Basketball Town

by Scott Rothman, Darnell Johnson (Illustrator)

In an unabashed wish-fulfillment tale for the ultimate basketball fan, a kid wakes up in a fantasy town where everyone plays basketball all day long.

Maxwell loves basketball so much, he dreams about it every night—crashing the boards, splashing treys, and taking it to the rack. Then one day he wakes up . . . in Basketball Town! Everywhere he looks, everyone is hooping, and Maxwell can play anytime he wants. To get him ready for the Championship, the Mayor sends Maxwell to Skillsville, where he aces Alley-Oop Academy and the College of the Crossover, earning his dunking diploma from Phi Slamma Jamma. At the Championship, he’s thrilled to discover that his team from home is there, up against the greatest team ever assembled! With Maxwell’s team down by twenty and only five minutes to go, can Maxwell and his team work together to give themselves a chance to win? Anyone scouting for basketball- or sports-themed books for the younger set will want to grab this gem by Scott Rothman, with energetic illustrations by Darnell Johnson—a story full of fun lingo and crackling with action.

Genres: Sports, Picture Books, Childrens, Basketball

40 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

SCOTT ROTHMAN is a writer of picture books, screenplays, theater, and humor pieces. Scott’s debut picture book ATTACK OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON (Random House) and its sequel RETURN OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON were both National Indie bestsellers and are being developed into a musical kids TV series by Mercury Filmworks with best-selling illustrator Pete Oswald and Tony-award winning composer Bill Sherman.

His most recent book KITTYBUNKPORT was featured on the TODAY SHOW and was selected by Jenna Bush Hager for her Summer Reading List. Scott’s book WARM AND FUZZY (Tundra, illustrated by Brian Won) received a starred review from Booklist who called it a “fun and helpful read about overcoming anxieties.”

Scott’s other kid’s books include the Virginia Readers’ Choice finalist BLUE BISON NEEDS A HAIRCUT and BUBBLE GUM BISON NEEDS A BATH (Random House, both illustrated by Pete Oswald), PARFAIT, NOT PARFAIT (Roaring Brook Press, illustrated by Avery Monsen), MAKO & TIGER: A SHARK’S TALE (Random House, illustrated by Mika Song) and BASKETBALL TOWN (Candlewick Press, illustrated by Darnell Johnson). He has six more books coming out in 2026.

A screenplay Scott co-wrote with playwright Rajiv Joseph, DRAFT DAY, topped the 2012 Black List before being made into a feature film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Kevin Costner. In addition, Scott co-wrote the script for the comedy ARMY OF ONE starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Larry Charles.

Scott also wrote the book for the one-person musical TODD VS. THE TITANIC (music and lyrics by Murder for Two’s Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair) which was produced by the Adirondack Theatre Festival and the Hangar Theatre.

Scott’s humor writing has appeared in The New Yorker, GQ and McSweeney’s. He received an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU.

Reviews

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has the same visceral intensity as "Now or Never" in High School Musical 3

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Young Maxwell loves basketball so much that he even dreams about it, and when his dreams take him to Basketball Town, he's thrilled. Everywhere he looks, there are places to play, people hooping, and fresh high tops and gear! Because he hasn't practiced as much as the residents, his skills are not as good as theirs, but the mayor of Basketball Town (who looks a lot like his father) tells him that he needs to work on his game if he wants to play in the Championship. This is a blow, but Maxwell goes to Skillsville and learns what he needs to better his game, and enters the Daily Dunk Off. While Maxwell earns the titles of "King Dunkman the First", the mayor tells him he still isn't ready for the Championship, so he practices some more. He is able to play in the Championship, and his teammates from real life are there. His hard work pays off, and his team does well against a very good team. When he wakes up, Maxwell is ready to do some real work on his basketball skills.

Rothman's fantasy basketball world is vividly illustrated by Darnell Johnson's bright pictures, and young readers will love seeing all of the action and fashion on the pages. The digitally created images have a tiny bit of a feel of the 1970s Harlem Globe Trotters cartoons, at least to my eyes!

The message of reinforcing skills through hard work and repetition is a good one, and a world revolving around basketball is one that many young readers would like to inhabit. I review a lot of sports books for middle grade readers, but have never considered that sports books might be attractive even to early elementary school readers! Basketball Town will be a slam dunk with readers who enjoyed Dahl and Lugo's Goodnight, Basketball, Wheeler and Gott's Dino-Basketball, Barber and Ligasan's Allie's Basketball Dream and Herzog and Bowle's Little Basketball.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maxwell lives and dreams (literally) basketball. One night he goes to bed dreaming about basketball and the next thing he knows he is waking up in Basketball Town. In Basketball Town, everything is all about basketball. The mountains look like basketballs and everyone is playing basketball and shooting hoops.

