Rebound by Bob Krech

Sometimes you just need to read a sports book, and this here YA novel is a BASKETBALL book. :) Cool cover, and cool subplots will make this a popular read at PCHS after I donate it to the library (thanks--Marshall Cavendish!). Ray Wisniewski is a Polish boy playing a black kid sport in his neighborhood. He's supposed to stick to wrestling and the rest of his white friends, but he can't stay away from basketball, even if he is cut from the team his freshmen and sophomore years. He wants to play, even if it means getting to know how to trash-talk on the court with people he's not used to. Much of the book is focused on racial relations, but it's about basketball, too. And, of course, some love interests force Ray to decide what kind of person he really wants to be.