Last Pick
Last Pick
Two seconds. Akisha went in for a layup. Jazz watched, her heart pounding so loud it sounded like thunder in her chest. One second. The ball left Akisha’s right hand. The horn sounded as the ball rose into the air. The ball gently touched the glass backboard in the middle of the black square, then fell cleanly through the hoop.
It took a second or two for most of the fans to understand what had just happened. But Jazz knew right away. The ball was in the air before the horn sounded. The shot was good. The Raven had won by a single point.
The Kelowna team knew what happened as well. Some dropped to their knees in disbelief. Some cried. Others just stood, frozen in place. Their fans on the other side of the arena, so loud and confident just seconds before, fell into a shocked silence. But not the Ravens’ supporters. The proof was on the game clock – 62-61 Ravens. All around Jazz, Ravens fans stood up, hugged each other and cheered. The Northside Ravens senior girls had won the most important game in the team’s history. And Akisha Sidhu, Jazz’s sister, had scored the winning basket.
“Five years from now,” Karin said, “that could be us winning the provincial championship.”
“Maybe,” Jazz replied. But inside she knew she would never play on a championship team – or any other team at all.
Last Pick, by David Starr, focuses its storyline around main character Jazz Sidhu. Jazz is just starting Northside Secondary School as a grade 8 student. Her older sister, Akisha, has just left on academic and athletic scholarships for the University of Toronto to study and continue to play basketball with the Varsity Blues. It is just Jazz and her mom at home now. Jazz can feel the pressure to continue in her sister’s footsteps and play basketball, but she is scared.
Last Pick is a story about much more than basketball. Starr has chosen to tackle many issues in this story. It is about family, friendship, and it also touches on challenges faced when an individual is diagnosed with a disability and is bullied. Jazz lives with a condition that affects her coordination and processing speed. As a result, her confidence is low, and becomes even more challenged when a student who had bullied Jazz in elementary school now shows up at Northside Secondary School.
Current and delivering an important message, Last Pick is a must-read.
Christina Pike is the principal at Macdonald Drive Junior High, St. John’s, Newfoundland.