This is a short chapter book for beginning readers with a great message. When a young boy in Harlem gets new basketball shoes, he thinks they will make him a champion. They cost a lot of money, but his mom buys them for him. He heads off to the park and challenges his friends to some one-on-one. When he beats them all, he feels like a champion that can not lose. When No-Joke-Moke, challenges him to a game he agrees. Moke is smaller, younger and has shoes with holes, no way can he lose. He even accepts Moke's bet of winner getting the new shoes. Of course you can probably figure out what happens. Shoes do not make a champion. The illustrations in the book are just often enough to add to this story. A great book for children of all ages. This is a great book for public, school, classroom and home libraries. I hope there will be a sequel with these characters as they are easy to relate to.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )