Wish I Was a Baller
Scholastic Inc. · Print & ebook · August 5, 2025
A Graphic Novels pick for readers exploring Wish I Was a Baller.
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- Who it’s for
- A graphic memoir pairs NBA-era access with the ordinary complications of being fourteen.
- Themes
- Basketball and the NBA, Friendship and jealousy, Adolescent crushes
- Genres
- Comics Biographies, Basketball, Sports Biographies for Kids
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Wish I Was a Baller is part New Kid, part The Tryout, and part Dragon Hoops! Amar Shah has some story to tell! In 1995, he was a fourteen-year-old aspiring sports journalist (and basketball superfan) angling to get into an Orlando Magic team practice. He did, and it took him on the ride of his life!
Continue reading
Wish I Was a Baller is a graphic memoir chronicling Amar's real-life experiences as a fourteen-year-old sports journalist covering the golden era of the NBA, when he befriended Shaq and hung out with Michael Jordan and the Bulls—all while surviving the high school, dealing with crushes, and friendships being tainted by jealousy. "An inspiring story of friendship, family, and the swishes and misses of being a kid. Baller soars and scores!" — Jerry Craft, author of the Newbery Award-winning New Kid
Courtside, Growing Up
A graphic memoir pairs NBA-era access with the ordinary complications of being fourteen.
Come here for
- A young sports journalist’s perspective on basketball’s golden era
- Fandom, ambition, and the thrill of getting near the game
Expect
- Real-life NBA encounters alongside high-school friendships and crushes
- A coming-of-age story with both swishes and misses
Where it sits
| Comics Biographies | 87% |
|---|---|
| Basketball | 69% |
| Sports Biographies for Kids | 60% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Sports Biographies for Kids
- Comics & Graphic Nonfiction
- Comics Biographies
- Authors
- Amar Shah
- Publisher
- Scholastic Inc.
- Published
- August 5, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Basketball and the NBA · Friendship and jealousy · Adolescent crushes
- Reading lane
- Sports Biographies for Kids