The Fifth Quarter

by Mike Dawson

Overview

Get ready to hit the court in this heartfelt, sporty, graphic novel, the first in Mike Dawson's middle-grade duology about a girl who deals with her insecurities through her love of basketball.

Lori Block is dedicated to her fourth-grade basketball team, despite being relegated to an extra period before the real game starts, known as the fifth quarter, where the not-so-good kids play and the points don’t count. That doesn’t matter to Lori though, because working on her skills gives her hints of self-confidence, which is a nice break from feeling awkward and out-of-place in her daily life.

With athletic promise and a dogged determination to keep improving, Lori pursues her passion while navigating awkward social dynamics, her own expectations, and her first overnight away from home. Will her drive allow her to find true courage both on the court, in school, and at home?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250244185
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	The Fifth Quarter
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mike Dawson is the author of several graphic novels and comics collections, including Freddie & Me: A Coming of Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody and Ace Face: The Mod with the Metal Arms. His work has appeared at The Nib, Slate, and The New Yorker, and has been nominated for multiple Eisner and Ignatz Awards, as well as the Slate Cartoonists Studio Prize. He lives at the Jersey Shore with his wife and children.

Editorial Reviews

A Junior Library Guild selection

"With its insightful emotional balance for kids and adults and its easy narrative and visual flow, this is the rare middle-grade graphic novel that will invite read-alouds in classrooms and at home."—Booklist, starred review

"The bright, saturated color palette and characters’ expressive faces complement this engaging, fast-paced story."—Kirkus

"...Dawson populates his contemporary world—drawn in confidently cartoony illustrations—with busy adults (Lori’s stay-at-home dad displays parenting overwhelm) and tweens who struggle believably to navigate complex social situations that feel increasingly high-stakes."—Publishers Weekly

"The relatable story line has an uplifting message and a Raina Telgemeier–esque vibe, which will appeal even to readers who aren’t very sporty." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2021-02-26
Practice makes perfect, or at least better—both in basketball and in friendship.

Lori may be only good enough on the boards to play in her fourth grade team’s informal “fifth quarter” warmups, but her determination to improve burns steadily enough to prompt signing up for both youth league and an intensive girls basketball camp at the local college. While chronicling plenty of realistically aggressive game and practice action in the tight but cleanly drawn panels, Dawson hands his protagonist a different sort of challenge too, as Lori discovers that Elyse, a likewise unskilled teammate she had pegged as a friend stealer, is actually an admirer who has been inspired by Lori’s focus. In a thematically similar side plot, Lori’s own mom nervously announces that she’s going to run for town council. By the time fifth grade tryouts roll around, the work both girls have put into their games and their relationship bears fruit—and if the political campaign doesn’t end so happily, still Lori expresses stout pride that her mom had the courage to try. That sentiment along with a more experienced player’s “If you want to win you can’t be scared you’ll lose” make up the main message in this first of a planned duology. The bright, saturated color palette and characters’ expressive faces complement this engaging, fast-paced story. Racially ambiguous Lori and her parents have black hair and light skin; the cast is visibly diverse.

Nothing but net. (Graphic fiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews