LeBron James: The Rise of a Star
Adult/High School–LeBron James truly has become a star. After appearing on the cover ofSports Illustratedand having his high school basketball games broadcast on ESPN, he was the first pick of the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft, and actually had them in playoff contention. The book is a breezier read than Ryan Jones'sKing James(St. Martin's, 2003) and doesn't weigh readers down with scores and statistics. Through interviews with those who knew LeBron while he was growing up (poor but loved in Akron, OH), the author draws a portrait of a boy who almost always had that special spark that defines him in the NBA today. Two inserts of color photographs depict the athlete from toddlerhood to recent NBA draftee, and most show him with his recognizable smile–and truly having fun with his gift. Morgan doesn't gloss over the controversy that surrounded the player when he accepted gifts as an amateur, a violation of the high school rules. He just comes across as a typical teen who sometimes screws up, albeit one with a prodigious talent. Demand for all things LeBron James may soon overtake demand for all things Michael Jordan, just as LeBron's statistics are rivaling those of a young Michael.–Jamie Watson, Enoch Pratt Free Library, BaltimoreCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.