Sasquatch in the Paint

Streetball Crew #1

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld

Theo Rollins is starting eighth grade six inches taller, and his new height is making everyone expect more from him. Coach Mandrake wants to transform him from invisible science geek into star basketball player, even though Theo has little experience with the game. When Theo tries to hone his skills by playing pick-up ball in the park, kids are eager to include him at first; then they quickly see that he has no control of his gangly body. A girl named Rain even dubs him "Sasquatch." To make matters worse, all his time spent on training is starting to hurt his science club's chances of winning the "Aca-lympics," the school's trivia competition. Just when Theo thinks he can't handle any more pressure, he's accused of stealing. Can he find the real thief before he is kicked off the basketball and science club teams, or will his attempt at sleuthing be yet another air ball?

Loosely based on challenges that NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar faced while growing up, Sasquatch in the Paint is a slam dunk for fans of basketball action and absorbing mysteries.


Praise for Sasquatch in the Paint

"A crisp tale of sports, smarts and what it means to be your own man or woman-or boy or girl, if you happen to be 13...It seems to be an embarrassment of riches to be, say, one of the best basketball players in history and also write tightly entertaining novels for kids, but there you have Abdul-Jabbar. Fearless, caring sports fiction."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A humorous novel that delivers a heartwarming story about growing up, facing down bullies, and learning what true friendship is all about."
--School Library Journal



"The depth and realism Abdul-Jabbar and Obstfeld bring to the novel keep it from being a run-of-the-mill sports story...Readers will feel a kinship with Theo as he maneuvers through tough but realistic choices."
--Publishers Weekly


"This smart, sensitive novel is full of simple truths that extend far beyond the court."
--Booklist


"This funny and inspirational novel based on Kareem's sudden growth spurt as a middle-schooler captures the excitement of playing basketball and the anxiety of growing up--while growing tall, which I know a little something about. Kids will learn about the wonderful world of basketball and the importance of friendship and following your dreams."
--Magic Johnson

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Basketball, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Mystery, School

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

As a center for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1975 to 1989, American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, originally Lew Alcindor, led the all-time scores in history of national basketball association in 1984.

This former professional player current serves as assistant coach. Typically referred to as Lew Alcindor in his younger days, he changed his name when he converted to Islam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_...

Reviews

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Houston, and even though I don't like sports, I have fond memories of the Rockets of my childhood. And while celebrities writing books - even with the help of a ghostwriter - often elicits groans, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar seems like a smart guy with an interest in pop culture, from the little I know of him. It's not like a story about a kid playing basketball is a massive stretch for the guy. (There's a height joke lurking somewhere in there, but I'll refrain from actually making it.)

So how does Abdul-Jabbar fare in the dog-dies-for-a-life-lesson world of kid lit? Pretty well. I think SASQUATCH IN THE PAINT tries to tackle a bit too much. It touches on bullying, racism, religious tolerance, that one cousin you can't stand. At the same time, it's not like kids aren't dealing with those issues, often all at once. And it reflects the conflict in protagonist Theo Rollins' personal life. He's on the basketball team, mostly due to his massive growth spurt, and on the school's academic quiz team. He's having trouble balancing practice for both activities. It's two teams that he might let down if he can't manage to get up to snuff.

One aspect of SASQUATCH IN THE PAINT that I really enjoyed was the range of basketball displayed. If it's going to be a big part of the book, why not truly feature the sport? There's the school basketball team, full of rules and following the coach's strategy. There's a game between friends, no stakes, just hanging out. There's a pick-up game with no rules, elbows flying, and one with lots of rules and impatience for people holding the game back.

Theo is an easy to empathize with kid. He's uncomfortable in his body, unsure of what he's actually good at, and afraid of looking like an idiot. His mom died recently and he and his dad are still carving out a new routine. In addition to his male best friend, male cousin, and male teammates, there are some interesting female characters to round out the mostly male cast. I liked minor character Brooke, from the Aca-lympics, who is rich, unfriendly, and competitive. She's a pretty standard mean girl, but there are hints of depths. Rain, the main female character, starts off with shades of Manic Pixie Dreamgirl syndrome. Fortunately, she isn't interested in fixing Theo.

I can see lots of parents who were teens at the height of Abdul-Jabbar's career buying this for their kids. It's not a bad move. This is a book with appeal for sports fans and geeks, with lots of good social messages. There are a few mini-mysteries, which keep the plot moving forward and keep it from becoming too predictable. I'm curious as to how the Streetball Crew will develop as a series, since SASQUATCH IN THE PAINT has a nice contained character arc, but this is certainly a good start.

[Noah Crocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After growing 6 inches over the summer, Theo joins the basketball team despite not enjoying sports much. he never expected anything to stem from this, but it does; threats, psychos on motorcycles, and most surprisingly, love.

I really enjoyed this book, but I think it should have been a standalone.

[Adam Marino]

awesome book

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy sell to my students. While it's about basketball, there is a lot more going on to keep a wider audience happy. Looking forward to sharing it with many.

[Gabrielle King]

Very good and inspirational book.

[Abby Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I wavered at first because of the descriptions of basketball play did not interest me. As the book advanced I enjoyed everything about Theo's life including the bball. Great middle grade novel for sports lovers or just people.

[Kirin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My tween boys read the first two books in the Streetball Crew Series and recommended I read book one because there is a Muslim character and the basketball all-star author draws on his own life and experiences growing up.  It is 265 pages, an AR 4.5, and while the story is decent, and I enjoyed the majority of it, I didn't love it.  I was not thrilled at the choppiness of the story telling and ultimately the way Islam was presented.  Obviously there are plenty of Muslims that will occasionally eat pork and who get violent as they get more religious, but i don't think it is the norm and definitely isn't a message most middle grade Muslim readers would identify with nor want non Muslims assuming about Muslims as a whole.  The book randomly has a sudden Muslim chapter toward the end and attributes some threats on the main character as being from Muslims becoming more devout.  The main character is not Muslim, this is a side character and her family, and you don't find out til the book is nearly over that she is Muslim. I worry how younger readers will be affected by the negativity toward Islam, as it really isn't explored or even part of the story, there is enough going on in 8th grade Theo's life with out the insertion of religion.  I was glad I read it so that I could discuss it with my boys, but I would encourage the book for more middle school aged kids, if at all.  The book involves basketball as a subplot, but has larger life lessons and developments away from the game.  Do be aware one of the young characters smokes cigarettes, there is misogynistic talk among the male characters, racism is discussed, there is some physical assault, beer, R rated movies, tattoos, branding, and dating mentioned in this coming of age book.

SYNOPSIS:

Theo is 13, in 8th grade, and over the summer has grown six inches.  He identifies as a science nerd and a geek and is on the Academic Olympic team at his school.  He now, however, finds himself on the school basketball team, and has no idea what he is doing.  Towering over everyone, he is assumed to be good, but his lanky body and new found size brings him ridicule and teasing. His life long best friend, a fellow geek, can't figure out why he won't just quit the basketball team, but Theo is oddly enough,  enjoying the concept of team, and suddenly being recognized in the halls.  When he joins a pickup game to improve his skills however, he gets in a fight with another kid, get's threatened by some guys on motorcycles, and teased by a weird girl named Rain.

Outside of school it is just Theo and his police officer dad. Theo's mom has recently passed away and the two are creating a new normal, that is until Theo finds out his father is giving online dating a try.   After the first abysmal basketball game, Theo is forced to go visit his cousin in LA who is a tiny bit older than him, but much rougher.  He constantly teases Theo and puts him down.  He claims to be a great musician, but no one has ever heard his music, and suddenly on this visit, he seems a bit more insightful, which has Theo on edge. 

With Theo being pulled in multiple directions, he risks being kicked off the basketball team, moved down to alternate on the Brain Game Team, killed on Friday by the motor cycle gang and to top it all off, a CD of his cousins music has been stolen from Theo's backpack and another group has gone viral with one of the songs.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that it is a coming of age book for boys.  I feel like there are a lot of girl books out there, but this one really does get into a young males head.  It isn't always pretty, and while women/girls are at times objectified in his thoughts and while chatting with his friends, I think he realizes it and doesn't treat or talk to women in a negative way.  I like that race is discussed as he is one of 14 black kids in his school of 600.  There are times when he or his family are treated different for their skin color, but his mom never allowed him to accept it to be a reason for not being the best 'you' and she would make them put money in a jar any time they blamed race for something bad happening, a tradition they continue even though she has passed.  I like the pop cultural references, a lot of books over do it, this book makes it pretty smooth and relatable.

*Spoiler Warning* So Rain, turns out to be Matar, Arabic for Rain, she has convinced her aunt and uncle to let her change schools while her parents are in Iraq (her mom is Iraqi, her father a Quaker from Pennsylvania) and call her by her American name and let her wear American clothes (no hijab).  The motorcycle villains, are her cousins, who were trying to find her and were threatening  Theo to try and find out where she was.  Their frustration with her behavior and dress is what prompted them to hit Rain which made her run.  Rain and Theo discuss why after September 11, she was tired of being accused of being a terrorist and so she wanted a fresh start.  Her uncle and aunt are noted as being nice, but clearly the devout Muslim cousins are will be what is remembered.  She also discusses sometimes eating pork, that hijab is modesty in the Quran, not a requirement to wear a scarf, and that she is Muslim, but doesn't know if she will be when she is older.

The book didn't find its flow for me until nearly half way through, maybe about page 100 or so.  It seemed to struggle to get all the characters introduced, flesh them out, and then decide what the book should be about.  Once it got through all that it flowed better, but still left me confused as to why there was a spontaneous breakfast party, why a lawyer would so quickly get involved in the music case, why Theo was withdrawing from his friends, why Rain wouldn't just talk to Theo, how Rain had friends she could stay with after just starting at the school, how Rain could switch schools without her parents there. Really the Rain character in general seemed really forced.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: It may have been penned by a celebrity, but Abdul-Jabbar's not phoning it in with this oddly endearing novel about a kid on the court trying to find his game.

[Andrew Munden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does an exceptional job at proving that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not only very skilled at basketball, but he is also skilled at writing stories. Kareem tells a fiction story where eighth-grader Theo Rollins grows a miraculous six inches over the summer, now making him six feet and four inches. This growth spurt catches the eye of his middle school’s basketball coach, Coach Mandrake. Coach Mandrake encourages Theo to join the basketball team, even after Theo tells him that he has no experience playing organized basketball. After thinking about it for a good while, Theo decides that he will join the basketball team. However, Theo is also part of an academic squad for his middle school that competes against other middle schools in brain competitions. When Theo joins the basketball team, his focus on his academic team starts to drift away, and he struggles to stay on top of both teams. Along with this, he now has to worry about a variety of other things, such as a Russian biker threatening his life if he does not give him information about a new girl he just met, or even being accused of stealing his cousin’s hit song. Despite all of his problems and worries, as time goes on, everything begins to fall into place. He manages to settle nearly every predicament that he was in and is content with the outcome of every situation. I rate this book a 5/5 because I was very engrossed throughout the entire story. The plot was not stretched out whatsoever, and there were no times where I lost interest in the book.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theo Rollins lives with his police-officer dad in Orange County, California, and is in 8th grade at a mostly Asian and Latino middle school. His best friend since 2nd grade, Brian, is on the Aca-lympics team with him, but Theo has also just joined the basketball team after having grown 8 inches over the summer. Theo is trying hard to learn about basketball (he's not even a fan and has never heard of Dr. J.), and when he joins a pick-up game at the park, he meets a smart, basketball-playing, trash-talking and enigmatic girl, Rain, who seems to be being pursued by two motorcycle riders. When one of them threatens Theo, he wonders whether he should tell his dad. Everything comes to a head on "Black Friday" - Will he get kicked off the Brain Train team? Will he get kicked off the basketball team? Will Motorpsycho kill him?
This book captures adolescent confusion, changes in friendships and self-perception, and typical middle school issues without being preachy or lame. Adults are generally positive role models, and there are positive messages about religious (and other) tolerance. A great book to put into the hands of Kwame Alexander fans or kids who can't get past checking out sports books.
Best for ages 11-14.

