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Slam!
An exciting, eye-catching repackage of acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers' bestselling paperbacks, to coincide with the publication of SUNRISE OVER FALLUJA in hardcover.
Seventeen-year-old Greg "Slam" Harris can do it all on the basketball court. He's seen ballplayers come and go, and he knows he could be one of the lucky ones. Maybe he'll make it to the top. Or maybe he'll stumble along the way. Slam's grades aren't that hot. And when his teachers jam his troubles in his face, he blows up.
Slam never doubted himself on the court until he found himself going one-on-one with his own future, and he didn't have the ball.
Seventeen-year-old Greg "Slam" Harris can do it all on the basketball court. He's seen ballplayers come and go, and he knows he could be one of the lucky ones. Maybe he'll make it to the top. Or maybe he'll stumble along the way. Slam's grades aren't that hot. And when his teachers jam his troubles in his face, he blows up.
Slam never doubted himself on the court until he found himself going one-on-one with his own future, and he didn't have the ball.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Walter Dean Myers
218 books1,125 followerspseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 688 reviews
May 5, 2017
This book is about a boy named Greg a.k.a Slam. He wants to go to the NBA, but there are so much things that is stopping him like his grades, and how this mom and dad are divorced. What I like about this book is when he moved schools and it was a challenge for him to make new friends. I like this book because I can relate that he plays basketball and I do myself also. Another reason why I like this book is because we both have bad grades.
March 22, 2013
Slam!
By: Walter Dean Myers
Review by- Andrew Johns
Slam! By Walter Dean Myers takes you into the life of Gregory Harris other wise known as Slam. It shows the struggles he has to face in his neighborhood in Harlem, New York. The book will take you into his life and you will experience the life choices that he has to make, the people who are there to help him are Matisha, Ice, Derek(his little brother), his mother and father and teachers.
Slam loves basketball, he wants to make it big and do what he loves for a living. His problems are his grades and his attitude, he has to straighten up or face the fact he will not be playing basketball anymore.
Many people that played sports in high school can relate to him, and even if you didn't play sports in high school you still know that keeping good grades is hard. There is a little part of Greg in all of us.
“Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.” Slam says when he is talking about losing people from his life. This is another thing that all of us can relate to. Slam! Is a very relatable book that will keep you interested.
The thing that I thought was great about the book, was that you really felt you knew these characters and you were right there with them every step of the way. Slam lets you know how he feels about Matisha and everything that is going on around him.
Slam! By Walter Dean Myers is an excellent read that I'm sure everyone will love and remember. I recomend this book to anyone for anything, whether it's for school or just to pass the time. It's a read that you will never forget and love forever.
By: Walter Dean Myers
Review by- Andrew Johns
Slam! By Walter Dean Myers takes you into the life of Gregory Harris other wise known as Slam. It shows the struggles he has to face in his neighborhood in Harlem, New York. The book will take you into his life and you will experience the life choices that he has to make, the people who are there to help him are Matisha, Ice, Derek(his little brother), his mother and father and teachers.
Slam loves basketball, he wants to make it big and do what he loves for a living. His problems are his grades and his attitude, he has to straighten up or face the fact he will not be playing basketball anymore.
Many people that played sports in high school can relate to him, and even if you didn't play sports in high school you still know that keeping good grades is hard. There is a little part of Greg in all of us.
“Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.” Slam says when he is talking about losing people from his life. This is another thing that all of us can relate to. Slam! Is a very relatable book that will keep you interested.
The thing that I thought was great about the book, was that you really felt you knew these characters and you were right there with them every step of the way. Slam lets you know how he feels about Matisha and everything that is going on around him.
Slam! By Walter Dean Myers is an excellent read that I'm sure everyone will love and remember. I recomend this book to anyone for anything, whether it's for school or just to pass the time. It's a read that you will never forget and love forever.
March 17, 2018
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Greg 'Slam' Harris is a 17 year old basketball star. He has dreams of making it big time. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the grades to make that happen. He also has a temper. So when his principal and coach start giving him a hard time, Slam fights back.
I think this is a good book for someone who understands the game of basketball. Since I have been playing from such a young age, I have a great grasp on the vocabulary used and the rules of the game. For someone who does not have this knowledge, I think it would be very hard to read. The writing style was confusing at times. It was told from Slam's point of view but the way it was written was hard to follow.
Greg 'Slam' Harris is a 17 year old basketball star. He has dreams of making it big time. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the grades to make that happen. He also has a temper. So when his principal and coach start giving him a hard time, Slam fights back.
I think this is a good book for someone who understands the game of basketball. Since I have been playing from such a young age, I have a great grasp on the vocabulary used and the rules of the game. For someone who does not have this knowledge, I think it would be very hard to read. The writing style was confusing at times. It was told from Slam's point of view but the way it was written was hard to follow.
February 20, 2009
In the book Slam! a young man that goes by the name of slam plays basketball for his high school. Slam is a good athlete but growing up in the mean streets of new york is hard.Most of his pears dont even make it out of high school, their either shot or end up going to jail.
I think this is a good book but i do not recommend this book to someone who is not real mature, because of the language and some of the scenes in the book.
My favorite part of this book is when slam is fighting his best friend. This book looked interesting to me because it had a kid holding a basketball on th froont cover.
I think this is a good book but i do not recommend this book to someone who is not real mature, because of the language and some of the scenes in the book.
My favorite part of this book is when slam is fighting his best friend. This book looked interesting to me because it had a kid holding a basketball on th froont cover.
