Power Forward
By Hena Khan and Sally Wern Comport
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Fourth grader Zayd Saleem has some serious hoop dreams. He’s not just going to be a professional basketball player. He’s going to be a star. A legend. The first Pakistani-American kid to make it to the NBA. He knows this deep in his soul. It’s his destiny. There are only a few small things in his way.
For starters, Zayd’s only on the D-team. (D stands for developmental, but to Zayd it’s always felt like a bad grade or something.) Not to mention, he’s a bit on the scrawny side, even for the fourth grade team. But his best friend Adam is on the Gold Team, and it’s Zayd’s dream for the two of them to play together.
His mom and dad don’t get it. They want him to practice his violin way more than his jump shot. When he gets caught blowing off his violin lessons to practice, Zayd’s parents lay down the ultimate punishment: he has to hang up his high tops and isn’t allowed to play basketball anymore.
As tryouts for the Gold Team approach, Zayd has to find the courage to stand up for himself and chase his dream.
Hena Khan
Hena Khan is a Pakistani American writer. She is the author of the middle grade novels Amina’s Voice, Amina’s Song, More to the Story, Drawing Deena, and the Zara’s Rules series and picture books Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, and It’s Ramadan, Curious George, among others. Hena lives in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland, with her family. You can learn more about Hena and her books by visiting her website at HenaKhan.com or connecting with her @HenaKhanBooks.
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Reviews for Power Forward
13 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I liked this book because it was about just staying on the right track, and just keep on going and don't give up.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fourth-grader Zayd really loves basketball and hopes to make it to the "gold team" when tryouts come along. But his parents -- especially his well-meaning Mama -- would prefer if he plays violin in advanced orchestra every day instead. Can Zayd convince his parents about his real passion for the game?This was a great book for so many reasons. It's a quick read, which is especially good for reluctant readers. (So often, reluctant readers are interested in sports books, and many of those are thicker than the non-sports books!) The short chapters and smooth-flowing prose add to the pace. The story is about everyday stuff that kids can empathize with easily -- family commitments, sports practice, instrument rehearsal, homework, school, etc. Zayd's Pakistani-American family members are lovable and quirky from his health-nut Mama to his soaps-loving Naano (grandmother) to his goofy Jamal Mamoo (uncle). This is especially promising, given that this is the first of a series; it's easy to see why readers would want to come back to this cast of characters. The illustrations aren't strictly necessary, but they are a nice addition, especially given how they have a comic-book-style cutout around their main focus that draws the viewer in. (I'm not sure how else to describe it; it's like the pointy spikes around "POW" but instead of words, these spiky call-outs are around people.) The characters are then drawn realistically in black and white.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty straightforward basketball kid story. Main theme, being true to yourself and not lying. In the background an uncle thinking about a semi-arranged marriage and traditional Pakistani foods and games, casual mentions of Islam -- I love that this is a story that is clearly set in an immigrant family (at some point they were immigrants) but it isn't about that at all. It's about a kid who loves basketball, who missteps and has to make it up, and who has some underlying anxiety/food issues. Fast paced, easy to fall into.