Alexandria LaFaye, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
International Youth Basketball, death threats, racism, poverty, and romance are the interwoven issues in this fast-paced sports novel. Jimmy Doyle, known as the Snowman by his teammates, is honored to be selected to represent the U.S., but he gets more than he bargains for when he accepts. As the only white and inexperienced member of the team, Jimmy must prove himself worthy. Klass has a way of giving blow-by-blow descriptions of the basketball games that thoroughly involves the reader. He broaches many important topics with candor--Neo-Nazism, race relations in Los Angeles and in Europe, and the ethics of the media and politicians. He also provides a personal flavor to the novel by revealing the Doyle family's struggle to deal with the death of Jimmy's father and the bankruptcy of their family business. An intriguing novel that has a lot to say to today's young adults. 1996, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 12 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1996)
Tapped for an international junior tournament, a small-town high school basketball star goes one-on-one with a hostile teammate and with his own fears. Jim Doyle arrives in training camp to discover that he's already on inner-city star Augustus LeMay's bad side: partly for edging out Augustus's cousin, mostly for being white. Jim proves himself and it's off to face Europe's best, but the excitement that carries him through the early rounds turns to dread after the team receives a death threat. In a melodramatic happy ending, the characters all get what they need: Seconds after sinking an impossible winning shot, Jim takes a terrorist's bullet; he wakes up to find Augustus's contempt replaced by respect, and, more importantly, his fear of failing burned away. Though the contrast between Jim's na‹vet‚ and his teammate's mean-streets bitterness is sometimes overdone, Klass (California Blue, 1994, etc.) makes Jim's apprehension, fueled by unhappy memories, seem very real, and the final game with Spain is one of the most enthralling climaxes in recent sports fiction. The plot runs a predictable, tried-and-true course, but the author festoons it with frank, thoughtful observations about fathers and sons, city versus small town values, race, friendship, and courage. 1996, Scholastic, $16.95. © 1996 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, March 1998 (Vol. 32, No. 2))
This ALA Best Book for YAs is quite an exciting mix of international terrorism and youth basketball. Readers, however, will have to accept the difficult-to-believe premise that a local white boy in a small town in Minnesota would suddenly be chosen for a team of ten to represent the U.S. in an international tournament. (How did faraway scouts hear about him?) And that this Jimmy Doyle, a wonderful shooting guard who never has known real competition, could, in a few days of practice with talented athletes, learn how to play as a team with them. If readers can get past this Cinderella fantasy, they can move into a thoughtful story about how Jimmy's eyes are open to the reality of his black teammates' lives, especially the experiences of the star, Augustus, who comes from South Central LA. As the talented team moves on to Rome, Italy, for the tournament, the bad guys emerge as skinhead types from Germany; and especially frightening is a racist terrorist who has issued a death threat to the whole team. Even though massive security procedures are used to protect the U.S. team, some of the boys return home; Jimmy, however, chooses to stay even though fear paralyzes him and makes him a nearly useless member of the team. The final game pulls together all the tension and excitement into a memorable climax. A well-written escapist adventure with likable characters. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1996, Scholastic/Point Signature, 232p. 18cm, $4.99. Ages 13 to 18.

John H. Bushman (The ALAN Review, Spring 1996 (Vol. 23, No. 3))
Klass has created a most suspenseful novel that brings together elements of sports, racism, and international politics. Jimmy Doyle, an accomplished basketball player from a very small town, finds himself faced with hate and racist views as he accepts the honor to play for an American Dream Team in international competition in Italy. In addition to his own self doubt -- can he really compete at this level? -- Jimmy meets Augustus LeMay, a teammate who sees Jimmy as a white boy instead of a basketball player. The growth of Jimmy, as he interacts with Augustus, faces imminent danger from people with nationalist views, and understands his own abilities and how they can contribute to the team, makes for a strong, powerful work of literature. A wonderful read for sports enthusiasts as well as for those who like suspense. 1996, Scholastic, 233 pp., $16.95. Ages 12 up.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 1996 (Vol. 49, No. 6))
Jimmy Doyle is the star player on his small-town Minnesota high-school basketball team, and he's good enough to go farther-which is just what he does when an all-American Teen Dream Team is selected for international competition in Italy. First at training in Los Angeles and then in Italy, Jimmy is plagued by culture shock, self-doubt, and teammate troubles: the most gifted player on the team, an African-American kid from South Central LA, resents Jimmy for taking his best friend's spot. This is a fairly traditional sports story, and the team's characters are stock as well (the clown, the angry prodigy, the easygoing kid); the addition of a Italian terrorist plot against the team makes the story more unlikely but not less predictable. There's plenty of exciting basketball action, though, as the team wends its way to the top, and the probing of issues of race relations and national identity is thoughtful if not deep. Most of all, there's a likeable and humble narrator whose talent takes him places he's never been before; hoop fans will enjoy reading about his well-deserved triumphs. Ad--Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. Reviewed from galleys (c) Copyright 1996, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1996, Scholastic, [240p], $16.95. Grades 7-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, 1996)
When Jimmy Doyle is invited to play basketball for the United States 'Teen Dream Team' in an international tournament, he faces the racism of his teammates. In Italy the team manages to come together to cope with the hate and racism of some of the international fans. Klass neatly weaves his themes into a sports story filled with play-by-play details and plausible characters. Category: Fiction. 1996, Scholastic, 234pp.. Ages 14 to 18. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.