SCAT

Scat is a fiction book by Carl Hiassen. Scat can be viewed as a mystery, but also focuses a lot on eco-friendliness and endangered animals (esp. Florida Panther)... Nick and Marta, the protagonists both go to the Truman School. One day, on a school field trip, their 'evil' and 'witch-like' biology teacher, Mrs.Starch disappears. Apparently, she's away on a "family emergency", but they don't buy it. They do everything they possibly can to find her.

Later in the book, Nick, Marta and Duane "Smoke" Scrod Jr, a 'strange' kid from Truman work together to try and understand what is really going on in the swamp, and this brings in teamwork ,and friends into the book. The reading experience is  interesting as it follows the story from 3-5 different points of view:
>Nick/sometimes Marta 
>Duane's house 
>A Texas Oilman
>Twilly(I will not ruin the book for you by explaining) :-D
>Headmaster of Truman
This helps, because as the book progresses, the reader themselves can put the pieces together pieces of the story.

I like this book as it is very different from a typical mystery, but it still keeps you reading, and wanting to know what happens. Also, it is interesting how the author brings eco-friendliness into the book. This is a great read and I recommend it.

My rating: 8 out of 10

Travel Team and Summer Ball

Travel Team and Summer Ball are both fiction books about basketball, and written by Mike Lupica. (Mike Lupica works for ESPN, and also writes kids sports novels). These books follow Danny Walker a  12 (later 13) year old. Danny is a great player, always one of the best on the court, plus his dad is Richie Walker from the NBA. The problem is, Danny is the shortest on the court too, and because of this, he gets discriminated against a lot.

In Travel Team Danny starts by getting cut from the local travel team (which his dad led to the nationals as a kid), due to his size. In response, he, his dad, and some friends start a new team of their own. They eventually proved everyone by winning the local league.

Summer Ball starts with Danny still feeling good about winning the national championships (not mentioned in Travel Team). However, this year, after playing with older kids, Danny hasn't been quite successful, so he isn't to keen on going to Right Way, one of the most prestigious basket ball camps in the country, where his parents are sending him. Danny knows that here, he will come up against the real deal- the best kids in the country, some way older than him. The book follows Danny as he gets through camp, making friends along the way, and eventually finding success.

These two books teach you one of the most important things about sports, as well as life - Never give up! Another important thing is that in any sport you play, it's about skill, effort, and fitness. There are many other things in these books such as friendship, courage, etc.

Rating: 8 out of 10 (both)

I learned a lot about basketball from this book, as I was unfamiliar
with most rules before B-ball season at school this year :-D