[Christopher Almaguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sasquatch in the Paint" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is about a kid named Theo that just entered 8th grade 6 inches taller and now every expects more of him because of how tall he is. Before his sudden growth spurt, Theo was a science nerd on his school's trivia competition the "Aca-lympics" But because of Theo's height, the school's basketball coach, Coach Mandrake want Theo to join the team despite his lack of skill. Now Theo's basketball team is getting in the way of his school's science team and on top of that he meets this girl named Rain that he really likes. Now Theo has to juggle his basketball team and his school's science and his crush Rain, will he be able to handle all his activities or will he crack under the pressure? I gave this book a 5 because it kept me to the edge of my seat multiple times.

[Miles Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great reading experience of this book I think its great how one of the greatest basketball players of all time can write a book about a sport I love and a topic I relate to. This book really lived up to my expectations because Kareem really executed every aspect if being a young tall basketball player. I actually have a personal connection to this story, I had a pretty big growth spurt from 8th to 9th grade. I grew four inches in that summer to 6'5 and now I'm 6'7 as a sophomore. I know exactly how it is to be a tall, basketball playing, younger kid. A common theme of the book was getting called a Sasquatch because of his height. (hence the name of the book). I recommend this book to anybody who likes basketball or pop culture, because Kareem does a great job of extending this book to all audiences.

[Maryann Kasouha]

The book Sasquatch In The Paint By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And Raymond Obstfeld is a great book for someone who needs some motivation. Go through obstacles with Theo and discover who you are and what you’re good at. Theo is part of a basketball team and he keeps trying until he reaches the point where he thinks and knows that he is ready. This book gives a strong message that you should always keep trying no matter what happens, to what your heart desires. This book is a great book for someone who needs some inspiration. Again, this book is Sasquatch in the Paint by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld, so make sure to read this book if you need motivation, practice is the key to success. I recommend this book, because it inspired me and I hope it inspires you, too. That is why you should read this book.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, entertaining, "coming of age" story for teens/young adults, 1st book in the Streetball Crew series from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld. Young Theo Rollins has a tremendous growth spurt, 6 inches over the summer, making him the tallest guy in his middle school, and earning him attention from the school's basketball coach to join the team. Yet Theo has not played basketball before, and struggles to meet expectations of him to be a star player because of his height, while he's trying to learn the game. He's also part of the school's "brainy kids" academic-olympic team, and is challenged to balance academic team practice with basketball practice, keeping up with his school work, coping with the death of his mother the year before, the "unauthorized release" of his cousin's original music compositions, and his father's venture into online dating. With his sharp mind and inquisitive nature, Theo manages the challenges quite well.

[Kai Behrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Theo who loves basketball but is not very good at it. In the first part of the book Theo turns the ball over at the end of his basketball game and his the other team takes the ball shoots and scores. After that in the locker room his team mates get mad at him and he now feels like quitting basketball. But when his coach comes in the room he says alright guys were going to build a new offense around Theo. After his coach says that Theo spends some much time working on basketball that his grades start to dip and his science club which he was a part of starts to struggle without Theo being there. Then Theo is accused of stealing. Read the book Sasquatch in the Paint to find out what happens to Theo.

[Logan Balkcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book let's start off with that. But the plot is mainly about a boy named Theo Rollins and he is in 8th grade. He plays basketball and is over 6 inches taller than everyone so they expect a lot from him. But having little experience with basketball Coach Mandrake wants to train him to be a great player. Throughout the season he gets better and he realizes his height is a big advantage. Theo starts to dominate getting stronger, better, and becoming very involved with the game of basketball. The author really surprised me with the turnout of this great book. This is a really good book and a must read for basketball players and fans like myself.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newly tall basketball rookie Theo is terrified when his coach announces that the new team strategy revolves around him.

