Friday, October 18, 2013

Hoop Genius


"Hoop Genius: How a Despatate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball" by John Coy and illustrated by Joe Morse tells the story of the origination of the sport of basketball (as the title implies).  The endpapers show the first set of rules created by teacher, James Naismith.  Naismith's flash of genius is explained when he was inspired by a childhood game he played called "Duck on a Rock."  

I found it interesting that the game could spread just by the boys going home for the holidays and teaching their friends, but the Author's Note gives some more pertinent information that the school Naismith taught at was the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts and the YMCA helped to spread the game around the world.  

Hoop Genius
ISBN: 978-0-7613-6617-1
Published 2013 by Carolrhoda Books
I borrowed this copy from my public library to read and review.

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