Here is the official description that, although brief, captured our interest. Who are the main characters, who was chip graber, what were the kids trying to figure out, what roll did timothy whiting pla. Russell thomas spends a hour working on threepoint shooting, then does sprints up 14 flights of steps in his project, then went back to the court to shoot onehanded shots sitting in a chair ten feet from the hoop. Because he couldnt achieve a sat score of 700, he lost his scholarship to temple and then became homeless. Thomas russell sean thomas russell was born in toronto ontario in 1952, and now lives on vancouver island. Choose from 108 different sets of last shot flashcards on quizlet. In chapter 1, stevie thomas receives a letter that he is the winner of an essay contest. City streets, basketball dreams is obviously about basketball.
Last shot was about two kids named stevie and susan carol who both win a writing contest and get to. Identify two things that terry had going for her, not including her looks. The nba according to the sports guy by bill simmons, the crossover by kwame alexander, when the game. He lives in potomac, maryland, and shelter island, new york, with his family. Wojenski suggests that the blackmailer and the one putting everyone in. I have changed the names of russell thomas and his mother. Interview with michael adams, author of the last trilogy. Surrounded on three sides by water, and cut off on the fourth by the great ethnic divide of brighton beach, the coney island peninsula feels like a separate territory, as removed from the rest of new york as guam. Cousy, russell, the celtics, and what matters in the end.
His books for young readers offer a winning combination of sports, action, and intrigue, with last shot receiving the edgar allan poe award for best young adult mystery of the year. Incisively and compassionately written, the last shot introduces us to unforgettable characters and takes us into their world with an intimacy seldom seen in contemporary journalism. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of last shot by john feinstein. It tells the story of two young reporters, stevie thomas and susan carol anderson, who stumble upon a plot to blackmail fictional minnesota state basketball player chip graber into throwing the final four in new orleans. Most readers of civil war fiction are surprised when novels dealing with naval operations touch on something other than ironclads dueling on americas rivers or around forts guarding harbors. One theme in last shot is when faced with a problem you have to decide who you can trust and not trust. One player, darryl flicking whose name is changed to russell thomas in the book, lost his scholarship to temple university because he. John feinstein is the author of many bestselling sports books, including a season on the brink and a good walk spoiled. Thomas was never overlooked, contrary to what heirens defenders suggest. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the last pass. Its hard not to feel bad about russell thomas, trying so hard to hit the. How and why michael jordan banned isiah thomas from the dream team. The author, john feinstein, is a sports writer for magazines and newspapers.
Coney island the basketball playground of america is the setting for the last shot. Tchaka shipp, corey johnson, russell thomas and stephon marbury who. The story follows the two main characters, stevie thomas and susan carol anderson. As the book details, frey accompanies the players to summer basketball camps and tournaments, recruitment visits, the. Licensed to youtube by kobalt awal digital limited, umg on behalf of humphead records. Two decades after darcy freys seminal work on new york city basketball, lincoln high school, and four boys from coney island, we look back at the book s legacy and enduring importance. The book is a good book, in my opinion, and it makes the reader want to keep reading it. The book was a thrilling basketball and writing mystery that was terrific.
But coney island, as he writes in the last shot, is not new york city. A final four mystery, main characters steven stevie thomas and susan carol anderson are winners of a fourteen and under united states basketball writing association usbwa writing contest. Corey johnson and russell thomas the players real name is darryl. Feinstein is a duke graduate and former sports writer. The book of basketball by bill simmons the breaks of the game by david halberstam. Michael jordan clinches 6th title with the shot 1998. Three of the books protagonists tchaka chipp, corey johnson and russell thomas are rising seniors, hoping to catch the eyes of d1. City streets, basketball dreams, frey has published articles in new england monthly, rolling stone, harpers, and the new york times magazine. The last shot chapter by chapter outline by darcy frey prologue outline. In the book he is a minnesota state college basketball teams star player, who is blackmailed into losing the final four. At abraham lincoln high school, black kids play basketball for love. This book gave me a fresh appreciation for the fact that these players have reached the point where they can even put on jersey and step out onto an nba floor. Aimed at middle grade readers and published in 2005, the book combines two genres sports novel and mystery in order to create a constantly moving. I dont want to spoil the epilogue, but i will say it was one of the more devastating and affecting things i have ever read.
