Walter dean myers brings you into the world of harlem and the struggles of life with his coretta scott king awardwinning book, slam. Many teenagers will be able to relate to dealing with friends, school, sports, and family at the same time. Greg is so good in basketball he earned the nickname slam. For example, mtisha helped slam with his math and now. So when he is faced with several problems, he focuses and the maturity is seen in him as a young adultnot a. Can anyone describe the characters mtisha, ice, and derek from the book slam print print. However, the story and the main character were different than i thought and it caught my attention from the very first chapter. An exciting, eyecatching repackage of acclaimed author walter dean myers bestselling paperbacks, to coincide with the publication of sunrise over falluja in hardcover. Coach cal and lonnies team participates in the citywide tournament of champions. This study guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of slam slam. Walter dean myers books, author biography, and reading level. The narrative line is that slam the chief character is traveling to a new school that is a white school where he one time went to a predominately. Oct 26, 2014 top 10 nba slam dunk contest dunks of all time michael jordan, vince carter, dwight howard duration.
Walter dean myers also writes poetry, which is apparent with his descriptive ways in the book. Hes seen ballplayers come and go, and he knows he could be one of the lucky ones. On the basketball court 17 year old greg slam harris is in. It shows the struggles he has to face in his neighborhood in harlem, new york. The book was about a 17 year old named greg harris who was from the streets of ny and he had just transfered schools. Growing up in the ghetto, he does not have the proper guidance to steer his life in the right direction but he has tons of. Sam just asks, and then thinks about what tony would do. Fans of walter dean myers will like this book as well. With an urban, teenage voice, walter dean myers earnestly reflects the hopes and desires shared by many budding hoop dreamers. Charactersmain characters gregory slam harris most important character he is. Greg slam harris at seventeen years old, greg slam harris is the main character and narrator of the novel slam. The son of moms and pops, and the older brother of derek, slam has a major crush on mtisha, and is best friends with ice.
The main characters in crystal by walter dean myers are. In fact, he even has a poster of tony in his bedroom and talks to it sometimes. The story revolves around the efforts of seventeen yearold greg. Who are the main characters in the book slam by walter dean. Lucid dreaming sleep track 8 hour sleep cycle track with binaural beats and isochronic tones duration. Greg slam harris is justly proud of his game, but he realizes that nba daydreams dont cut it in the classrooms of his new south bronx magnet school and that the tough talk that serves him so well on the street only. Get an answer for what is the theme of the book slam by walter dean myers. He loves to skateboard and rides the rails every chance he gets.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. With all the hard work and belief in their talents, they succeed in winning a series of games in the preliminary rounds and make it to the finals. The main characters have to be greg slam, ice, mtisha, derek, kicky, coach nipper, and goldstein. What are the main characters in slam by walter dean myers. By walter dean myers quotes a pros summary my critique you still dont get it do you. Nov 06, 2009 at the same time all of this is going on, slam is fighting to get a place on the school basketball team. This past semester i read the book slam by walter dean myers. Plot summary few other black kids attend latimer high, but greg slam harris knows he can prove himself on the basketball court at his new school. Myers the glory field uses contemporary urban black locutions to relay his narrators vie. A tribute from the heart 2011 walter dean myers teams up with son christopher myers to celebrate the heart and soul of america, its ordinary and extraordinary people, and the monumental events that have shaped it. The only difference between on the court and off it is that everybody is in the game off the court. The story revolves around the efforts of seventeen yearold greg slam harris to play basketball, while maintaining his academics and his personal life. August 12, 1937 july 1, 2014 was a writer of childrens books best known for young adult literature. Walter dean myers novel slam is a coming of age novel about an inner city youth who must deal with reality and his future, when all he can see is his the here and now, which revolves around his ingenious basketball skills.
You should use to make your capable far more increase. Although the conflict within the story has not really come forth the plot has been really good. Chapters 15, chapters 610, chapters 1115, chapters. Seventeenyearold greg slam harris can do it all on the basketball court. On the basketball court 17 year old greg slam harris is in control. When myers writes about slam playing basketball he is very descriptive and the reader can feel what slam is feeling. Steve harmon he is a sixteen year old young black man who has been arrested for acting as the lookout in robbery that goes bad and ends in a murder. Walter dean myers august 12, 1937 to july 1, 2014 is the winner of the first 2010 coretta scott king virginia hamilton award for lifetime achievement. He is the critically acclaimed new york times bestselling author an awardwinning body of work which includes, somewhere in the darkness, slam. Chapters 15, chapters 610, chapters 1115, chapters 1621 here are links to our lists for other works by. When myers writes about slam playing basketball he is very descriptive and the reader can feel what slam.
The central character in the book slam is gregory harris, nicknamed slam. The setting is in a run down part of town in a big city that was ungiven. Slam s going oneonone with his future, and its a showdown he cant afford to lose. Plot coach cal and lonnies team participates in the citywide tournament of champions.
