John Coy - Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball

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Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all.
The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students-a bunch of energetic young men-are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy-or someones going to get hurt. Saving this class is going to take a genius.
Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.
This thrilling account of the birth of basketball is more a biography of the game itself than of its creators. The story begins with one James Naismith taking over an unruly gym class that had already run off two predecessors. He tries playing favorite sports indoors, but by the time they get to lacrosse not a player remains without some form of bandage. He needs a game where accuracy was more valuable than force. And so, in a Massachusetts gymnasium, basketball is concocted. Coy understands the power of detail-only one point was scored in the very first game-and his tight focus on the games initial season is immediately engrossing. Spare, precise language reflects the games welcome sense of order as well as its athletic appeal. Morses kinetic paintings, at once dynamic and controlled, fill the spreads, capturing the games combination of power and finesse. And the stylized figures and restrained palette of blue, brown, purple, and gray fix the proceedings in the nineteenth century. Naismiths abiding respect for his students irrepressible energy plays an important role in the invention of the game, and the book credits the entire crew (James Naismith and that rowdy class) with the creation, adding a nuanced understanding of the value of sports and teamwork. An authors note and selected bibliography offer additional information, and a you-are-there facsimile reproduction of the original thirteen rules of basketball adorns the endpapers. --starred, The Horn Book Magazine
This book is a delight for athletes of all ages, especially basketball fans. Morses crisp, angular illustrations capture the essence of the late 1800s with meticulous detail. Coy chronicles the struggles of Naismith as he desperately tries to engage his rambunctious students indoors during the winter months. As a result, he invents basketball, a sport that requires skill and physical activity. Though this story will mostly appeal to boys, the women who played basketball wearing long skirts will intrigue girls. The text is sparse, but it works harmoniously with the illustrations. Facts are well-researched, and presented in a way that is approachable for young readers. An authors note includes additional details about Naismiths life along with a selected bibliography. Naismiths story offers an excellent way to reach reluctant readers when launching a research project or collaborating across disciplines. -Library Media Connection
Sports origin stories are surprisingly rare in picture book land, despite the obvious appeal. Coys story about the dawn of basketball in 1891 is a bit sparse with detail, but nonetheless offers an interesting account of the factors that went into devising the game. James Naismith, in despair over the rowdy gym class he taught in Springfield, Mass., wanted a sport that emphasized accuracy over force and minimized contact. Theres a bit of Otto Dix in Morses distinctive paintings, with their angular contours and somber, blue-tinted skin, which lends an incongruous, though not displeasing, coolness to the notably hot-blooded sport. -The New York Times Book Review
In 1891, a teacher named James Naismith invented a game that was destined to become a national sensation. The boys gym class at his school was particularly rowdy. He needed to find