Product Description

Eddie Ball has the chance of a lifetime: to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot—during halftime at the NBA finals, no less! A million dollars would mean the end to his and his mother’s problems. But someone really wants Eddie to shoot an air ball on the big day, and will do anything to sabotage the million dollar shot…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51000 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Released on: 2006-08-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781423100843
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6. Another page-turner from the author of The Kid Who Ran for President (Scholastic, 1996). Eddie Ball, 11, lives with his mother in a cramped trailer in rural Louisiana. Although he dreams of moving to a "regular house," Mrs. Ball's salary at the Finkle Foods Factory is low, and her bills are many. Eddie's best friend is his African-American next-door neighbor and classmate, the poetry-loving, basketball-playing Annie Stokely, who lives with her father. When both adults are laid off from the factory, Eddie enters one of Annie's poems in a poetry contest sponsored by Finkle Foods; the winner gets a chance to sink a foul shot during halftime at the first game of the NBA finals for a million-dollar prize. Early in the book, Eddie wins the poetry contest?but can he make the basket? Shooting lessons from Mr. Stokely improve Eddie's free-throw success rate, but someone seems to be sabotaging the practice sessions. Things become more complicated when Mr. Finkle visits Eddie, admits that his company is having financial troubles, and offers him a bribe to throw an air ball. Gutman expertly builds up suspense to the moment of the shot, milking the throw itself for several delightfully agonizing pages. The story, with occasional basketball tips well woven into the narrative, will appeal to both sports readers and general audiences. Gutman's subtle humor, exciting sports action, and excruciating suspense make this title an outstanding choice for reluctant readers.?Denise E. Agosto, Midland County Public Library, TX
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Eddie Ball lives in a trailer park in Louisiana with his widowed mother. His friend, Annie Stokely, lives there with her widowed father. Both mother and father work in the Finkle Foods factory, where most everyone in town works. A finkle is a candy delicacy, ok junk food, that was invented by a Mr. Finkle. The company needs to boost sales, so as a PR ploy, they sponsor a contest during NBA finals--sink a free throw and win a million dollars. Eddie, with the help of Annie and her father, wins the chance to make that throw. Johnny Heller is amazing in his ability to sound like an adolescent. Eddie is a character filled with juvenile anxiety and energy. Heller adroitly captures all these qualities in this wonderful satiric tale. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

The Million Dollar Shot
The Million Dollar Shot is about a boy named Eddie. He lives with his mom in a poor trailer park, but one day Eddie sends a poem into a contest hoping to win. One day he gets selected to shoot for 1 million dollars in New York City. He did shoot it and he got 1 million dollars! The ending is very good, but I won't tell you what it was... you'll have to find out yourself. This book is quite funny and entertaining. This book would've gotten 5 stars but it wasn't very long, if it was longer it would've been a spectacular book! No matter what, this book has got to be read!!

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME
this is the best Dan Gutman book i have read yet. The story is great and filled with suspense (some parts) i read this book in two days and now reading it agian for my fourth time! if u dont like sports books u will still like this book, Believe ME!

mother in a family of readers
My 8 year old son read this book and loved it. He then asked me to read it out loud to him and his 5 year old sister, and they both loved it. I enjoyed it, too. The story is interesting and the characters are realistic. Dan Gutman does a great job of building the suspense to the climactic moment when the 11 year old narrator takes the million dollar shot during halftime of the NBA finals. (My son was amazed that Mr. Gutman was able to write two whole chapters -- albeit short ones -- focusing on the period of time while the ball was in the air. And we eagerly devoured them. I took the opportunity to point out that this was GOOD WRITING). Along the way Mr. Gutman throws in a few lessons about friendship, loyalty, and the value of hard work. These lessons are easy to take, because the story flows so smoothly. All three of us recommend this book.