Training Camp (Wizenard #1)

Five basketball teammates offer accounts of a 10-day training camp in this inspirational yet uneven fantasy. In a near-contemporary land called Dren, the down-on-their-luck West Bottom Badgers catch a break with the arrival of their new coach, the self-styled Professor Rolabi Wizenard, who uses motivational messages and magic to train the players in "the nature of all things." As team leader Rain, gentle giant Devon, awkward outcast Twig, and brothers Peno and Lab face off against their deepest fears and insecurities and an actual tiger, the players slowly come together as a team and learn that they must fight their greatest battles alone. Working from a concept created by basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, King (A World Below) does an admirable job of capturing the characters' distinct voices and challenges, but the gimmicky nature of the Rashomon-like story line, which repeats the same events five times, leaves little room for deepening the worldbuilding, supporting cast, and the vague hints at a greater problem looming in the background. The story does manage to capture the joy of sports and the satisfaction of working as a team--the Badgers, a mostly brown-skinned group, undergo internal and external conflicts that result in realistic struggles and strong lessons learned. Ages 10-up (Mar.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 6 Up Rain is thrilled to start the West Coast Badgers summer basketball camp in the beat-up Fairwood Community Center, even though his team doesn't live up to his expectations. What he and his teammates don't realize is their new coach Rolabi is full of surprises. Not only does he challenge them each to face their fears, but he creates grana, or magic, in their practices. A tiger who comes to play defense, shadows that come to life, and shooting on a mountaintop are the mystifying events that Rolabi has a hand in. But unorthodox coaching methods, like having players stare at a daisy after each practice, make the kids want to fire him. Will Rolabi fail the team or help them become better players at the game and life? The book is divided into parts and each section follows a different player, who shares his own fears and his unique experience with Rolabi. VERDICT Highly recommended as a new crossover fantasy sports series. --Amy Lukich, Tinley Park Public Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"The novel is unusual in structure and plot as readers experience the same incidents portrayed through different perspectives, each revealing another layer of the story . . . . Solid, authentic basketball action with plenty of food for thought, colored with elements of fantasy."—Kirkus

"The Wizenard is an achievement—not only because it's a good novel; not only because it merges the world of wizardry and sport deftly. It is an achievement because it teaches that magic and basketball aren't binary, not in fiction and not in reality. ...Every young person who picks up a ball, or a book, or even a wand, should pick up The Wizenard Series: Training Camp to be fans and teammates of this standout rookie."—Nikko Ramos, Fully Booked Online.com

"Every kid who reads [The Wizenard Series: Training Camp] will imagine they are one of the lucky five young hoopsters—Rain, Twig, Cash, Lab, and Peno—who benefit from the teachings of the master."—2paragraphs.com