March 25, 2008
Slam! Scholastic,1998, 273pp., $5.99
Walter Dean Myers ISBN 0-59-048668-3
By looking at the cover picture from Slam! by Walter Dean Myers, I guessed that the protagonist was a basketball player who was in jail. However, the story and the main character were different than I thought and it caught my attention from the very first chapter. And I couldnt put the book down.
Greg Harris, or his nickname "Slam," an African American high school student, is a talented basketball player, but not so talented in education. Everyone is jealous of his skills, even his basketball coach, Slam is a powerful basketball player. Dangerous and wild, he lives in an unsafe part of Bronx and there are problems with his best friend, Ice, dealing Drugs and gangs. Slam's team gets better as the story progresses and his team plays the Championship game against Ice's basketball team. A few seconds left in the final game, Slam shoots the ball, nervous, and the game ends with either victory or defeat. In the end, Slam learns lessons from other characters and he changes his life by following the right ideas.
I felt miserable after I completed the book, I couldn't read Walter Dean Myers's fascinating work of literature anymore. For example, I enjoyed reading about a talented basketball player's mind in first person point of view. This writing syle seemed awesome especially when I read the scene about the basketball game against Ice's basketball team, Slam's sensory made me feel like I was actually playing basketball. In the text, he mainly thought of what Ice did in the game, not everyone else. Slam seemed as if he did not care the score, he just wanted to be better than Ice. I found this fascinating because a similar event occured in my baseball game. I played an exihibition baseball game against a strong team and my friend was the pitcher. When I batted, I had no concern about the score, my only objective was to hit my friend's pitch and get on a base. The similar feelings between us made his point of view realistic, creating an effect of an autobiography. After completing the book, my depressed mood disapeared when I realized that he wrote more books such as Monster and Scorpions, both of which are aggressive. These books were interesting as well. I realized that the protagonist in Myer's works always had gang or drug situations.
Slam! is just wonderful and it can teach lessons to the readers, just like the protagonist in the book can. This book is exciting and stunning, and I will recommend this book to everyone, especially to tennagers, just read it!
Walter Dean Myers ISBN 0-59-048668-3
By looking at the cover picture from Slam! by Walter Dean Myers, I guessed that the protagonist was a basketball player who was in jail. However, the story and the main character were different than I thought and it caught my attention from the very first chapter. And I couldnt put the book down.
Greg Harris, or his nickname "Slam," an African American high school student, is a talented basketball player, but not so talented in education. Everyone is jealous of his skills, even his basketball coach, Slam is a powerful basketball player. Dangerous and wild, he lives in an unsafe part of Bronx and there are problems with his best friend, Ice, dealing Drugs and gangs. Slam's team gets better as the story progresses and his team plays the Championship game against Ice's basketball team. A few seconds left in the final game, Slam shoots the ball, nervous, and the game ends with either victory or defeat. In the end, Slam learns lessons from other characters and he changes his life by following the right ideas.
I felt miserable after I completed the book, I couldn't read Walter Dean Myers's fascinating work of literature anymore. For example, I enjoyed reading about a talented basketball player's mind in first person point of view. This writing syle seemed awesome especially when I read the scene about the basketball game against Ice's basketball team, Slam's sensory made me feel like I was actually playing basketball. In the text, he mainly thought of what Ice did in the game, not everyone else. Slam seemed as if he did not care the score, he just wanted to be better than Ice. I found this fascinating because a similar event occured in my baseball game. I played an exihibition baseball game against a strong team and my friend was the pitcher. When I batted, I had no concern about the score, my only objective was to hit my friend's pitch and get on a base. The similar feelings between us made his point of view realistic, creating an effect of an autobiography. After completing the book, my depressed mood disapeared when I realized that he wrote more books such as Monster and Scorpions, both of which are aggressive. These books were interesting as well. I realized that the protagonist in Myer's works always had gang or drug situations.
Slam! is just wonderful and it can teach lessons to the readers, just like the protagonist in the book can. This book is exciting and stunning, and I will recommend this book to everyone, especially to tennagers, just read it!
January 10, 2018
Personal Response- I liked the book a lot because it reminds me of myself. I don't have the best grades and I know my life isn't the most exciting all the time, but I think I know a thing or two about basketball. I have been playing it ever since I was a little kid. I also know that I am not the best at it, but I try my hardest. I think that it was what Greg does in this book too.
Plot- It is a very easy plot to follow. Greg and all of his ball brothers from the hood play at the local hoops, and let's say Greg was pretty good. Greg almost missed tryouts for the basketball team because his principle was talking to him about his about his grades. The coach gave him a chance to be on the team if he beat him in a one-on-one first person to five wins. As the season went on, Greg was now known as Slam. Greg visiting his grandma in the hospital. One of his friends from the hood when they were little started coming to the basketball games and cheering on Greg. They called him Ice, and Greg's girl that he likes told him stuff about how Ice is getting into drugs.
Characterization- I believe through the whole book Greg was an okay guy looking out for family and friends. Then with the basketball games, then he was a ball hog at first. Greg was the star on their team. His coach put him in, and the score from the other team didn't move, and Greg's team´s score would just climb up. Now Greg looks for everyone to get better on the team and not just him trying to score, but everybody on the team. Not only is he still looking out for his family and friends, he looking out for his team and his school too.
Recommendation- I recommend this book to people that are into sports and that like drama books. I would say anywhere from middle school to high school. I wouldn't read this book if you wanted to take a goodreads on it because I thought that it was very confusing. Like when they would take about the basketball game that they were playing that week and they would still be playing and then the book would talk about him and Kitty hanging out. When he was just playing a basketball game.
Plot- It is a very easy plot to follow. Greg and all of his ball brothers from the hood play at the local hoops, and let's say Greg was pretty good. Greg almost missed tryouts for the basketball team because his principle was talking to him about his about his grades. The coach gave him a chance to be on the team if he beat him in a one-on-one first person to five wins. As the season went on, Greg was now known as Slam. Greg visiting his grandma in the hospital. One of his friends from the hood when they were little started coming to the basketball games and cheering on Greg. They called him Ice, and Greg's girl that he likes told him stuff about how Ice is getting into drugs.
Characterization- I believe through the whole book Greg was an okay guy looking out for family and friends. Then with the basketball games, then he was a ball hog at first. Greg was the star on their team. His coach put him in, and the score from the other team didn't move, and Greg's team´s score would just climb up. Now Greg looks for everyone to get better on the team and not just him trying to score, but everybody on the team. Not only is he still looking out for his family and friends, he looking out for his team and his school too.
Recommendation- I recommend this book to people that are into sports and that like drama books. I would say anywhere from middle school to high school. I wouldn't read this book if you wanted to take a goodreads on it because I thought that it was very confusing. Like when they would take about the basketball game that they were playing that week and they would still be playing and then the book would talk about him and Kitty hanging out. When he was just playing a basketball game.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2024
Walter Dean Myers still hits just as good as I remembered, back when I was obsessed with his books as a teen nearly 30 years ago.
November 11, 2010
Grant Martignetti
11-9-10
Mr. Ambrose
The book “Slam” by Walter Dean Myers is about a high school boy named Greg who has trouble succeeding both in school and out. He is a superstar high school basketball player who fights the challenge of keeping his grades up as well as cooping with the issue that his best friend Ice is a drug dealer. The result of the ciaos causes fights between best friends and ends their relationship, and at the same time Greg also is fighting to keep a relationship with his longtime girlfriend. Greg was given the nickname Slam growing up because of is amazing basketball talent, but is not known for being the best teammate. It is the one thing he is lacking, and that is his attitude towards his teammates, and with all the troubles he is facing, he does the best he can to turn that around. The improvement comes because he realizes that he holds the key to success in his own life and no one should be able to stop him if he does what he knows is right. Slam gets help from family and friends and also his basketball coach to help him understand what life is really about and this helps him shape himself into a better person and be more successful. He understood that it took a lot of practice to be a great player, but that’s all he understood. With all the problems that he had in his life it was easy not to help anyone because no one was helping him. His coach and family then turn to help him a lot and he came to mature and understand that it’s the all around athletes who go places in life.
Slam is the classic example of a high school boy, who loves basketball and has a dream of going to the NBA, but there is something in his way, and that is school and pressure to fit in with his friends. I recommend this book to various ages’ years. Not only is it an action sports book that will keep you wanting to read but it also helps push across an important lesson that many face in life. It shows that even if people you are in close relation to have trouble doing the right thing it does not mean you have to follow in their footsteps if it makes your life easier. Sometimes in life doing the harder thing, ends up benefiting you in the end. It shows what hard work and determination could potentially turn into, if you really believe in yourself and your lifetime goals. Nothing should be able to stop someone from reaching the end result you have dreamed for, and this book really takes you through the many journeys you may run into.
A huge part of the love I had for this book came when I was able to realize that I was able to relate this book to my life and the struggle to keep my grades up at the same time trying to sharpen my skills in many other fields. Many may say, I’m not a big sports fans so why read this book, but it really can relate to any sport you may play or even any activity you enjoy to do. I hope you will be able to get your hands on this book and sit down and enjoy it as much as I did.
11-9-10
Mr. Ambrose
The book “Slam” by Walter Dean Myers is about a high school boy named Greg who has trouble succeeding both in school and out. He is a superstar high school basketball player who fights the challenge of keeping his grades up as well as cooping with the issue that his best friend Ice is a drug dealer. The result of the ciaos causes fights between best friends and ends their relationship, and at the same time Greg also is fighting to keep a relationship with his longtime girlfriend. Greg was given the nickname Slam growing up because of is amazing basketball talent, but is not known for being the best teammate. It is the one thing he is lacking, and that is his attitude towards his teammates, and with all the troubles he is facing, he does the best he can to turn that around. The improvement comes because he realizes that he holds the key to success in his own life and no one should be able to stop him if he does what he knows is right. Slam gets help from family and friends and also his basketball coach to help him understand what life is really about and this helps him shape himself into a better person and be more successful. He understood that it took a lot of practice to be a great player, but that’s all he understood. With all the problems that he had in his life it was easy not to help anyone because no one was helping him. His coach and family then turn to help him a lot and he came to mature and understand that it’s the all around athletes who go places in life.
Slam is the classic example of a high school boy, who loves basketball and has a dream of going to the NBA, but there is something in his way, and that is school and pressure to fit in with his friends. I recommend this book to various ages’ years. Not only is it an action sports book that will keep you wanting to read but it also helps push across an important lesson that many face in life. It shows that even if people you are in close relation to have trouble doing the right thing it does not mean you have to follow in their footsteps if it makes your life easier. Sometimes in life doing the harder thing, ends up benefiting you in the end. It shows what hard work and determination could potentially turn into, if you really believe in yourself and your lifetime goals. Nothing should be able to stop someone from reaching the end result you have dreamed for, and this book really takes you through the many journeys you may run into.
A huge part of the love I had for this book came when I was able to realize that I was able to relate this book to my life and the struggle to keep my grades up at the same time trying to sharpen my skills in many other fields. Many may say, I’m not a big sports fans so why read this book, but it really can relate to any sport you may play or even any activity you enjoy to do. I hope you will be able to get your hands on this book and sit down and enjoy it as much as I did.
February 27, 2017
In this book you go on an adventure with Greg Harris but he prefers Slam. This book takes place in Brooklyn New York. He lives with his mom, dad and younger brother. He used to go to school at Carver but now he goes to Latimer. At his old school he had a friend named Ice. He can only do one extra thing he has to decide between basketball and an art class because his mom told him to choice one because of his grades. He tries out for basketball and makes the team.
He makes the basketball team. They have two practices in the first week. slam thought it went okay. He has so many problems he does bad in school,his grandmother is in the hospital and his dad is drunk a lot. another bad thing is that Mtisha heard that Slam's friend Ice had money. Slam thought that college scouts were paying him.
His mom wants him to get a tutor. Yet him and his dad don't want the person to tutor Slam. Mtisha helped him study. In basketball his coach was getting mad at him for not playing team ball. All he did was slam the ball into the basket and the coach gets mad. Must coaches would envy someone who could dunk the ball. The coach then only played him when needed. so must times he sit on the bench the first half and play the second half because they were losing.
His grandmother was recovering and Slam was winning basketball games. In school for language atrs they had a partner project. They decided that Slam would video tape the things that were important to him and then she would edit it. He had to go this long process to get a video camera. Once he got it the first day he started recording. Towards the end of video taping he faced a problem because his little brother told him he had lost the video camera. Luckily Mtisha went to the store that his little brother lost it in front of and it was there. The owner of the store bought it for around $5 and sold it to slam for around $20. So he finished taping and handed it in and teacher said he loved it.
Latimer versus Carver in the last regular season game Latimer wins. They will be playing each other again in the finals. Ice throws a party because they won.The party was going great until Ice went to the top of the building. Slam went up there to see what was wrong. He found out that Ice was a drug dealer. A fight broke out between the two of them. After that the life long friends were probably not friends after that.
He makes the basketball team. They have two practices in the first week. slam thought it went okay. He has so many problems he does bad in school,his grandmother is in the hospital and his dad is drunk a lot. another bad thing is that Mtisha heard that Slam's friend Ice had money. Slam thought that college scouts were paying him.
His mom wants him to get a tutor. Yet him and his dad don't want the person to tutor Slam. Mtisha helped him study. In basketball his coach was getting mad at him for not playing team ball. All he did was slam the ball into the basket and the coach gets mad. Must coaches would envy someone who could dunk the ball. The coach then only played him when needed. so must times he sit on the bench the first half and play the second half because they were losing.
His grandmother was recovering and Slam was winning basketball games. In school for language atrs they had a partner project. They decided that Slam would video tape the things that were important to him and then she would edit it. He had to go this long process to get a video camera. Once he got it the first day he started recording. Towards the end of video taping he faced a problem because his little brother told him he had lost the video camera. Luckily Mtisha went to the store that his little brother lost it in front of and it was there. The owner of the store bought it for around $5 and sold it to slam for around $20. So he finished taping and handed it in and teacher said he loved it.
Latimer versus Carver in the last regular season game Latimer wins. They will be playing each other again in the finals. Ice throws a party because they won.The party was going great until Ice went to the top of the building. Slam went up there to see what was wrong. He found out that Ice was a drug dealer. A fight broke out between the two of them. After that the life long friends were probably not friends after that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
Greg "slam" is a 17 year old kid who is really good at basketball, but when he got transferred to another school his grades started dropping. Now he's struggling and has to deal with his teachers pushing him, while he tries to stay on the basketball team. And he thinks he's best friend ice might be up to something not so good.
I really liked this book because it got me into the zone and i just wanted to keep reading it. My favorite parts where when they had basketball games there was a lot of action going on and you could picture it in your head the dunks, the crossovers. The book was very realistic and i could relate when slam described how the hood was looked like because my dad grew up in the Bronx in New York and i remember him taking me to his old neighborhood and telling me how he grew up here, so when i was reading the book in brought memories back and it just made me like the book even more. I really liked the relationship between slam and his best friend ice they have a really good relationship they have been best friends for all their life but there relationship begins to brake apart and slam thinks ice is behind something.
overall the book was really good and after i kept wanting me to read it and i'm not a type pf person who liked to read but i really enjoyed this book since im into sports. slam is a great character and it just keeps the story interesting. i would recommend this book for people who are into sports specially basketball this story would keep you entertained.
I really liked this book because it got me into the zone and i just wanted to keep reading it. My favorite parts where when they had basketball games there was a lot of action going on and you could picture it in your head the dunks, the crossovers. The book was very realistic and i could relate when slam described how the hood was looked like because my dad grew up in the Bronx in New York and i remember him taking me to his old neighborhood and telling me how he grew up here, so when i was reading the book in brought memories back and it just made me like the book even more. I really liked the relationship between slam and his best friend ice they have a really good relationship they have been best friends for all their life but there relationship begins to brake apart and slam thinks ice is behind something.
overall the book was really good and after i kept wanting me to read it and i'm not a type pf person who liked to read but i really enjoyed this book since im into sports. slam is a great character and it just keeps the story interesting. i would recommend this book for people who are into sports specially basketball this story would keep you entertained.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2020
This book made me really mad because Carver is a really good basketball player but his coach is disrespecting him. Carver is a pretty good wing player but his coach really wants him to play in the Post, Carver has never been a Post before so this is all new to him which is one of the reasons I am mad. Carver job a new job as a cameraman for a News channel, this is how he met Mtisha, Mtisha made me really mad later on in this book. Ducky is one of Carvers friends and is one of his teammates. Ducky really likes Mtisha, but Mtisha has nothing to do with Ducky and she likes Carver so this makes Ducky really mad at Carver for some reason, and this part of the book was confusing but it made sense after you got a few more chapters into the book. Ducky stops passing Carver the ball because he is mad at him because of this. Ducky final said something to Carver about Mtisha and Carver said to Ducky that he never even liked at one point, so if ducky would've just talked to Carver in the first place it would've been resolved and none of this would've even happened. Carver got to interview an NBA player for the News Channel and this was pretty cool because Carver had befriended an NBA player. Carver started going to workouts with this player and improved his game dramatically over the summer, I really liked this part because it talked alot about how an NBA player works out and I found this to be pretty interesting. At the end of the book Carver finally shows to coach that he can play the wing and this made me feel happy for Carver.
October 11, 2009
I have long been a fan of Walter Dean Myers, even before I had the pleasure of meeting both him and his son, Christopher Myers, at a book talk in Washington, DC. Bringing authenticity to his narratives, Myers draws on his own past experiences growing up in Harlem in order to realistically portray the struggles of his young inner-city characters.
The main character in this particular novel is a would-be basketball star who is struggling academically in a NYC magnet school; his friends call him Slam. But there is much more to Slam than a stereotype. Myers gives the reader a multi-dimensional view of this young man's psyche and adolescent fears. In addition, the reader gets to "watch" the most exciting basketball games of Slam's season, as Myers writes exciting play by play descriptions of both the action and the physical rivalries that exist on the court. Off the court, Slam navigates the difficulties he is facing in his relationships: both with the girl that he likes (maybe even loves), and with the friend that has always been like a brother to him (who may have become a drug dealer without telling him). Through it all, the assistant basketball coach tries to provide the guidance that Slam needs to succeed. The only question is, will Slam learn how to play the bigger game?
The main character in this particular novel is a would-be basketball star who is struggling academically in a NYC magnet school; his friends call him Slam. But there is much more to Slam than a stereotype. Myers gives the reader a multi-dimensional view of this young man's psyche and adolescent fears. In addition, the reader gets to "watch" the most exciting basketball games of Slam's season, as Myers writes exciting play by play descriptions of both the action and the physical rivalries that exist on the court. Off the court, Slam navigates the difficulties he is facing in his relationships: both with the girl that he likes (maybe even loves), and with the friend that has always been like a brother to him (who may have become a drug dealer without telling him). Through it all, the assistant basketball coach tries to provide the guidance that Slam needs to succeed. The only question is, will Slam learn how to play the bigger game?
December 17, 2018
Slam, This book is about a boy name Greg who has the same dream as any other kid, being a professional athlete and playing in the NBA. Being a kid has its upsets like school grades and also family problems. Greg is struggling to keep his grades up and now with his parents getting a divorced things are just not going his way. His attitude gets worse and he will have to learn to change it if he wants to play ball.The most thing I liked about this book was the setting it was placed in, in the hardship of Harlem, New York. My Dad being from New York I could kind more of where he was coming from and the struggle it was. This book is very cool how every decision you make will affect how things play out. The author did a very good job symbolizing that I thought. Greg throughout the story will have his downs but with his little brother is there for him and his friends Ice and Matisha. Overall I really enjoyed this book even not being a basketball player, It taught you more life lessons with anythings and it felt like it could be a true story knowing the fact that the author was brought up in Harlem New York. I would recommend this book to anyone not just sporty people because the novel is more about life lessons and pulling through on things in life even when it gets hard for someone.
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February 18, 2018This book really explained in detail how it was to live in Harlem during the 90's. It showed me how easy it was to get conflicted with drugs and violence. It really made me think about how lucky I am to live where I live and how my parents treat me. I love how the author described Slam's thoughts all the way through the book. Like when Slam got benched during the first part of the basketball season. Slam really showed his frustration to the coaches and his teammates. I thought it was really cool how even after getting benched for most of the games, Slam could go out in the fourth quarter and destroy teams basically by himself. I wish the book had more positive things about Slam rather than just his basketball skills because they really made him seem like a stupid person. I thought it was pretty easy to put myself in the place of Slam in the book. Like when he got called to the office and was worrying about not being able to play basketball. I would feel the same way if I wasn't able to run because of my grades. Overall, I felt like the book was very informational on how it was to live in the 90's in a big city like New York, and how Slam had to work to improve his flaws.
May 28, 2019
This book was pretty interesting, the author wrote in a fun way to describe how the characters would talk. I wonder if this book is based on anything true that happened because it seems like something very detailed. I thought that the main character in the book was pretty cocky because when he first tried out for the basketball team he acted smart to the coach. I liked the way that this author wrote because it seems like most of the things that happened in this book are things that happen a lot in the real world. I wonder if the author has any other books because I think I would read them. A part in the book that I thought was sad is when Harris, the main character, talked about how his dad gets drunk and him and his mom fight a lot. I enjoyed reading this book because it had to do with sports and once I got reading it I started to like it. In the book I feel like Harris should have left basketball for a little bit to focus on his grades which he was struggling with. I wish that this book was longer than it was so I could read more of it. The only reason I would say I did not like this book is because it was about basketball.
March 18, 2019
Slam is a 17 year old who transfers to a new and more challenging school which means he has less time to spend with his friend, Ice. Slam makes it to the basketball team but he's grades have not been good so far. While playing on the team, Slam would not start even though he did great in practices. Slam believes that his friend, Ice, is becoming a dealer and is feeling a bit concerned. Slam got help from his girlfriend and his grades have improved. Slam's team is about to go against Ice's team. After a hard battle, Slam's team won after hitting the buzzer which meant his team was now the first seed. Ice and Slam then went to hang out after the game but Ice started dealing which caused Slam and Ice to get into a fight. Slam got hit in the face but a few days later, they made up. Now, Slam and his team were getting ready to win the championship. I liked this book and it had a very interesting story line.
