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    Full-Court Press
    Full-Court Press
    Full-Court Press
    Ebook108 pages1 hour

    Full-Court Press

    By Elena Delle Donne

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    From 2015 WNBA MVP, 2016 Olympic gold medalist, and global ambassador to the Special Olympics Elena Delle Donne comes the second novel in a brand-new middle grade series with as much heart as there is game.

    When the basketball team is invited to have a service day at the school-affiliated after-school program, Elle falls in love with working with kids with special needs. So she begins to volunteer on two days a week when she doesn’t have practice and makes new friends there.

    Now, Elle finds herself juggling her new passion, basketball obligations, and schoolwork. But when her grades start to slip, she’s going to have to make a tough decision.

    Can Elle really do it all? Or will she find herself being pulled in too many directions?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
    Release dateJun 12, 2018
    ISBN9781534412361
    Full-Court Press
    Author

    Elena Delle Donne

    Elena Delle Donne has been a professional women’s basketball player since 2013, when she was selected by the Chicago Sky second overall in the WNBA draft. She was the 2015 WNBA MVP and won the gold medal with the USA’s women’s basketball team in the 2016 Olympics. She is the global ambassador for the Special Olympics and became the first national ambassador for the Lyme Research Alliance. Elena also plays host to De11e Donne Academy, a basketball camp that runs throughout the year, where she mentors and coaches girls ages seven to eighteen. She now plays for the Washington, DC, Mystics.

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      Book preview

      Full-Court Press - Elena Delle Donne

      1

      Bad Dog, Good Dog!

      My dog, Zobe, had been mine for only twenty-four hours, and he was already part of our family.

      My parents had surprised me the day before by driving me and my older brother, Jim, to the animal shelter to adopt him. I’d seen Zobe at an adoption event at the mall and had fallen in love with him. He was a big Great Dane, sweet and goofy, and bigger than all of the other dogs. Kind of like me.

      I mean, of course I’m bigger than the other dogs. But at six feet tall, I’m also bigger than everyone else in the seventh grade. And I hadn’t been having an easy time of it. Zobe was bigger than the other dogs, and he was adorable. So it made me think that being awkwardly big wasn’t the worst thing ever.

      Zobe’s tail was wagging like crazy when we brought him home. He went from room to room, sniffing the floor. When he got to my sister Beth’s room, he bounded up to her wheelchair.

      It had worried me for a minute. Beth was born deaf and blind, and I thought Zobe might startle her. But her hand had reached out and touched his fur, and she smiled.

      We let Beth in on the surprise, Mom had explained. She knew Zobe was coming.

      After that, Zobe had run upstairs. Mom and Dad had said that Zobe could sleep in my room, so I scrambled after him with the dog bed we’d just bought at the pet supply shop. But Zobe hadn’t been interested in the dog bed. He’d jumped into mine, and that’s where he’d stayed all night.

      I’d woken up pretty tired this morning, and it wasn’t just because it’s hard for a Great Dane and a six-foot-tall human to share a twin-size bed. I’d also stayed up late researching Great Danes, so I could be a good owner for Zobe.

      One of the things I’d learned was that Great Danes need thirty to sixty minutes of exercise a day, so I’d put Zobe on his leash and headed to Greenmont Park with him right after school. My friend Blake came with me, and I started telling him all the Great Dane facts I’d learned.

      So, Zobe’s coloring is called blue, I was saying, as we made our way along the circular walking path.

      Blue? Blake repeated. He looks kind of gray.

      Great Danes can be different shades of gray, but they’re called blue, I explained. Dogs with shiny gray fur are called steel blue. I think Zobe is more of a slate blue. What do you think?

      Blake nodded. That makes sense, he said.

      And he’s supposed to eat three or four small meals a day, instead of one big one, I went on, or he could get sick.

      Blake looked Zobe up and down. I bet he needs a lot of food.

      He does, I said. I can feed him in the morning and at night, and Mom says she’ll feed him during the day.

      A woman came walking toward us with a tiny white Chihuahua on a pink leash. I made sure I had both hands on Zobe’s leash.

      The animal shelter said that Zobe is good with other dogs, but I still need to be careful, I explained to Blake.

      Definitely, he agreed. Zobe could eat that dog up for a midnight snack!

      When we were about three feet away from the Chihuahua, the little dog started to yap loudly. Zobe’s tail started to wag. He lurched ahead of me, pulling me with him. Then he stopped short in front of the Chihuahua and started sniffing her. The little dog quieted down.

      That’s a beautiful dog you’ve got there, the woman said, smiling at us.

      Thanks, I replied. His name is Zobe.

      She gave a little tug on the Chihuahua’s leash. Come on, Tink, let’s say good-bye to Zobe.

      Tink’s tail was wagging too as they headed away, and I gave Zobe a pat.

      Good boy, Zobe, I said.

      We were nearing the fenced-in dog park, where dog owners could let their pets off leash to run around freely. I scanned it, hoping to see my friend Amanda there. Which, I have to admit, is another reason why I had rushed to walk Zobe after school. I get really happy whenever I run into Amanda. But Amanda and her dog, Freckles, an English springer spaniel, were not there.

      Are you going to let Zobe run around in the dog park? Blake asked.

      I stopped and studied the park. Two miniature poodles were chasing each other while a mom and twin toddlers looked on. One adorable, medium-size mutt with brown shaggy fur was playing catch with his owner, a guy wearing a University of Delaware T-shirt.

      I think he’ll be fine, I said.

      We entered the dog park and closed the gate behind us. I let Zobe off his leash with a click.

      He took off like a rocket! I thought he was going to go after one of the dogs, but instead he made a beeline for the toddlers. He started to lick the face of one, an adorable boy with curly black hair, and the sheer force of him sent the poor kid tumbling backward!

      I lunged for Zobe.

      Zobe, no! I yelled, and I grabbed his collar and pulled him away. Blake helped the little boy to his feet, and I turned to the mom. I’m so sorry! Is he okay?

      To my relief, the little boy was laughing.

      Big doggie! he said, and the mom looked at me with concern on her face.

      He’s fine, she said. But you might want to keep your dog on a leash until he’s better trained.

      Of course! I said, and I could feel my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. I snapped the leash on Zobe’s collar, nodded to Blake, and headed for the gate.

      "Well, that was a bad idea, I said as we walked away. I feel awful!"

      Aw, that kid loved it, Blake told me.

      I frowned. Maybe, but what if he had gotten hurt? I think I need obedience classes for Zobe.

      Blake took out his phone and started typing and scrolling. There’s one dog training school here in Greenmont, and three in Wilmington. They train problem dogs, puppies, therapy dogs. . . .

      I sighed. "I don’t think Zobe is a problem dog, is he? I mean, he can’t help it if he loves people."

      I think he just needs regular training, Blake said. He patted Zobe’s head. Don’t worry. He’s a great dog.

      Thanks, Blake, I said, and we continued our walk around the park.

      There’s a reason why Blake and I are best friends, and it’s not just because the Tanakas have lived next door to us since I was a baby. Blake is chill. He always knows the right thing to say. And he loves basketball as much as I do.

      We looped around the park twice and then headed home. I didn’t see Amanda at all, and I felt a twinge of disappointment. But it didn’t last long. I knew I’d see her at school tomorrow, and at basketball practice that afternoon. And every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday after that. During basketball season, our practice and game schedule got pretty intense.

      When we got to our street, Carrie Lane, we came to Blake’s house first. Mrs. Tanaka was pulling weeds in the beautiful flower garden on their front lawn. She stood up when she saw us.

      "Elle, this must be the famous Zobe I’ve heard so

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