Fall 2024

Stokes

The Brief Career of the NBA's First Black Superstar

  • Interest Level: Grade 2 - Grade 5
  • Reading Level: Grade 3

Stokes tells the story of the NBA’s first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.

Coauthors and basketball enthusiasts John Coy and Ty Chapman highlight what a standout Stokes was: he was 6’7” and as they write, “nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well.”

In a 1958 game against the Minneapolis Lakers, Stokes, went down hard and hit his head, losing consciousness. At the time, there was no concussion protocol, and Stokes went back into the game. A few days later, he went into a coma and woke up unable to move his body from the neck down. Players did not have any sort of financial support in situations like this, and Stokes’s teammate Jack Twyman worked with other players and Milton Kutsher to put on a benefit game during the summer at Kutsher’s hotel in the Catskills. This game became an annual tradition, and Stokes was eventually able to travel and watch the game. Wilt Chamberlain said of Stokes, “He had something transcending as a person. . . . Everybody loved him.”

Back matter includes some great historical photos as well as further information about Stokes, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, and about the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

This picture book biography provides a fascinating look at basketball history, accompanied by Lonnie Ollivierre’s action-packed illustrations.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-9249-0
$14.99
979-8-7656-3852-1
$24.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 2 - Grade 5
Reading Level Grade 3
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Biography, Diverse Books: Physical Disability & Illness, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, Social Emotional Learning, Sports
Copyright 2024
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Millbrook Press ™
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2024-10-01
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF007100, JNF053180, JNF054020
Dewey 796.323092 [B]
Dimensions 9.25 x 11
Guided Reading Level R
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Bibliography/further reading, Original artwork, Reviewed, Source notes, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Reviews

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“An inviting way to teach readers about a lesser-known basketball superstar. Reviewer Rating: 5”—Children’s Literature

School Library Journal

“Vivid writing pairs with vibrant illustrations to depict a tragic but fascinating look at an engaging and exciting player whose misfortune, sadly, changed the way that basketball is played forever.”—School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

“A poignant might have been, worth remembering and still as cogent as ever.”—Kirkus Reviews

Booklist

“Telling a moving story, Chapman and Coy introduce Stokes’ unusual combination of size, skills, quickness, and understanding of the game and then explain how differently Black players were treated on NBA teams in the 1950s. From action scenes to quiet moments, Ollivierre’s art illustrates the narrative with empathy and style.”—Booklist