Meanwhile, basketball practice conflicts with prep for the academic team he’s been on for a while, and then Theo meets a mysterious girl, Rain, and becomes concerned about some threatening young men around her. And his nasty cousin is upset about unplanned sharing of his music.

Like how Theo resolved the issue with the academic team (stepped down to the junior team) and didn’t win the basketball game, but became a better player through practice and changing his attitude.

Great characters and development, and of course basketball play description!

[John Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is a very good book and it is a book for all basketball lovers. The first person view is a great way to write a book like this. The fact that it sucks you in from the beginning is even better. I loved it from the start. The way it describes Theo Rollins and his thoughts and feelings are really cool. In the book, he is going through a very awkward time in his life and the way he handles it is very good, and just the fact that he is so smart blows me away.

[Theo Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasquatch in the Paint by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in one word,"Amazing".This book had me wanting to go to school to read this book.When I would read I want to read forever,if you like basketball and reading good books this is perfect.It made me on the edge of my seat and not even realize how much time I killed.I think it will make people who don't even don't play basketball like it. This book is really good and I suggest you get a copy and read for yourself.

[Xavier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading through Sasquatch In The Paint. It sent me through an adventure and thrill roller coaster. The intriguing and exciting part of the book was when he would play the games and you would not know what play would happen next. I gave this book a four out of five stars because I was expecting more of a mystery book but, it had a lot of Theo’s personal life before the actual mystery came in to play. Otherwise iI thought it was a really good book and would recommend to others.

[Maryann Kasouha]

The book Sasquatch In The Paint By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And Raymond Obstfeld is a great book for someone who needs some motivation. Go through obstacles with Theo and discover who you are and what you’re good at. Theo is part of a basketball team and he keeps trying until he reaches the point where he thinks and knows that he is ready. This book gives a strong message that you should always keep trying no matter what happens, to what your heart desires.

[Owen Giesking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasquatch in the paint is one of my favorite books of all time. Usually I read sports books but not chapter books because they where to long. But this book is perfect for reading because its not like Mike Lupica where stuffs as many words on a page and its still 265 pages. Also it is written by second for all time scoring in the NBA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basketball does not dominate this plot but supports the themes of growing up, learning to manage time, and making friends. Good character development and a fast pace kept me engrossed in this story. Theo Rollins has grown six inches over the summer and is on the 8th grade basketball team. When Coach Mandrake decides to create an offense around Theo's height he feels pressure to improve his game. He's not an experienced, good player. In fact, the coach implies he might get kicked off the team if he doesn't improve. Theo decides to engage in some pickup games but the extra work hurts his other after school activity which is his science club's trivia competition. Unable to keep up with the two he must decide how he'll spend his time. When his cousin is the victim of a theft and Theo is accused of the crime, he finds that he's running out of time for everything.

The theme of managing time and learning to be responsible is one every coach watches young adults go through. Some can manage heavy loads and others can't. When Coach Mandrake threatens to kick Theo off the team if he doesn't perform, I didn't really think buy it. Coach knows Theo is inexperienced and it seemed that it was only the team's second game - I never did get a clear indication of how far into the season they were. Mandrake also spends time pointing out Theo's mistakes when he should have been pointing out the strengths he could build on. By the time he does it is on page 178, but then he implies that if the team loses on Friday, Theo would be off the team. I know the author was trying to up the tension for Theo, but it was contradictory. I don't coach basketball but what I've observed is that most basketball coaches will go out of their way to develop a kid that has height and potential.

