SLAM!

Author: Walter Dean MyersBy: Nick Keyes

Reading-RochePeriod 3May 7

BIOGRAPHY OF WALTER DEAN MYERS

Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His birth name was Walter Milton Myers. He was then given to a man to take care of him named Walter Dean who lived in Harlem, Virginia. Herbert was African American. Florence was German and Native American. He said that he centered his life around the neighborhood and the church. He said the neighborhood protected him and the church guided him. Walter dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen but the high school he went to claims that he graduated. After he dropped out of high school Walter joined the army. Basketball was a big part of his life when he laid in bed at night he thought what would happen if he made the pros or what would happen if he played college basketball.

SUMMARYThe book slam is about a kid named Greg Harris who grows up in the hood as they say in the book. He faces some tuff things on his way to becoming an elite basketball player he goes through the troubles of school, his grandma being sick, and his friends. He has trouble in school by he doesn’t study or forgets to but if he does study he forgets it and the principle said that he can not play basketball if he doesn’t get good grades. He has trouble with his grandma by it was just randomly that she got sick and with his parents gone to visit her in the hospital his parents do not make them dinner slam has to make dinner for him and his little brother Derrick. The last thing he has trouble with are his friends he had a best friend named Ice but then Slam and Ice get in a fight about how Ice sells drugs so they aren’t friends anymore but Slam meets this one kid who people call Ducky who is on the basketball team with Slam becomes Slam’s best friend.

CHARACTERSMain Characters• Gregory Slam Harris- most important character he is good at basketball and

sort of self-centered.• Ice- Was Slam’s best friend until they got into a fight. Starts to sell drugs.,• Ducky- Slam’s new best friend shorter and he is always there for Slam.Minor Characters• Mtisha- Slam’s girlfriend she is a very sociable person she always knows

what people are doing. • Derrick- Slam’s little brother he is spunky and nosy he always wants to know

what people are talking about.• Mrs. Harris- A very loving and caring person she seems like a good mom

always taking care of Slam and Derrick.• Mr. Harris- A grouchy person when he does not have a job, he always loses a

job, and he has a drinking problem.

PLOT

Introduction• You meet Slam and his family.• How Slam knows what time it is by the traffic.Rising Action• Slam goes to a new school.• Slam heres that if he keeps on getting bad grades he will not

be able to play basketball.• Slam Makes the basketball team without even trying out.• Slam does not start his first and second basketball game.• Slam’s grandma gets sick and is in the hospital

PLOT CONTINUEDCLIMAX• Slam finds out that his best friend Ice is now selling drugs so they get in a fight

over it and they are not friends anymore.Falling Action • Slam forgets that he has a test in math and forgets to study and he fails the test.• Slam’s coach Goldie says that he has to show the coach that he is a team player

if he wants to start in a game.• Slam and a few of his teammates get in a fight.• Slam’s mom and his principle say the best thing for slam right now is to get a

tutor for math.Conclusion• Slam starts to get in a fight with his coach.• Slam finally gets the picture about helping his teammates in basketball and

passing the ball

VOCABULARY1. Nonchalanting-adjective coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited;

casual.2. Ghetto-a section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area,

inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures, or hardships.

3. Cigarette- noun a cylindrical roll of finely cut tobacco cured for smoking, considerably smaller than most cigars and usually wrapped in thin white paper.

4. Bodega- Noun a wine shop. A warehouse for storing or aging wine. 5. Reefer-noun Nautical . a person who reefs. a short, close-fitting coat

or jacket of thick cloth, similar to a pea jacket. A woman's tailored, fitted, single- or double-breasted coat of durable material with a collar.

STARING ACTORS

Will Smith as Slam. Nicki Minaj as Mtisha.

STARING ACTORS

T.I. as Ice.Queen Latifah as Mrs. Harris

STARING ACTORS

Jayden Smith as Derrick.Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Harris.

STARING ACTORS

Zack Effron as Ducky.

SOUNDTRACK TUNESI chose the song winner by Jammie Foxx featuring T.I. I would have this song playing when they are in their first game and they are losing until they put Slam in.I feel like I can't miss I know they want me to fall But ain't nothin' bigger than this So just pass me the ball You know you lookin' at a winner, winner, winner I can't miss, can't lose, can't miss You know you lookin' at a winner, winner, winner Cause I'm a winner, yeah I'm a winner

Read more: JAMIE FOXX - WINNER LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/winner-lyrics-jamie-foxx.html#ixzz1uWQdqDHz Copied from MetroLyrics.com they are down until they put Slam in.

RATING I would give Slam! a four out of five stars. I thought it was a great book. I loved the basketball games and I thought that this could actually be true. What I did not like was all of the drugs and alcohol that happened. Like Ice selling drugs when he was only in high school. Also how the dad came home drunk sometimes so I thought that that should not be in the book. I would recommend this book though to whoever likes basketball and just a greatly written story.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONSHere are just a few other books dealing with basketball.• Summer Ball by Mike Lupica• The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam.• Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made by David Halberstam.