Summary:
Levi and Jonas have become quick friends. Not only is Levi easy to get along with, but he plays basketball. Jonas is a star basketball player. He is working towards a scholarship that is sure to set him on a bright future. The problem is that the assistant coach is a little off. When Levi confides a rather large secret to Jonas, Jonas is faced with deciding what the best course of action would be. What happens if his basketball career is on the line because of this information?
My thoughts:
Deuker is a go to writer for sports inspired books. He is accurate, descriptive, and always throws in some moral dilemma. With Swagger, he does not disappoint. The basketball moves are flawless and actually make me want to watch a game. This often brings in reluctant readers that don't think they can relate to anyone in books. The moral themes within this book are also impressively handled. Without being too graphic or dealing with the situation in an unrealistic fashion (because most victims do not tell their parents or go to the police first), Deuker brings the reader into a place of deciding what to do with staggering information. Since Jonas is still a teenager, he does not have to relay information to an adult. He does not have to be anything but a friend to Levi. I appreciate how Deuker handles this within Jonas's character. I didn't feel like an adult was writing him. I felt it was authenticate and heartfelt. Jonas does things that I, as an adult and teacher, would probably not do, but I can picture my high schoolers following suit. The realism is really something Deuker strives for, and I think he nailed it once again within Swagger.
Levi and Jonas have become quick friends. Not only is Levi easy to get along with, but he plays basketball. Jonas is a star basketball player. He is working towards a scholarship that is sure to set him on a bright future. The problem is that the assistant coach is a little off. When Levi confides a rather large secret to Jonas, Jonas is faced with deciding what the best course of action would be. What happens if his basketball career is on the line because of this information?
My thoughts:
Deuker is a go to writer for sports inspired books. He is accurate, descriptive, and always throws in some moral dilemma. With Swagger, he does not disappoint. The basketball moves are flawless and actually make me want to watch a game. This often brings in reluctant readers that don't think they can relate to anyone in books. The moral themes within this book are also impressively handled. Without being too graphic or dealing with the situation in an unrealistic fashion (because most victims do not tell their parents or go to the police first), Deuker brings the reader into a place of deciding what to do with staggering information. Since Jonas is still a teenager, he does not have to relay information to an adult. He does not have to be anything but a friend to Levi. I appreciate how Deuker handles this within Jonas's character. I didn't feel like an adult was writing him. I felt it was authenticate and heartfelt. Jonas does things that I, as an adult and teacher, would probably not do, but I can picture my high schoolers following suit. The realism is really something Deuker strives for, and I think he nailed it once again within Swagger.
