Fourteen-year-old Griffin Finch attends school on scholarship and is struggling to stay on the basketball team. Knowing he has to step up his game, Griffin spends the summer playing basketball on a street court for a team called the Running Rebels in the hardscrabble Toronto neighbourhood of Regent Park. Griffin's hoop skills are taken to the next level by playing alongside streetball stars — especially Fly Davis, the best player in the league. But a summer of fast, high-scoring play ends with Griffin running home, frightened by violence in the street.

Griffin makes his school team and persuades Fly to apply for a scholarship to his school. Having Fly on the team inspires Griffin's teammates and helps increase their team's chance of winning. But opposing ideas of how basketball should be played lead to a standoff between Fly and Coach, and Fly quits the team. How can Griffin convince Coach and the rest of his team that they need to play run-and-gun basketball to win? And can he bring together his schoolmates and his friends from Regent Park?

Eric Howling is an advertising creative director and the author of the Lorimer sports novels Head Hunter, Red Zone Rivals, Hoop Magic, Kayak Combat and Drive. As a boy growing up in Montreal, Quebec, he always had a ball or stick or club in his hands. Now Eric's writing stories about playing some of those exciting sports. His books have been shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, named Resource Links Year's Best and picked as CCBC Best Books selections. Eric lives in Calgary, Alberta. Follow him on Twitter @erichowling.

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"An excellent choice…"

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Howling smoothly blends basketball expertise and social diversity; this book will be a slam dunk for fans of the game." Rated E, Excellent

Resource Links

"An excellent read-aloud choice." Rated 5/5

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"… An excellent addition to any collection."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials