Falling Short
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez.
Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help.
This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.
But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cisneros (Efrén Divided) follows up his Pura Belpré Award–winning debut with a playful and perceptive middle grade contemporary tale about two best friends that's dedicated to "everyone who has ever felt like they fall short of what the world expects of them." It's the start of sixth grade at California's Mendez Middle School, and best friends Isaac Castillo, who is of Mexican descent, and Marco Honeyman, who is "half-Jewish, half-Mexican," have big goals for the school year. Though Isaac is a gifted basketball player who displays excellent sportsmanship on the court, he struggles to get good grades. Meanwhile, Marco, a short-statured, self-professed "geek" and straight-A student, has no natural aptitude for sports. But with renewed efforts—and each other's help—they aim to become all-rounders on and off the court ("Win or lose, you gotta keep shooting the ball—because eventually, it will go in"). Told through animated alternating first-person chapters, Cisneros's story not only captures the anxiety—and at times, humor—of trying to measure up to expectations, it also tackles delicate subject matter, such as parental absence and alcohol reliance, with profound sensitivity and nuance. A narrative slam dunk for fans of Donna Barba Higuera and Meg Medina. Ages 8–12.
Customer Reviews
Falling Short
Falling Short is a story about about two boys who are friends and neighbors. It shows how true friendship works, and what it feels feels like, as the boys navigate the first day of Miiddle School. The story is told in two first person voices, weaving each boy's perception of the same events. Their experiences are a tapestry of emotion, humor, desire to excel at something which does not come easily, seeking parental approval and wanting to fit it with friends. As a retired psychologist, I see this as a "how to book” about friendship and overcoming self doubt. For the sports fans among you; it is about basketball in Middle School.