Nikki's life is basketball: she dreams of it, she plays it, she lives it. So when she and her best friend get picked to be part of an elite club basketball program, she is beyond excitement. But now, compared and next to all of those bigger and taller girls, she seems like she isn't the best. Plus, it doesn't help that Nikki no longer can rely on support of her best friend after it seems that she seems to be too into hanging out with one of the cooler teammates than Nikki. Pressured by the nervousness and difficulty of a school assignment that would embarrass Nikki's secret out to the whole school, Nikki isn't sure who is completely is anymore. This is a book about sports, trust, and finding yourself. Even I, who am definitely not a basketball fan found this book thrilling and entertaining. Happy reading!
Nikki on the Line
By Barbara Carroll Roberts
Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle's dreams of becoming a basketball great feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, Nikki suddenly isn't the best point guard. In fact, she's no longer a point guard at all, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.
The stress piles on as Nikki's best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals her most embarrassing secret. As if that's not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school to save money on childcare.
As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki's confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out?
Book Reviews (3)
I read this book during the COVID-19 period, and borrowed this from my school library! Nikki is just an average seventh grader who loves basketball, has an annoying 3rd grader brother, and has a sperm donor father. However, things change when Nikki joins a basketball team called the Action, and money is tight in Nikki’s family. They make many sacrifices for Nikki to continue practicing on the team and join competitions. But.. Nikki navigates through changing friendships when her best friend starts to hang out with another girl rather than her, and the tough exercises that her couch gives the team, and loneliness and embarrassment that she has a “paper dad”. She feels like giving up when.. She meets a boy named Booker. She doesn’t exactly meet him, he’s been her science partner since the start of seventh grade. But Booker tells her his own gripping story about his family, and he inspired her to work harder, and the two of the start a relationship.. It all works out in the end, and I thought Nikki was a great character and even though I don’t play basketball, Nikki inspired me a lot, and I really enjoyed this story!
I would really recommend this book for kids who are interested in sports, and kids who want to improve at sports. This is the book just for them!