A love of basketball isnt necessary to enjoy this gritty, feelingly told tale, but it would certainly help. It talks about peer pressure, challenges in school and even on the basketball courts. The novel slam by walter dean myers is a story about an african american teenage athlete by the name of greg. A tough childhood led him to writing and his school teachers would encourage him in this habit as a way to express himself. Slam by walter dean myers research essay graduateway. Point signature scholastic book by walter dean myers. Gregory slam harris is a talented basketball player with. Mtisha is a dark skinned, dark haired, pretty woman. Walter dean myers is the critically acclaimed new york times bestselling author of more than eighty books for children and young adults, including sunrise over fallujah, fallen angels, monster, somewhere in the darkness, slam. A harlem teenager learns how to apply the will he has to win at hoops to other parts of his life in this vivid, fluent story from myers toussaint louverture, p. Can anyone describe the characters mtisha, ice, and derek from the. The setting is in a run down part of town in a big city that was unginven. Summarythe book slam is about a kid named greg harris who.
At seventeen years old, greg slam harris is the main character and narrator of the novel slam. By walter dean myers takes you into the life of gregory harris other wise known as slam. Period 7 i chose this picture as a symbol because it shows how slam was getting beat down, and he got help and now, he can do a lot of stuff. Greg loves to play basketball and is called slam because of his ability to slam dunk. Slam is a likable character with a lot of difficult, yet believable things going on in his life. Narrator thomas penny vividly captures both the internal and external challenges slam faces while chasing his dream from the streets, to the classrooms, to the hardwood floors. He is the narrator for the story, writing it in the form of a screenplay interspersed with his journal entries.
In steves screenplay, kathy is the defense attorney with doubts 2. Theme a major theme of the book slam is coming of age. What is the theme of the book slam by walter dean myers. I thought that the main character in the book was pretty cocky because when. The story line is that slam the main character is going to a new school that is a white school where he once went to a predominately was black and so is he. School library journal myers reinforces his standing as a preeminent young adult author. Narrator thomas penny vividly captures both the internal and external challenges slam faces while chasing his dream from the streets, to. It takes place in innercity harlem in new york, and its all about the life of greg slam harris on and off the court. Walter dean myers, author winning children book author. He was born in martinsburg, west virginia, but was raised in harlem, new york city. The reason he switched school was to have things more challenging and most of the people in this school were white. I am a product of harlem and of the values, color, toughness, and caring that i found there as a child.
In the book, slam, by walter dean myers, the character mtisha plays slams girlfriend. An exciting, eyecatching repackage of acclaimed author walter dean myers b. Myers also weaves exciting sports action throughout the story which will make sports. Book can being your best friend when you getting anxiety or having big problem using your subject. Slam lives in harlem and attends the prestigious magnet school latimer in the south bronx. Greg is great at basketball but doesnt think about offcourt things much. This story as a whole has been very realistic as walter dean myers does a good job of giving a description of the setting and the characters which pop up. What are quotes in the walter dean myers book slam. She likes slam but values being treated right, so throughout the book she makes sure slam is always proper and nice to her. Top 10 nba slam dunk contest dunks of all time michael jordan, vince carter, dwight howard duration.
Jun 07, 2012 although the conflict within the story has not really come forth the plot has been really good. Lonnie jackson is a seventeenyear old african american who lives in harlem. Pirate 2011 fourteenyearold abdullah syed hari is a somali pirate who loves his family and friends we are america. Who are the main characters in the book slam by walter dean myers and what are their traits. The scene is in a tally down portion of town in a large metropolis that was unginven. Greg seems like a realistic character dealing with common real life problems. Author walter dean myers is the 2019 childrens literature legacy award winner. What are the main characters in slam by walter dean myers answers. Then discuss the different roads and places that slam went to in the book, see if you can find them on the map. Another theme in the novel, slam, by walter dean myers, is keeping your priorities straight is the key to happiness.
The main character, greg slam harris, has to deal with daily gang violence, drugs, and murders. Slam is a corretta scott king author award winner and was voted the alas best book for young adults. It also shows to be careful of the friends you make because they might make bad choices in life. In the book, slam, by walter dean myers, the character mtisha plays slam s girlfriend. A seventeenyearold basketball star must learn to work with others both on and off the court. Though theres only one of him in his screenplay, steve plays quite a few roles in the novel the attorneys. Hes quick enough to handle the point guard slot and, as his tag implies, he can slam dunk at will. Slam has teachers and family around who are concerned for him and his future, and these individuals push and challenge slam to achieve not. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 105 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other. Slam also struggles with this throughout the book because he often mistakes putting basketball before school and the relationships in his life.
What is the summary on slam by walter dean myers answers. The novel slam by walter dean meyers, takes place in a poor african american neighborhood in harlem, new york. A novel 2015 walter dean myers s last novel, delivers a gripping story based on the life of a real dancer known as master juba, who lived in the nineteenth century. The book will take you into his life and you will experience the life choices that he has to make, the people who are there to help him are matisha, ice, derekhis little brother, his mother and father and teachers.
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