Hoop Kings [Paperback]

With pumping, energetic, rap-inspired wordplay, Charles R. Smith Jr. profiles the distinctive styles of the best players in basketball

Tim Duncan cashes in double-digit points by banking it off the backboard. Kevin Garnett makes his new-and-improved moves in 3-D. As for Shaquille O’Neal, just see what it might take to fill his gargantuan shoes (shown actual size). With pumping, energetic, rap-inspired wordplay, Charles R. Smith profiles the distinctive playing styles of twelve of the best male players in basketball.

An International Reading Association Children’s Choice

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

A Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices List Selection

Back matter includes notes on the poems and an author’s note."This book will have enormous appeal for all ages; basketball fans will love it, but so will others who respond to color, lively language, and energy. Readers will experience a wild ride!
—School Library Journa (starred review)Charles R. Smith, Jr. says that while growing up in California, he spent many hours reading anything he could get his hands on. "Reading books filled with stories and poems inspired me to write my own," he says. "The more I read, the more I wrote. And if I wasn’t reading a book, I was playing a sport: I played everything, particularly basketball, and spent many afternoons on the court, perfecting my jump shot." While working on his high school yearbook as a writer, Charles R. Smith Jr. was introduced to photography and immediately decided to make a career of it. He graduated from photography school and headed to New York to pursue his dream. "I continued with my writing, and, with a heavy influence of rap music, began writing more poetry instead of stories," he says. "Now, I have combined my photographic skills with my love of reading, writing, and sports to create an exciting career for mysellS+