THE PLAYMAKERS, by Chad Morris and Shelly Morris, Shadow Mountain, April 1, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
A group of underdogs join forces to prove they’ve got what it takes on the basketball court and the stage in The Playmakers, by Chad Morris and Shelly Morris.
Jax has something to prove. After trying out for the basketball team, he and his friend Nic don’t make the final cut. Sure, Jax might be the shortest kid in the seventh grade, and Nic might not have a lot of confidence, but they’ve got skills.
Luke is the tallest kid in the seventh grade. He’s not bad at basketball, but he didn’t even try out for the team. Instead, Luke’s an aspiring actor and auditioned for the school play. Unfortunately, he didn’t get cast.
Jax and Luke decide to take matters into their own hands. They have a wacky, wild, outrageous idea, a plan that is sure to fail—unless it doesn’t.
Jax decides to form his own basketball team and challenge the challenge the school team. Luke agrees to join the team, on the condition that Jax and his friends help Luke compete in a regional drama competition.
Miley, probably the smartest kid at school, agrees to help both Jax and Luke. She’s been reading up on sports science and thinks she might have found a way for her friends to win through math. Can a team of underdogs prove to the whole school that they have what it takes to be noticed, or will it all go horribly wrong? —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
I’ve read a number of books by Chad Morris and Shelly Morris, and they’re good at getting to the heart of their audience. By making basketball and theater main components of The Playmakers, they’ve created wide appeal.
The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Jax, Luke, and Miley. Though it’s fairly easy to discern who’s talking, it does make the story bounce around a bit. Jax and Luke’s narratives are fairly straightforward, while Miley’s unfolds through drawings, and a variety of formats like texting with an advice chatbot, and making lists. The trio are all driven in their own individual ways, and by working together the show perseverance.
The Playmakers moves quickly. At its heart, it’s a story of friendship, self-discovery and never giving up.
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