Teammates: Karl Malone and John Stockton
Grade 5-8AA timely book written in a lively style with plenty of game action, black-and-white photos, and statistics. The teammate theme is developed through an examination of the character, background, and playing styles of the two leading lights of the Utah Jazz. Stockton grew up in a white and middle-class Irish-American family in Spokane. Many thought he was not big enough, strong enough, or talented enough to succeed in the NBA. Malone, who is black, is physically much more impressive but had to overcome a childhood of extreme poverty in rural Louisiana. Much of the book deals with the manner in which these individuals have worked to develop and blend their talents in order to succeed. In the process, they have become close personal friends despite their very different backgrounds. This title should have no trouble finding an eager audience among basketball fans.ARichard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School,Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.