School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Airball is a quirky combination of The Mighty Ducks meets "Captain Underpants" with a sideline story involving the search for a biological father. An untalented group of seventh-grade boys gets the chance to meet its small Kansas town's basketball hero when his jersey is retired at a University of Kansas game. Fearful of being embarrassed by their poor playing, the school board refuses to let the team go unless it starts winning its games. To improve the boys' concentration, Coach tapes over the windows and makes the boys practice in their underwear. His strategy works, but not enough to win while wearing uniforms. Geeky team captain Kirby Nickel convinces his teammates at their first halftime to play in their briefs. They do, they win, and continue to do so throughout the story. Kirby's real goal is to convince the famous NBA player that he is, in fact, Kirby's father. The boy has amassed a drawer of "evidence" that points toward his conclusion. Though unrealistic on several fronts, the story is enjoyable, including the somewhat predictable Hollywood ending. Kirby finds the sought-after identity of his dad, but it's not who he thought it was. The team does well and starts a nationwide trend in underwear practices. The theme will likely provide the hook to entice middle-grade readers.-Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

Kirby Nickel, who secretly believes that hometown hero and basketball superstar Brett McGrew is his father, goes out for the seventh-grade team in order to meet McGrew at the end of the season. From the grandmother who raised Kirby to the hostile school board president to his inscrutable coach, everyone in his small Kansas town is mad about basketball. But when Coach distributes invisible uniforms for the team to wear at practice, Kirby and his teammates wonder what kind of madness drives the man. This fresh, first-person novel will have readers laughing at times, feeling Kirby's pain at others, and moved at the end. The revelation of Kirby's paternity will not surprise those readers who care to figure it out, but this mystery never was the point of the story. Harkrader offers an amusing, wholly affectionate portrayal of a small-town community's devotion to basketball and of a klutzy kid's success on the court in spite of himself. An entertaining first novel.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Stuckey, Kansas, has one claim to fame: basketball player Brett McGrew. He is the reason Stuckey calls itself the "Basketball Capital of Kansas." Seventh grader Kirby Nickel shares his town's obsession with basketball and with Brett, believing that he has a personal connection with the superstar. Kirby suspects that Brett McGrew is his father. When Coach Mike Armstrong announces that the seventh grade basketball team will attend a celebration honoring Brett, Kirby goes out for the team. Soon the coach has the boys practicing in their underwear and amazing things begin to happen for the Stuckey Prairie Dogs. When Kirby finally meets Brett McGrew, he realizes that Coach Mike is not only his inspiration but is also actually his father. Although this story is stereotypical of many sports novels that feature a team that goes from worst to first, Harkrader makes it more than just a story about the lessons learned through sports. As narrator, Kirby expresses the insecurities that many young teens face, "You know the kid who kicks the ball out of bounds when he dribbles? . . . That's me." His coming-of-age as the team's leader and his methodical approach to life give the novel a universal appeal. The plot is upbeat, spending little time on Kirby's birth or the loss of his mom. His search for his father has elements of mystery and humor. This book is a good selection particularly for middle school readers who will see themselves in Kirby and his friends.-Christine Sanderson.

Kirkus Reviews

The Armstrong Coaching Method has caught on at Kirby Nickle's school. Coach Mike Armstrong's method strips basketball down to the basics—literally: The seventh-grade Prairie Dogs play in their underwear. Having practiced like this in the pre-season, players are used to looking stupid and being embarrassed; all they have left is basketball. So they play. And win. They certainly get the attention of the fans, and eventually ESPN , Sports Illustrated and David Letterman cover them (even if uniforms don't), especially after this no-talent team that expects to win zero games ends up 14-0. Though the premise is ridiculous and silly, the story has charm and may just appeal to young readers looking for something offbeat, including a cover with a boy wearing nothing but socks and skivvies, basketball at his side. (Fiction. 8-12)

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Seventh-grade basketball lover Kirby Nickel is convinced that his father is an NBA basketball hero. In an effort to meet him, Kirby becomes the unlikely captain of his school team, where a tough-love coach employs unconventional methods to boost players' confidence. Though the humorous tone will attract readership, the characterizations remain bland, and the feel-good resolution is poorly contrived.