Off the Rim

Fred Bowen Sports Story Series

by Fred Bowen, Ann Barrow (Illustrator)

Unhappy with his inability to score for his middle school basketball team, Chris takes lessons from his friend Greta's mother, who played in high school, and develops a good sense of teamwork

Genres: Sports

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Fred Bowen is the author of Peachtree’s popular Fred Bowen Sports Story and All-Star Sport Story series. A lifelong sports fanatic, he has coached youth league baseball, basketball, and soccer. His kids’ sports column “The Score” appears each week in the KidsPost section of the Washington Post. Bowen lives in Maryland.

Reviews

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great book

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong resident of Iowa, I was pleased to read the references to the old-style 6-on-6 girls high school basketball format. For years, the girls state tournament in Iowa was more popular than the boys, the girls tournament games were broadcast on radio and television across the state. One very unusual item of sports trivia is mentioned in the appendix. Denise Long was a star player for Union-Whitten high school in Iowa in the late sixties and was even drafted by the San Francisco Warriors of the NBA, although she never played for them.
The star of this book is a boy named Chris and when the basketball season opens, he is riding the bench and his place is on the very end, one of the last to be put in the game. Greta is the star of the girls team and while she tries to help Chris perfect his shot, it seems clear that he will never be a top shooter. Greta’s mom played in the 6-on-6 leagues, where there were three that played offense only and three that stayed on defense. Her mom was a defensive player and a good one, so she starts giving Chris lessons on how to play quality defense.
Chris proves to be a good student and it is not long before the coach realizes that Chris is the best defender on the team and relies on him to stop the other teams best offensive player. The team improves dramatically and is challenging a team with a top offensive player.
What makes this a very good book is the lesson that not all players are going to be big scorers, there will always be a need for good defensive players and rebounders. Bowen also takes a different approach in his stories; he doesn’t find it necessary for his principal characters to make the last-second play(s) that win the game.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Off the Rim by Freedom Bowen is an exceptional read that truly captivated me from start to finish. Bowen's storytelling is both authentic and compelling, weaving together rich characters and a gripping plot that kept me hooked. The vivid descriptions and emotional depth make it easy to become immersed in the world he creates, and the pacing ensures there's never a dull moment. It's clear that Bowen has a talent for crafting engaging narratives that resonate on a personal level, making this book a must-read for anyone who loves a good story filled with heart and authenticity."

"I especially appreciated the way Bowen explores themes of resilience, friendship, and perseverance throughout the novel. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with struggles and triumphs that feel genuine. 'Off the Rim' stands out as a powerful and inspiring story that encourages readers to chase their dreams despite obstacles. Overall, it's a beautifully written book that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt and inspiring read. Five stars without a doubt—an impressive work by Freedom Bowen!"

[Yoses Vidales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris was not good at basketball at the beginning of the book he was a bench warmer,he did not score as much points as every one else during practice and he wanted to get better and he was always play with Greta (the best player on the girl team) so i predicted he would get better and he did since she showed him skills. It was hard for him every day since he had practice and every one was still scoring more points then him, his sister also play for a school team and everyone loved her since she was good, he would play with Greta and that was also hard for him since she was so much better then him and the thing that made it harder for him was that the coach barely game him any play time. So he decided to change that and be a beast at basketball to not be a bench warmer and he did but at the end he learned something more important it better to have fun with it.