The main characters are stevie thomas a year old boy who won a usbwa u. Unlike some of the other characters, russell focused a lot on his skill and technique rather than just playing the game. John feinstein is the author of many bestselling books, including a season on the brink and a good walk spoiled. His work has been published under the names sean russell and s. Stevie and susan carol hear a blackmailing plan that could decide the winner of the final four. The last shot is a 2004 american comedy film starring matthew broderick, alec baldwin, toni collette, tim blake nelson, joan cusack uncredited, tony shalhoub, buck henry, ray liotta, calista flockhart and ian gomez. This study guide consists of approximately 21 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of last shot. Cousy, russell, the celtics, and what matters in the end kindle edition by pomerantz, gary m download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Blending highseas adventure and firstrate research, the last shot is naval history of the very first order, offering a riveting account of the last southern military force to lay down its arms in june 1865. They won this trip from a writing contest and they went there to write about the tournament. City streets and basketball dreams by darcy frey was a late entry nomination for our next book and won voting in a landslide. In the last shot, darcy frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhoods most promising players. It has an updated twelve years later epilogue which is a must. He was a fictional character in the book last shot by john feinstein.
Which two people does joyce thomas make russell stop seeing because shes afraid. What was the name of the court where russell, corey, and stephon played. Last shot is a mystery book that takes place at the final four. It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of coney island is much more than that for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair.
On june 14, 1998, michael jordan crossed up bryon russell and nailed a jumper in the final seconds of game 6 vs. Stephon marbury, a former basketball player, russell thomas, tchaka shipp, and. Last shot is a novel by the bestselling author john feinstein. A final four mystery is the debut childrens novel of sportswriter john feinstein. Frey says of the early steps in reporting his classic nonfiction book the last shot, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. In 2004 darcy frey released an edition of the last shot with a new afterword, updating the lives of tchaka shipp, corey johnson. Pistonpowered reader jacob tucker provides this weeks book club post. The last shot serves as an interesting historical piece for basketball fans, as it was still relatively early in the explosive growth in recruiting, aau basketball, and. This book goes into much detail about stephon marbury life it also goes much into detail about his companions or friends when he was younger.
Grassroots basketball since the last shot realgm articles. In the last shot, darcy frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the. In 1999 he was then struck and killed by an amtrak train. With their victory they both received press credentials to the final four. Keeley, and whiting, that are involved, and jurgenson actually saves the kids from possible harm at the end of the book. The article above talks about what happened to russel thomas darryl flicking in real life after he graduated high school. Introduces who the narrator is and how he came to write about the book. The sports beat series by john feinstein goodreads. The movie is written and directed by jeff nathanson, who wrote catch me. The last shot is a unique book that reveals an inside look at true struggles one.
Thomas russell as well as his full name, and he has collaborated with ian dennis also born 1952 under the joint pseudonym t. A final four mystery is a young adult novel by john feinstein. In the book last shot by john feinstein, what are some. States what the story will be about, and who the story will follow. Sean thomas russell born 30 january 1952 is a canadian writer of fantasy, and of historical novels featuring the royal navy. She had an 88 average in school, her mother was a teacher, her dad was principal, they had their own house in flatbush section of brooklyn, one of her aunts was a nun. Basketball writers association award, along with susan carol anderson, another year old. The last shot city streets, basketball dreams by darcy frey 231 pages. Being corey johnson, tchaka shipp, and russell thomas. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Its hard not to feel bad about russell thomas, trying so hard to hit the minimum 700 on the sat and dealing with some personal demons, knowing that without school as an avenue for his exceptional talent, hed be a future nobody.
The last shot follows on from the last girl and is available wherever books. He was front page news for four days in june of 1946. What is the theme for last shot by john feinstein answers. Michael jordan sinks the last shot over bryon russell to. Feinstein worked for the washington post as both a political and sports reporter for more than ten years and continues to contr.
Following orders received the previous autumn, the confederate raider. He was a contributing editor at harpers and the new york times magazine and the winner of a national magazine award and the livingston award. Among coney islands best is russell thomas, a studious. The result is a startling and poignant expose of innercity life and the big business of college basketball. He is currently writing the maritime adventures of charles hayden series. Last shot is a fiction book about stevie and susan carols trip to the final four in new orleans. One might say thomas was tried and convicted in the press for the degnan murder, just as hector verburgh, vincent costello and sidney sherman had been before him.
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