A nice tie-in with teamwork was Theo's observation that his science club team didn't work as well together as his basketball team. They were too individualistic. The end shows how the basketball team worked together to try and overcome a taller, stronger team and how Theo realized that he could use his intelligence and creativity to try and break the opponents down. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. That was another reason the Coach threat didn't jive with me. Players take more risks when they know they are supported by the coach and they can be creative. Of course, I am a female and I only know girl sports which is quite different than boy sports. And I've never coached boys. I'm no expert so take my musings as is... just musings.

The characters are engaging from Theo's internal struggles with growing up and not wanting his dad to treat him as a kid to him grieving the death of his mom and his family trying to move on. Brian is Theo's sidekick and adds great humor. The girl, Rain, is strong-willed and not afraid to speak her mind or follow the crowd. She's unpredictable and interesting as a character. Gavin looks like a self-centered jerk, but he has an introspective side that actually helps Theo deal with his basketball woes. What begins as a one-dimensional, racist twit turns into someone that is insecure and bluffs his way with others to cover it up.

The plot maybe tries too hard to hit different ethnic backgrounds having minority characters dealing with racism. There was comments regarding the Asian boy, Jewish boy, Muslim family, and being a female. While I really liked the rapport between Brian and Theo and their discussions, I thought the Muslim boys were somewhat stereotypical with using violence against their cousin. I really liked the BIB "Because I'm Black" jar that represented not making excuses for your skin color. When Theo talks to his dad about the game and blames the kids in the stands for his poor performance because they were calling him names such as monkey, his dad made him put a dollar in the BIB jar. Theo's mom started the jar as a way of not using racism as an excuse. She once blamed a high charge from a repairman on being female. Theo and his dad told her to put a dollar in the jar. The jar wasn't just for Theo but the adults as well. It is a good reminder to not be angry and point fingers at others but take responsibility for actions. Name-calling in sports is meant to rattle a person and Theo had to find a way to deal with his anger. Today, racism in European soccer exists with fans tossing banana peels at black players on opposing teams. One soccer player picked up the banana and ate it, using humor to try and make the tosser look foolish and show he didn't care. Racism is ugly. People have to find a way to deal with it in a healthy manner.

There are some funny lines in this book. When Theo has a confrontation with a kid in the cafeteria he observed that "Everyone returned to what they were doing as if nothing had happened. Theo thought everything in middle school was like that. Students went through the day like pets on a leash. When something shiny or loud caught their attention, they all looked and barked for a few seconds, then continued walking until they passed the next shiny or loud thing." I have some noisy middle schoolers stampeding by my library right now. This book is a "skyhook" winner shot.

[Stephen Kriegshauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book a lot, but there was some parts in it that confused me.

[Kaya]

It is good

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great youth novel.

[Taran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book!

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Theo has turned into a giant overnight, and Coach has recruited him for the basketball team. But being tall isn't the same as being coordinated, and Theo is a mess on the court. Worse, all the hours he spends practicing is taking away from his time on the science team, where his geeky best friends hang out. What should he do? Hang with the homeys and stay a geek forever--especially now that the cute new girl turns out to be a brain too? Or should he head for the bright lights and popularity that come with being an athlete?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG (death of a parent); overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Since I'm generally not a fan of sports fiction (underdog team comes from behind and--surprise--wins!) I got more than I expected here. There was a lot more going on than just the game, and Theo does quite a bit of growing up and even soul-searching. His friends are interesting individuals, and he comes to some sound conclusions that might seem surprising to some. Give this to a kid who only wants to read about sports, and he might come out with a new interest in mysteries or buddy fiction!

Short annotation with spoilers: Theo is falling behind. He's the science whiz on the Aca-lympics team, but since he grew six inches over the summer and became a giant, he's also been recruited for the basketball team. The only problem is that he's kind of an uncoordinated mess on the court, and that's tough to fix.

Theo's mother died last year, and he and his dad are still trying to work through it. A subplot is Theo's finding out (by sneaking onto his dad's computer) that dad has met someone through an online dating service and is dating her on the sly. He feels betrayed.

While playing pickup basketball at the park, Theo meets a girl named Rain. He sees her get slapped by a guy on a motorcycle and runs to help, but she's not interested in his help. However, she does start to turn up around where he is--so maybe being a knight in shining armor earned him a few points, anyway. She's bright and sarcastic, but not up front with the mysteries in her life.

Theo's best friend, Brian, is a fat Jewish kid who's also on the Aca-lympics team. They've been buddies since second grade, and Brian feels a bit betrayed now that Theo might be breaking away from their comfortable routine and turning into a jock. Not surprisingly, he makes a lot of snide comments about Theo's move in the direction of sports. Meanwhile, the team members are mad because Theo has no skills and costs them at least one game. It's especially bad when the coach announces that the new team strategy is going to be built on Theo's height. Theo does do some extra practising, in addition to following Rain around and trying to figure out what's up with her.

Theo has a gansta cousin, Gavin, who is an undercover singer and songwriter. He gives Theo a CD of his songs (just to prove that he really DOES sing & write) and one of Theo's friends "borrows" it--so when one of the songs appears on the internet being sung by a popular B-list band, Gavin knows Theo has betrayed him.

In the end, Theo gets better at basketball by dint of a lot of hard work (true to life) and makes the choice to become the science alternate on the Aca-lympics team--thereby letting a well-qualified girl take the main slot. Turns out Gavin's mom had signed up to let the band play Gavin's song to encourage her son to come out of the closet with his music; Theo's dad finally admits to dating again, and they solve the mystery of Rain, who's living with her aunt and uncle and whose cousin is the one that slapped her around (not that that's okay, but they're working on it). Brian gets a little more used to sharing his best friend with the jocks, and comes to realize they can still be best friends, even if Theo is learning to be an athlete, too.

Sometimes you expect that a book written by a popular athlete will be all brand-name and no substance, but this one had a lot more to it than the usual "We won the state championship!" sports book in the MS library. Maybe just that fact earns the book its place on this year's LoneStar list!

[David J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend Sasquatch in the Paint by NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and writer Raymond Obstfeld to basketball players in middle school because of its engaging plot, the morale that it teaches, and the interesting conflict of the book. Reflecting on some challenges Kareem faced when he was growing up, many of the problems the main character faced relates to the real world, where people are struggling academically because their attention is drawn away to something else. This heartwarming story teaches the readers that effort can break through the expectation of others.
The story first introduces Theo Rollins, an eighth grader, has grown six inches over the summer, everyone in his basketball team expects him to dominate in basketball. Originally a study nerd and a science geek, head coach Mandrake wants to transform him into a basketball star that knows how to take advantage of his new height. However, Theo is not confident in playing the sport; he has little experience and does not know what he is capable of with his enormous size. He thinks that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a big man, and decides to sharpen his skills by playing on the streets. Although they try to play with Theo at first, they realize that he does not know how to “play ball”, and is just surprisingly tall. Later on, he meets a girl named Rain, who names Theo “Sasquatch” due to his unique height. As he focuses too much at basketball, he finds out that his science club’s chances of winning the Aca-lympics, the school’s trivia competition, is very low. When things cannot get any better, Theo’s cousin Gavin accuses him for stealing. Almost dropping out of science, a worthless basketball player, and an accused thief, Theo goes through a lot of changes and proves himself to be useful on the court.
The lesson in this book is to never give up no matter what other say. Theo strives hard to be good at basketball, giving up science, his favorite subject. Did he do that to win a national championship, or go to the NBA? Of course not. he did because he wanted to be better. Everyone around him, even his teammates, insulted and trash talked about him for being so weak and useless in basketball. With results like unexpected growth spurts from Theo, people expect great things. As the story goes on, Theo carries all of that heavy load and desperately tries to get better. He plays pick-up ball, gives up the Brain Train, and is even behind at school. He is willing to give up anything just to get better. As a reader, I believe that effort and a strong work ethic is one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from a book.
The conflict of this story is ‘man vs self’’ because Theo is trying to make himself better at basketball. At first, Theo struggles with science, basketball, and at school, all at once. However, he gets through it over time, and actually wins his first game. He also proves that he did not steal the recording from Gavin by finding out the real culprit, who is one of his closest friends. By the end, all of his conflicts are resolved except for the fact that he missed out in the Aca-lympics.
As I was reading, I found that many of the people I know are like Theo. They do not give up, and keep on going until they can accomplish it. Sasquatch in the Paint was a book that I enjoyed reading very much, and it made me change my thinking on effort. In the past, I thought that there were some things that only talent mattered. After reading the story and looking at the example of Theo, I learned that almost anything is possible with hard work. The authors expressed Theo’s feelings very well, and it was very descriptive. When I finished reading the book, two quotes, one from the book and one from MJ, came to mind:
"Everyone returned to what they were doing as if nothing had happened. Theo thought everything in middle school was like that. Students went through the day like pets on a leash. When something shiny or loud caught their attention, they all looked and barked for a few seconds, then continued walking until they passed the next shiny or loud thing."
“If you accept the expectation of others, especially negative ones, you will never change the outcome.”