May 22, 2019
The book Slam! By Walter Dean Myers was a pretty good book. The book was about a 17 year old named Greg Harris who was from the streets of NY and he had just transfered schools. The reason he switched school was to have things more challenging and most of the people in this school were white. Besides his race, he was really good at basketball and that's how he ended up getting his name. He was the star of the team trying to fit in with other kids.
Overall, this book was really good and made different connections that I was able to relate to. This also showed despite your race, you can still fit in. This shows that if you always keep trying you can succeed. If you are into books about basketball while watching a young man go through tough times switching schools, this is the book for you. I would recommend this book as it was very good and hope you guys can enjoy it as much as I did.
Overall, this book was really good and made different connections that I was able to relate to. This also showed despite your race, you can still fit in. This shows that if you always keep trying you can succeed. If you are into books about basketball while watching a young man go through tough times switching schools, this is the book for you. I would recommend this book as it was very good and hope you guys can enjoy it as much as I did.
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April 18, 2017I couldn't relate to this book but I liked it, this story is about slam who has some families issues and some bad grades his friends are selling drugs on the street and he doesn't want to get wrapped up in it and worry about playing basketball and making it to the NBA. His coach doesn't like him and won't let him play even though he can dunk and hyped up the team and won the game for them last game.
May 13, 2019
I liked the book, to be honest. I could personally relate to the struggle of having to keep up grades while also playing sports and having a social life and dealing with the consequences of not be able to. I liked how the book was written as well. It kept it interesting throughout the whole book and was on a subject I like which made it easier to read.
October 4, 2018
It really reflected on what highschool sports and relationships are like. The hardships of having to deal with grades, friends, and sports. It was very accurate and I liked it a lot
September 25, 2019
Slam was an amazing book, but the ending was not the best.
July 30, 2023
3.5 stars. I'm working through books I enjoyed in elementary school. I remember enjoying Slam! And checking it out because the dude in the cover looked super cool. I was also aspiring to a career in the NBA during 5th grade and this book was right up my alley.
Reading it now as an adult, I appreciate how well Walter Dean Myers builds Slam as a character, but I don't feel like there was any payoff with the him or any of the other characters. What lessons are we supposed to walk away with? Slam grew somewhat as a character, but not really. I didn't really understand the ending and thought the book could've easily been 50 pages longer and much better. Also, with the few sexual references in the book (nothing explicit) I wouldn't't personally recommend it to 5th-6th graders.
It was fun recollecting the story and the nostalgia that came with it (even though I completely misremembered the end). But, I'm a little bummed that the book didn't live up to my memory of it.
Reading it now as an adult, I appreciate how well Walter Dean Myers builds Slam as a character, but I don't feel like there was any payoff with the him or any of the other characters. What lessons are we supposed to walk away with? Slam grew somewhat as a character, but not really. I didn't really understand the ending and thought the book could've easily been 50 pages longer and much better. Also, with the few sexual references in the book (nothing explicit) I wouldn't't personally recommend it to 5th-6th graders.
It was fun recollecting the story and the nostalgia that came with it (even though I completely misremembered the end). But, I'm a little bummed that the book didn't live up to my memory of it.
July 10, 2024
I absolutely hated reading when I was younger. I only recall two books that I went out of my way to read while in school, this book and 'Fallen Angels' (Which I may or may not have "borrowed" still to this day from the library). There was something about Walter Dean Myers back then for me that really made me want to read. Fast forward now almost 20 years and I'm rereading them. Next up for me from his works is going to be 'Monster'.
January 9, 2018
Good, but not great.
Perhaps my judgment is biased by the dated technology and dialogue. The book was first published over twenty years ago. I guess I could start thinking of it as 'historical fiction' soon?
Maybe the story just didn't have any feeling of closure. I looked to see if it was the first book in a series, but unless I'm missing something, I don't think it is.
Or perhaps I'm just too impressed with more recent books like The Crossover and The Hate U Give. I believe their relevance and appeal to teens today is so much greater.
Still, it is a good story, and I enjoyed listening to Thomas Penny narrating the audio CDs, evendors if my listening was greatly interrupted by many days of staying inside and not driving anywhere, since I only listened to it in my car.
Perhaps my judgment is biased by the dated technology and dialogue. The book was first published over twenty years ago. I guess I could start thinking of it as 'historical fiction' soon?
Maybe the story just didn't have any feeling of closure. I looked to see if it was the first book in a series, but unless I'm missing something, I don't think it is.
Or perhaps I'm just too impressed with more recent books like The Crossover and The Hate U Give. I believe their relevance and appeal to teens today is so much greater.
Still, it is a good story, and I enjoyed listening to Thomas Penny narrating the audio CDs, evendors if my listening was greatly interrupted by many days of staying inside and not driving anywhere, since I only listened to it in my car.
September 28, 2015
Mason Chambliss
9-27-15
Period 4
Slam!
Slam! is a novel, written by Walter Dean Myers, about a young boy wanting to become a great basketball player, but he has to balance his grades and his personal life. The boy’s name was Greg Harris, but everyone calls him Slam. Slam used to go to school with his best friend, Ice, but Slam transferred to a different school, while Ice gets in some trouble by getting into drugs and drug dealing. Slam and Ice’s relationship decreases, but Slam’s love relationship with his girlfriend, Mtisha, increases. While balancing his life with his friendships, Slam’s grandmother gets ill and his father gets fired which causes his father to go back to drinking. At this point of the story Slam does not have a father son relationship, until the assistant coach of Slam’s basketball team, Goldstein, becomes like a father mentor to him. Slam went to him for everything. Personally, my favorite character is Goldstien because he brings Slam’s life back together and helps him through the challenges he had, for example his grandmother being sick and his best friend getting into drugs.
Personally, I could relate a little bit to Slam because I am a basketball player and about two years ago my grandmother died in the middle of my basketball season. Also, during the same time period, my parents were in a fight about their money situation and that made me feel mad and lonely like Slam did when his relationship with his best friend dwindled. I feel like if Slam was a real person, he and I would have many similarities because he went through a time of pain and so did I.
In my opinion, I really enjoyed the book because I could relate to it a little bit. Also, I like it because the author, Walter Dean Myers, made it a really easy book to follow along. Myers also made it flow well and he describe how Slam lived throughout the week days and weekends. Myers could have done a better job of describing the basketball games. One of my favorite parts of the book was when he finally took Goldstien’s advice and he succeed in his grades. Goldstein said to imagine that your grades is like a game and you need to take your grades like you do the basketball games. There was not a bad part of the book in my opinion.
I would recommend this book to a person because it does not only talk about basketball, but it talks about how Slam overcame his obstacles on and off the court and not just on. Someone who knows a little bit of basketball would like this book. Another person who would like this book, would be a person who plays basketball or likes watching basketball.
9-27-15
Period 4
Slam!
Slam! is a novel, written by Walter Dean Myers, about a young boy wanting to become a great basketball player, but he has to balance his grades and his personal life. The boy’s name was Greg Harris, but everyone calls him Slam. Slam used to go to school with his best friend, Ice, but Slam transferred to a different school, while Ice gets in some trouble by getting into drugs and drug dealing. Slam and Ice’s relationship decreases, but Slam’s love relationship with his girlfriend, Mtisha, increases. While balancing his life with his friendships, Slam’s grandmother gets ill and his father gets fired which causes his father to go back to drinking. At this point of the story Slam does not have a father son relationship, until the assistant coach of Slam’s basketball team, Goldstein, becomes like a father mentor to him. Slam went to him for everything. Personally, my favorite character is Goldstien because he brings Slam’s life back together and helps him through the challenges he had, for example his grandmother being sick and his best friend getting into drugs.
Personally, I could relate a little bit to Slam because I am a basketball player and about two years ago my grandmother died in the middle of my basketball season. Also, during the same time period, my parents were in a fight about their money situation and that made me feel mad and lonely like Slam did when his relationship with his best friend dwindled. I feel like if Slam was a real person, he and I would have many similarities because he went through a time of pain and so did I.
In my opinion, I really enjoyed the book because I could relate to it a little bit. Also, I like it because the author, Walter Dean Myers, made it a really easy book to follow along. Myers also made it flow well and he describe how Slam lived throughout the week days and weekends. Myers could have done a better job of describing the basketball games. One of my favorite parts of the book was when he finally took Goldstien’s advice and he succeed in his grades. Goldstein said to imagine that your grades is like a game and you need to take your grades like you do the basketball games. There was not a bad part of the book in my opinion.
I would recommend this book to a person because it does not only talk about basketball, but it talks about how Slam overcame his obstacles on and off the court and not just on. Someone who knows a little bit of basketball would like this book. Another person who would like this book, would be a person who plays basketball or likes watching basketball.
October 4, 2011
I’ve had to ditch some things that are slowing down my life. Such as friends making bad choices, habits that effect my life, and overall decisions and lifestyles that simply aren’t needed. For example, I’m a very talkative person. Last year I wasn’t doing all that well in science, and I knew that I needed to pay more attention, and that meant zip the lip. But my table was all talkative, and the temptations were too strong; I continued to talk and do bad. But one day I decided that even though talking is fun, the learning of the day would stay with me much longer than whatever we talked about in our group would. So, I left the table and by the end of the term, my grade really improved! And that sacrifice helped me a lot in the long run. In Slam! by Walter Dean Myers, Greg “Slam” Harris has to make some tough choices at the time. But just like me, Slam’s choices were clearly the right, more rewarding choices in the end. Slam is dealing with being a terrible sport, and he is often letting his attitude get the best of him. He knows that in doing this; his game will be affected, from not playing on the first line to not playing at all. While dealing with his strong attitude issues, Slam must also deal with the new realization that life isn’t a ball game, there’s so much more to worry about in his future. He needs to learn to get good grades and a job. He needs to behave to make good relations that will stay with him for life. And he needs to always do his best to accomplish things he never thought he could. During the story Slam makes important changes, such as changing of friends, changing his grades and academic participation, and changing his attitude. The reason behind making these changes is that Slam needs to drop the dead weight in his life, like his druggie best friend, bad grades, and crazy girlfriends. Dropping/ changing these things will help him to brighten and improve his future. During struggles, losses, heartache, and suffering, Slam learns-the hard way- that though the present is important, it’s never too early to begin concentrating on your future. Slam! is an unpredictable book, meant for readers who don’t mind a bit of spice to their everyday sweet story.
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January 16, 2013I read Slam! because I had read a previous Walter Dean Myers book, Monster, and loved it. Being a high school basketball player and seeing that Walter Dean Myers was the author I picked it up immediately, and what a great decision it was.
Slam is about an up and coming basketball player named Greg but is referred to as Slam. Coming from a black part of the Bronx he then transfers from his black school to a white school. He has to go through the culture change and the consequences for his poor grades. Although he is a talented basketball player his coaches don’t treat him the same as other players. People are jealous of his skills and he it seems as if he is being punished for his talents. Although they started out slow, as the season goes on his team becomes better and better and it comes to the point where he gets to a championship game with his old school. He gets to play against his best friend ,Ice, in this particular game, however Ice hasn’t been making good decisions. Beforehand Slam found out that he suddenly had gotten a lot of money very quickly and doesn’t know how he got it. He latter finds out that he was involved in a gang that makes eventually turn into a drug dealer. This makes him second guess all if he should continue being friends with the guy that he was best friends with since they were both kids.
