Macomb Jr-Sr High School Book Reviews

The Rebounder

By Thomas Dygard

This is a very interesting book   I think you should take some time out and read The Rebounder by Thomas J. Dygard. The main characters were Coach Doug Fulton, Chris Patton, Mickey Ward, Duddy Ford, and Hubbie Willis. The book begins with a coach named Doug Fulton getting ready for the basketball season.  He was looking for new transfer students that were interested in playing basketball.

There he was, six feet seven inch Chris Patton, a transfer student.  Coach Fulton wanted to ask him if he played basketball. 

Coach finally asked him and Chris said, “No I don’t play basketball and I never have.”

Then Coach asked Mrs. Harper, the secretary, for the records on the new transfer student named Chris Patton to see were he came from and to see if he ever played basketball.  Coach found out that he had lettered in basketball at Hall High in Indianapolis. Coach Fulton wondered why he told him that he didn’t play basketball, so Coach Fulton called Hall High and talked to the Basketball coach, Tim Barnes. He said Chris Patton was a good player but he had an accident. He had injured another player while scrambling for the ball and the player temporarily lost sight in one of his eyes. That’s probably why he didn’t want to play basketball anymore, because he is scared that he might hurt somebody.

The team had their first practice and Coach Fulton was waiting on Chris to walk through the doors, but it never happened. After the first 3 games, Coach Fulton was going in his office for morning class and there was a person at the door. It was Chris Patton and he said that he wanted to play basketball for the team. The first day he practiced he was spectacular.  He was making all of his shots and he had a touch that Coach Fulton had never seen before for a kid his size. Of course, the accident was always in the back of everyone’s mind. After a couple of games Chris was going up for a rebound and bumped another and he feel backward on his head. It happened what Chris didn’t want to happen had happened.

At the end Chris the player that didn’t want to play helped a Hamilton High Panthers team go to the state championship. Chris overcame his fear and fulfilled his dream of playing basketball.  R.L.

This page was last updated November 12, 2001.
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