Maxwell thought he was a pretty good basketball player until he noticed that everyone in Basketball Town had more skills than he did. Even the Mayor of Basketball Town told him he needed to work on his game. Instead of being frustrated or angry, Maxwell got to work. He worked on his crossover, his pick-and-roll, and his dunking. But, was Maxwell good enough to play in the Championship game?

When Maxwell wakes up, his dad (who looks very similar to the Mayor of Basketball Town) is there telling him it’s time to head to basketball practice. Maxwell couldn’t be more excited to go play with his friends.

I loved that Maxwell realized that no matter how much you think you practice, you can still always improve your skills. He didn’t get mad when he was told he wasn’t quite ready, instead, he went and worked harder on his skills. So many kids think that skills happen naturally or feel entitled to play a sport. But, what makes you an athlete is putting in the hard work to train and working to get better every single day.

The end of the book includes a glossary of some of the terms and basketball slang used in the story. This book is great for kids who love playing basketball or those who have big dreams of playing like their favorite basketball star.

[Richetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young boy named Maxwell who loves basketball and even dreams of playing the game in his sleep. One night, his dreams take him to a place called Basketball Town where he gets to work on his skills to be a better player. My eight year old thought this was a great book and it “helped him have dreams to encourage him about basketball.” There is a ton of basketball lingo throughout the story. But if you aren’t familiar, there is a glossary in the back of the book. It might also be a fun experience for your child to explain the lingo to you if they are familiar. I didn’t know any of it, so my son and my husband were explaining it to me as we read, turning it to an engaging family read aloud. This can also be a fun book for kids new to joining a basketball team. Coaches pay attention, because this could be also be a team read aloud! Millennial parents should also prepare themselves for a Space Jam flashback! Overall, this was a fun and engaging book that encourages kids to practice at what is important to them so they can get better.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always shocking to me how few great sports picture books are out there -- especially ones not written by athletes. Honestly, that is enough to make me like this book already. But we've recently had parents at my library looking for books about teamwork, sportsmanship, and skill-building and I know that this is the kind of book they are looking for. Being an athlete takes a lot of skill-building that isn't always fun, but can be so rewarding. The message of this book is straightforward but essential for anyone who wants to learn the game. Basketball terminology sprinkled throughout will help readers feel like this isn't dumbing things down for them, and the training that Maxwell receives in Basketball Town is just silly enough to not seem dull. Some references to basketball history (Phi Slama Jama, Harlem Globetrotters' headbands, etc.) make this a fun read for older ballers as well.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This over-the-top picture book [2.5 for me] will appeal to its intended audience--young basketball fans who dream of glory on the court. As for me, although I like basketball, the story struck me as being rather dishonest about the amount of practice, skills, and training to succeed. Yes, I know it all takes place in a dream, but Maxwell's mastery of the three-pointer, even in a dream, just seemed too much. The plot concerns a basketball-obsessed Black boy who loves the game so much that he even dreams about it. When he wakes up, he finds himself in Basketball Town where everyone is playing the game and working for the championship. To his delight, his teammates are there too, and they all are improving. The digital illustrations show the youngsters going head-to-head against a team consisting of the greatest players of all time. Alas, though, it's all been a dream. Still, Maxwell awakens feeling even more motivated to practice so that he can hone his ball skills.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is certainly a great time to share this book for young basketball fans. March Madness is happening! Young Maxwell loves to play and dreams about basketball every night. One morning, he wakes up and finds himself in a glorious place–Basketball Town. It's everything basketball, even basketball waterfalls! It's where he plays and learns and practices until he nearly succeeds, yet the Mayor tells him he needs to work on his three-pointer! What happens next in the championship game feels very good indeed, especially when there's one more part to remember, TEAMWORK! Darnell Johnson's illustrations are full of colorful action, nearly feeling like one can hear the bouncing balls, the cheers of the crowd. In addition to the fun story, Scott Rothman adds a page explaining some of the game's terms for those who aren't 'in the know'. It's great to have right now!
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of March Madness, I checked this book in at the library and I had to read it! I think of Tamin L who plays for Iowa State. Cheering for my Cyclones tonight; Boom! I hope there are plenty of 3's!