know what Coach expects, and they're willing to do things Coach's way, no matter what. So when Liam questions the team's practice of praying together before games, he's suddenly the odd man out. Now Liam has to find the guts to stand up for what he believes in--and take his game to a whole new level.
Published in 2008.
Published in 2008.
May 13, 2019
I really enjoyed the beginning and the middle of the book but then it felt a little old at the end but over all it was a good book. The book was about a kid that was trying to do the best for his varsity basketball team. But there were other conflicts on the journey to becoming the best. One of those conflicts was his long distance relation ship. The setting of the book is in a little town. The main conflict is Liam trying to be the best he can for his team. This book also had good imagery of what was happening during the big moments of the game. That's my thoughts on the book and I would only recommend the book to people that are really into basketball.
November 6, 2024
Box Out by John Coy is a book about Liam, a basketball player who just moved to varsity. He is very happy but also scared that he will mess up. He plays well in his first game and gets two free throws down one. Every kid dreams of making the game-winning free throw. He only needs one to tie and two to win. Liam at the line shaking a bit goes up for the first shot and airballs it. He quickly looks at his coach who tells him to calm down and lock in. On the second shot he shoots, hits the backboard and it rims out. Hes so upset he lost the game that he stops shooting for his team. As a teen, he is going through a lot of urges and hormones.
May 7, 2017
I think I am a the wrong audience for this book. I could see an avid basketball player liking this book and enjoying the descriptions of the games.
I struggled with some the inane things the author describes Liam doing as I didn't feel it added to the story. I thought there were good discussion points in the book. I wondered if the coach had been a better coach and kinder to the kids if anyone would have even cared about the prayer issue.
The Lexile is super low so this would work as a high low book.
I struggled with some the inane things the author describes Liam doing as I didn't feel it added to the story. I thought there were good discussion points in the book. I wondered if the coach had been a better coach and kinder to the kids if anyone would have even cared about the prayer issue.
The Lexile is super low so this would work as a high low book.
March 8, 2019
In the very interesting novel "Box Out" written by John Coy, you live the life of Liam, a young boy in his sophomore year of high school. Liam is starting varsity on the basketball team this year due to losing some teammates and his abnormal height, therefore he has to man up and play with the big boys. Along with basketball you'll take notice in his personal life, his love life with his girlfriend that is in a whole different country at the time, and his family. If you love sports, action, and a good story read this book today.
June 11, 2017
Box Out by John Coy is a good action filled book, but lacks the evidence of description of the surrondings. The book is a good read for someone who likes sports books, especially basketball ones. The book is about a boy named, Liam Bergstrom, who was on the JV basketball team as a sophomore, but got moved up to the Varsity team. It tells of his struggles about basketball and life. Box Out is a quick read.
March 27, 2018
The story Box Out was a great story that was extremely relatable to myself but wasn't perfect. The story developed many plot lines that just seemed a little incomplete but where the book fell short it made up for with the great human issues such as religion and gender norm. Overall this book was a great story that I would to any of my basketball playing friend since they would more likely understand the content.
November 2, 2017
I give the book Box Out by John Coy 4 Out Of 5 stars. It is a very good book because, instead of the main character being the greatest at the sport he is just an average kid who likes basketball. Also it is not just a basketball book it involves daily struggles for teens, it is a very good book for all ages.
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