Airball: My Life in Briefs

L.D. Harkrader never played underwear basketball, but did have a recurring nightmare about walking into the school cafeteria wearing nothing but pajamas. "I'm sure the dream meant I was afraid people would see who I really was," says L.D. "In telling Kirby's story, I hope I show readers they shouldn't be afraid to let people see who they are. Who they are is okay." L.D. lives in a small town in Kansas and, like Kirby, is a rabid Jayhawks basketball fan.

Grade 5-7–Airball is a quirky combination of The Mighty Ducks meets Captain Underpants with a sideline story involving the search for a biological father. An untalented group of seventh-grade boys gets the chance to meet its small Kansas town's basketball hero when his jersey is retired at a University of Kansas game. Fearful of being embarrassed by their poor playing, the school board refuses to let the team go unless it starts winning its games. To improve the boys' concentration, Coach tapes over the windows and makes the boys practice in their underwear. His strategy works, but not enough to win while wearing uniforms. Geeky team captain Kirby Nickel convinces his teammates at their first halftime to play in their briefs. They do, they win, and continue to do so throughout the story. Kirby's real goal is to convince the famous NBA player that he is, in fact, Kirby's father. The boy has amassed a drawer of evidence that points toward his conclusion. Though unrealistic on several fronts, the story is enjoyable, including the somewhat predictable Hollywood ending. Kirby finds the sought-after identity of his dad, but it's not who he thought it was. The team does well and starts a nationwide trend in underwear practices. The theme will likely provide the hook to entice middle-grade readers.–Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
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