The Fifth Quarter - Mike Dawson
Lori Block is a fourth grader who likes basketball, but is relegated to the "fifth quarter," a non-essential period before the real game in which typically benched players are given some time to shine. But she keeps working on her skills and attends a basketball camp, eventually getting pretty good. however, this comes at the risk of losing her friends, who find her protective attitude toward the game off-putting and insulting. Even worse, her mom is running for student council, risking alienation from another friend whose father is running against her. Her father is often occupied with her twin siblings, leaving Lori more and more isolated and out of place. Can she maintain her confidence without alienating her friends? A great middle-school coming of age story about maintaining relationships and believing in yourself. The art is more cartoony than I'd like, but it's not too distracting and sometimes amusing. [4]
