Nikki's family is her, her single librarian mom, and a rambunctious brother. Her dad was a sperm donor and she doesn't want anyone to know about that -- I suspect that there may be a big reveal about that later, but I just didn't get that far. All basketball all the time, but Nikki's determination is somewhat hampered by her family's budget. Good audio, fine book, I just ran out of steam for middle school angst and friend drama, and I can tell that's where it is going. I really love the supportive community and Nikki's strong and focused personality. The full submersion into basketball is also very well done and quite interesting. I may pick it up again later. ( )

I'm making a concerted effort to add more middle school-friendly books - and more sports-themed books to my juvenile and young adult collection - and this books hits all those points and more.

Nikki, her little brother Sam, and their mom, a university librarian, are a close family. They aren't poor, but they "run a tight budget" as her mom likes to say. Even though Nikki finds her brother irritating and she and her mom don't really understand each other, they've always been a close family. But there are new challenges on the horizon. Nikki is desperate to join a basketball club team, with her best friend Adria, and her mom has never understood her love of sport. Her teacher has given them a family tree assignment which means that Nikki will have to reveal her most embarrassing secret - she and her brother were conceived by sperm donor.

Nikki manages to get things started off right; even though her mom is shocked by the expenses of the team, she agrees to Nikki watching Sam after school so they can afford the fees. Nikki's teacher is understanding and she tentatively starts befriending Booker, a boy who also has reasons to avoid the assignment. But then things get... difficult. Playing on a high-level team, in a different position, is more challenging than Nikki expected and between criticism from other players' parents and her own insecurities, she starts panicking. Adria is spending more time on expensive drills and practices with Kate, the team star, and Nikki feels like she's losing her best friend and her favorite sport.

There are no quick solutions, but with determination and the support of friends and family, Nikki works to fill her responsibilities and maintain her relationships, on and off the court.

I freely admit I skipped a lot of the basketball descriptions, but kids who like that sort of thing will certainly eat them up. The characters were great, no stereotypical mean girls, just ordinary kids struggling to deal with the new challenges of experiences and handle family difficulties. It was great to see a depiction of a family with financial constraints and I appreciated that Booker, who has an even more traumatic background, doesn't dismiss Nikki's own struggles and worries, although he does call her out when she starts to give up and make excuses.

Verdict: A great choice for kids who love sports and those who like realistic stories and need and want uplifting reads that challenge and inspire them. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780316521901; Published 2019 by Little Brown; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Eighth-grade Nikki and her best friend Adria have been playing basketball since they were second grade. After years of playing in the county leagues, they both try out and make it on to a team in a club league. For Nikki, this gives her a leg up on making it onto a high school varsity team. But insecurities rise: the other girls are clearly good players and the tournament games are intense and overwhelming. When Nikki is referred to as “a black hole on the court,” the comment sends her into a tailspin of doubt. Sheer determination, hard work and inspiration from her favorite WNBA player gets Nikki’s head and heart back into the game. Enjoyed how Nikki found ways to solve her basketball problems on her own for the most part; iterating, not giving up. Also she comes up with an affordable way to stay on the team; look after Sam instead of Mom paying for childcare. Working as a team with her teammates. Realistic struggles that young people can identify with. The science of genetics and influence from her sperm donor father added an interesting aspect to her story. ( )

Middleschooler Nikki has been obsessed with basketball her whole life, and now she has the chance to participate in a club that will improve her skills. She has always excelled and been a valuable team member as the point guard, but her new coach is more demanding than she's used to and is having her play a new position. At the same time, Nikki is studying genetics in science class, prompting new curiosity about her sperm donor father.As if that weren't stressful enough, a team-mate's father described her as a "black hole" of the team. This middle grade novel will especially appeal to girls who love basketball and play-by-play descriptions. ( )