Travel Team
Travel Team
Realistic Fiction
By Mike Lupica
Reviewed by Josh Felicetti
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
For the most part, Danny Walker is a regular twelve year-old boy who lives in a small town called Middletown. The only difference between Danny and his friends is seven inches, being the shortest kid in town. Danny lives to play basketball and practices everyday to get better. Along with his great skills, Danny is the son of Richie Walker, who took the Middletown Vikings to the championship when he was Danny’s age. Richie, being an all-American basketball player, played in the NBA for only a short time until he got in a car accident that ended his career forever, and messing up Danny’s family life as well.
Danny, despite his ability to handle the ball, is cut from his seventh grade travel team because of his size, destroying his dreams. Danny is on the verge of abandoning his only true love until he realizes he wasn’t the only one cut from the team. Now Richie Walker comes back to redeem himself, and pulls together a team of outcasts offering them a second chance. All the castoffs have a reason now to play ball and show everyone that size doesn’t matter. Will Danny teach his team what it really means to play? Will Danny and his dad become closer? What will become of the old Richie Walker?
I enjoyed reading Travel Team so much. I’ve read this book at least twice in the past and have discovered I love it more every time. Mike Lupica does a great job of portraying the personality of young Danny and how he handles his emotions. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love for sports. Anyone who likes a good, quality read will most likely enjoy this book just a much as I did. I plan on reading and enjoying Travel Team more in the future.
