Airball

Barb Bahm, library goddess for the Tonganoxie, Kansas, school
district, created this curriculum guide for the William Allen White
Children’s Book Awards. It is included here with her permission.

Airball: My Life in Briefs
L.D. Harkrader
Roaring Brook Press, 2005
Hardcover ISBN: 1596430605

Synopsis:
Kirby Nickel, and uncoordinated seventh-grader from Stuckey,
Kansas, joins the school’s basketball team in hopes of meeting NBA
star Brett McGrew, whom he thinks is the father he has never known.

General Review:
An untalented group of seventh-grade boys get a chance to meet its small Kansas town’s basketball hero when his jersey is retired at a University of Kansas game. The school board refuses to let the team go unless the win games. Next comes the coach’s unique way of motivating the players (hint: “The Emperor’s New Clothes”). Told from a first-person narrative, the reader will laugh at times but also feel the Kirby’s pain while trying to figure out if the home town basketball hero is the father he has never known. Experience life in a small town that revolves around youth or college sports. Fun book that would make a good read aloud during the middle school basketball season.

Awards: Junior Library Guild Selection; Kansas Notable Books; Thorp Menn Award Finalist; Friends of American Writers Juvenile Literary Award

Themes: Basketball—Fiction; Fathers—Fiction; Coaches (Athletics)—Fiction;
Kansas—Fiction.

Discussion Questions: Standard 3, Benchmark 3

In the book, Kirby assume that Brett McGrew was his father because of circumstantial evidence. Have you ever assume something was true because of something you have heard or seen?
In the book, the coach had a unique way of motivating his players. What are some ways in which your parents, teachers and coaches motivate you?
Are there any connections between this book and your own life?
Out of the twelve players on the team which player would you like to have your family meet? Why?
What are your favorite lines or quotes? Why?

Activities:

Write a team song for Kirby’s team. Pick a tune that is familiar then write the lyrics that include details that would encourage the team. Perform the song for class. (Standard 3, Benchmark 4)
Compare Airball to one of the following movies: Like Mike, Angels in the Outfield, or The Mighty Ducks. After watching the movie, make a Venn diagram showing similarities and differences. (Standard 2, Benchmark 2; Standard 3, Benchmark 1)
Research Kansas University Basketball. Find out if there were any players that played for Kansas University born in Kansas that made it to the NBA. A site you might use is: http://kuathletics.cstv.com (Standard 1, Benchmark 5)