Long Jeffery and the Backboard

Book excerpt: Long Jeffery is a very shy lonely kid who gets teased a lot because he is taller than everyone else. He sits in the park and watches the kids in the neighborhood play basketball and have fun. Lacking confidence and afraid to make a mistake, he sits on the side and wishes he knew how to play basketball and be good at it. He figures that if he could play well the kids would like and respect him and become his friends. He is befriended by something he least expected to offer friendship. As a result of this friendship his world is changed forever. He learns that its never to late to learn and believe in himself.