 | This thing of ours Author: Joseph, Frederick | |
| Price: $14.24 | ||
Summary:
In an instant, Ossie Brown's entire future is in jeopardy when a torn ACL ends his promising basketball career. Now that basketball is no longer a major part of his identity, Ossi, a Black teen who doesn't come from wealth and privilege, must navigate his new place in the social and academic ecosystems of his affluent, predominantly white school. This novel confronts critical issues like racism and classism, the treatment of student athletes, homophobia, and book banning.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 5.60 Points: 17.0 Quiz: 555661 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (03/01/25)
Booklist (04/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/01/2025 After Ossie suffers a torn ACL injury at the state championship, he is suddenly unmoored from the game he built his life around. Basketball isn’t his only talent, however; he is also a gifted writer. Joining his school’s special writing program, Ossie finds himself inspired by authors like James Baldwin and finds solace in the lessons of his teacher, Ms. Hunt. Sadly, some other students in the class—upper-crust prep kids—don’t see the value in Ms. Hunt’s curriculum and begin a movement to get her fired. As tensions rise, Ossie begins to consider how he, with his large online following, could support Ms. Hunt, but he quickly learns that the noblest of gestures may result in the direst of consequences. Ossie is a refreshingly complex character who is aware of how others—the school’s athletics department, college activists safe in their ivory towers—want to use him for his athletic gifts and the fan base it has garnered him. Readers will be inspired by how he learns to stand up against the disguised race-class fissures that have long existed in his school. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