Slam! Is a great book because it shows how bad choices can have a huge effect on young kids. This is shown throughout the book with Slam and his grades, also with Ice and how he gets caught up in a gang. This should be a book that more people read because it is coming out the eyes of a black male growing up in a bad neighborhood, which is completely different from me and also many others.
Slam is about an up and coming basketball player named Greg but is referred to as Slam. Coming from a black part of the Bronx he then transfers from his black school to a white school. He has to go through the culture change and the consequences for his poor grades. Although he is a talented basketball player his coaches don’t treat him the same as other players. People are jealous of his skills and he it seems as if he is being punished for his talents. Although they started out slow, as the season goes on his team becomes better and better and it comes to the point where he gets to a championship game with his old school. He gets to play against his best friend ,Ice, in this particular game, however Ice hasn’t been making good decisions. Beforehand Slam found out that he suddenly had gotten a lot of money very quickly and doesn’t know how he got it. He latter finds out that he was involved in a gang that makes eventually turn into a drug dealer. This makes him second guess all if he should continue being friends with the guy that he was best friends with since they were both kids.
Slam! Is a great book because it shows how bad choices can have a huge effect on young kids. This is shown throughout the book with Slam and his grades, also with Ice and how he gets caught up in a gang. This should be a book that more people read because it is coming out the eyes of a black male growing up in a bad neighborhood, which is completely different from me and also many others.
June 6, 2014
This book takes place in many different inner city schools of New York such as Carver High School, Latimer High School, and Trinity High School in 1975. The high school student Greg Harris, also called Slam, transfers from Carver High School to Latimer High School. He struggled with family, culture, and talent. He thought his life was going to improve as basketball season approaches. He makes the basketball team for his school by playing one-on-one with the coach at the tryouts. He does not seem to keep his game together on or off the court. Off the court, he has to cope with a dying grandmother, his best friend possibly dealing drugs, a love interest, and an alcoholic father. He is not good at math. He was failing math. He received help from his best friend Mtisha in math. He had a friend named Ice, who went to Carver high school. Ice played basketball for Carver High School. In the city championship game, it was Latimer against Carver. Slam and Ice both wanted to win. It was an intense game. Latimer was victorious and won the game to be first place and city champions. Slam was very happy.
Quotes: "Basketball is my thing. I can hoop. Case closed."(pg. 1)
That quote tells us that slam likes playing basketball a lot because he can hoop. During the novel, he plays basketball for his school and wins the city championship.
"Cutting people from your life is easy, keeping them in is hard."(pg. 123)
That quote says that maintaining relationships is hard and ending relationships is easy. Throughout the novel, Slam tries to maintain relationships with other people. At one point, he loses his friend Ice because of a fight that he and Ice get into.
Quotes: "Basketball is my thing. I can hoop. Case closed."(pg. 1)
That quote tells us that slam likes playing basketball a lot because he can hoop. During the novel, he plays basketball for his school and wins the city championship.
"Cutting people from your life is easy, keeping them in is hard."(pg. 123)
That quote says that maintaining relationships is hard and ending relationships is easy. Throughout the novel, Slam tries to maintain relationships with other people. At one point, he loses his friend Ice because of a fight that he and Ice get into.
November 28, 2013
Walter Dean Myers does not disappoint in this story of a high school kid trapped in the ghetto where only his game can get him out. Greg Harris is a boy with god gifted athleticism and the work ethic to be great. But will his attitude and grades hold him back. These are the obstacles that Slam (his nickname) is forced to overcome. On top of all this he has suspicions of his best friend Benny Reece (who he calls Ice) is dealing crack on the street. Walter Dean Myers does it again as he brings out the language of the hood and turns into a sensational can't miss hit that is fit for the big screen. As Slam navigates the rough patches of teenage life countless things cloud his mind including girls, basketball, grades and a dying grandmother. Also, Slam has transferred to a new school were as he says there are not as many "brothers" as there was at his old school Carver. When basketball season starts Slam is by far the most talented player on his team. But his attitude has him on the coaches’ bad side and warming the bench only seeing minutes when the team is in danger of losing. While reading this book I was unable to put it down and was saddened when it ended. The main reason I rated this book five out of five stars is the creative detail Myers went into. For example when Greg would be walking down the street I felt like I was right there with him. Also, I am from the hick town of Salem New Hampshire so the way English was spoken in this book was new to me, it was like a whole new language I never heard of.
May 28, 2013
3,2,1 and the buzzer goes off. The book Slam! by Walter Dean Myers is an excellent written book.This book is about a high school basketball player, soon known as Slam because of his skill in basketball. This book isn't just about a student being on the basketball team, but also about his life in his neighborhood. It is also about all the people he calls friends, like his best friend Ice who he soon believes to become a drug dealer. As he tries to find the truth of his friend he is also stressed with basketball games and the negativity he gets from his coach. His coach doesn't always starts the game with Slam, which starts a negative aspect with the coach. When he proves himself to the team it doesn't do him any good, other than causing dislike between the coach and Slam. Once the team verses Carver, Slam's old school, he is forced to go up against his friend Ice and Slam knows that he has to prove himself, by trying to win the game for his team. Overall this book was very well written, but to understand most of what the character may be talking about it would be best to know his game, which is basketball. If you understand the game of basketball and how people use it as there way to better their own life then this the book for you. It portrays many aspect that young athletes in high school can relate to because it doesn't only take talent on the basketball court, it also takes talent in the classroom to pass all your classes and keep your grades up.
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