Liam Bergstrom is one lucky sophomore. The varsity coach is bringing him up from JV to rebound for the varsity. Another player's bad luck (an injury) has become good luck for Liam.
When he starts practicing with the varsity, he gives it everything he has. He wants to make his mark on the team because of his ability, not just because of his height. The coach seems impressed, and Liam spends a fair amount of time off the bench and right in the middle of the action.
When he starts practicing with the varsity, he gives it everything he has. He wants to make his mark on the team because of his ability, not just because of his height. The coach seems impressed, and Liam spends a fair amount of time off the bench and right in the middle of the action.
Unfortunately, there is one thing about he varsity team that kind of surprises Liam, and to be honest, disappoints him. Before each game and at half-time, the team is required to pray. Coach asks a player to lead the team in prayer, and even though Liam is a practicing Catholic who believes in God and prayer, he feels uncomfortable. In addition to the game prayers, Liam discovers that the team members are expected to attend the HAF (Horizon Athletic Fellowship) meetings as well.
When Liam begins to question the legality of praying at school, several of the players tell him it's just the cost of being part of the team. Liam doesn't like the fact that not everyone on the team may follow Christian beliefs, and he feels hypocritical when he just pretends to participate. When he finally decides to ask the coach about the situation, he gets an answer he later learns was a lie. Having his coach lie to him and then expect him to do something as personal as pray, makes Liam take the issue to the next level.
Bringing the question of separation of church and state to the attention of people beyond the team, stirs up things with his teammates and even the school principal. Liam finds out that asking questions and then standing up for what you believe in is not always the easiest road to take. Liam learns that sacrifices are hard and often costly.
BOX OUT is an excellent book. It provides plenty of play-by-play basketball action, plenty of teenage anxiety involving school, parents, and romantic issues, as well as plenty of possible discussion topics for teens and adults. It is well worth reading.
10 comments:
After reading this book it left me angry and upset with the content that fills our young impressionable minds. It is a moral relative do whatever you think is right. The ACLU is anti-God, anti-Christian and anti-Catholic. To have a high school sophomore quit the Varsity team because the coach wanted to pray is pathetic. To make matters worse he joins the girls basketball to team to help them out. Where are the real men in this story. So now the main character reads poetry with the girls coach. Give me a break!
This book also has vulgar references, teen drinking, and inapproiate computer viewing.
I would never recommend this book
Dear Anonymous,
I'm sorry you find this book so offensive. As my review indicated the subject matter does contain controversy, but as I also mentioned, it would provide wonderful discussion opportunities for teens and adults.
In my opinion, books that offer opportunities to discuss differing philosophies and life-views are some of the best books.
RJ
Dear John Coy,
I'm a thirteen year old boy who goes to geneva middle school in New York. I read this book for a book project and i thought this book was really good. I hope that you will still be writing more books about basketball becuase that is my favorite sport. Like i said i liked this book and i can't wait to read crackback, it sounds like a really good book.
Box Out is a great book. The best thing about the book was the moral of the story which was to stick up for what you believe in. However, Box Out is about a teenager named Liam who has to struggle with praying in his public schools since he was just recently moved up to the varsity basketball team. Also his girlfriend Lilly is away at France. This book is good for readers who want to understand what is to stand up for what you believe in
Box Out is a great book. The best thing about the book was the moral of the story which was to stick up for what you believe in. However, Box Out is about a teenager named Liam who has to struggle with praying in his public schools since he was just recently moved up to the varsity basketball team. Also his girlfriend Lilly is away at France. This book is good for readers who want to understand what is to stand up for what you believe in
Box Out is a great book. The moral of the story which was to stick up for what you believe in. Box Out is about a teenager named Liam Bergstorm who has to struggle with prayer in his school. He was recently moved up to play on the varsity basketball team.
This book is good for readers who want to understand what it means to stand up for what you believe in no matter the consequences. The issue of prayer in public school is a key part of this novel, but other factors influence Liam Bergstrom’s decisions and school life. Though his faith in life may not be mentioned in the book but, his challenge of Coach Kloss’s use of pre-game prayer remains, as well as his attempt to understand the behavior of teammates who play the prayer game to stay on the varsity basketball taem.
There are many issues in this book that I felt would engage young adult readers such as, challenges that concern young people about moral behavior, the racist attitudes and behavior on the part of a coach, and the constant want of acceptance and team work demonstrated by other adults. John Coy’s dialogue and plot development shows that he works with young adults and wrote a compelling, realistic story on the types of thing that goes on in the school
Taking prayer out of school is not doing what are founding fathers based our counrty opon. As well Liam cant be so soft. Other then thst, good book. I give it a C+
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