[Connor Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine over the course of one summer growing 8 inches. 8 inches! You stand head and shoulders above everyone else your age, and the basketball coach makes you a part of the team automatically. Trouble is, you have never played basketball before, and you are inexperienced at it. Everybody expects you to be a superstar just because of your height, but you don't even want to play basketball. You just want to go home.


This is the situation of Theo in Sasquatch in the Paint by Kareem Abdul Jabbar and assisted by Raymond Obstfeld. Theo is a six foot four inch eighth grader, who grew incredibly over the summer and is now heads taller than anyone else his age. He begins to be noticed by people, and he likes the attention. Unfortunately, Coach Mandrake, the basketball coach, noticed as well, and made him part of the team. Theo hates playing basketball,and the other teams’ fans often tease him. He isn't very good at basketball, but everyone expects him to be based off his gargantuan height. Theo justs wants to be a part of his science competition in the Aca-Lympics, a competition between schools to see whose students are smarter. Theo also has to deal with the pressure of just having one parent, for his mother died a year ago. he struggles with racism and prejudice of growing up as a minority in his community, making the insults that much worse that are passed his way on the basketball court. Overcome with the stress and pressure of basketball, academics, and family, Theo tries to rebound from all of it in Sasquatch in the Paint.


For being a non-professional writer, Abdul-Jabbar is a good imitator of one. Teaming up with Obstfeld, the authors create a vivid scenario of a awkward tall boy dealing with the pressure of life and the expectations of everyone around him. Abdul-Jabbar crafts the character of Leo perfectly, showing how innocent someone can be despite their intimidating demeanor. The audience will be surely focused on this page turning novel, hoping that Theo succeeds in life, and especially basketball. The minor characters of this book need a little work, since they are underdeveloped and at the end you really wonder about his best friend Brain and the snooty rich girl Brooke, as you realise you didn't learn much more about them than just their names and a tad bit of their personality. However, Abdul Jabbar does master creating not a single antagonist, but still pressuring Theo in a classic Man vs. Self way. The setting of the book was very well painted, for it showed what basketball games are really like when you are misunderstood/feared, and how people will react when they see you. The exposition in Sasquatch in the Paint is one of the faster and better expositions I have ever read, as it starts out at a basketball game and Theo reflecting on himself afterwards. The overall theme of this story tackles some of the toughest questions facing the world today (including racism and a misunderstood Arabic culture) can all be summed up into don’t judge a book by it’s cover and be nice to one another. I feel this recurring theme of the story helps people our age understand how to react to such things and in most cases how to stand up to that hatred that is present in society.

This book deserves a 7/10 rating for a well crafted story with some considerable flaws, mostly being the authors inability to develop other characters besides the protagonist and the lack of complexity usually seen in books meant for people my age. The book, however, provides a intriguing perspective into what Kareem Abdul Jabbar faced when he was young, which makes this book a interesting read for any basketball fan to be enveloped in the mind of a NBA legend.