Genre
Children's Fiction
Setting and Context
Present Day within the setting of a high school basketball team
Narrator and Point of View
Third person narrator who tells the story from Danny Walker's point of view
Tone and Mood
Alternately uplifting and inspiring, and downcast and negative.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Danny Walker is the protagonist. His old coach is the antagonist as well as his height being antagonistic factor in his life
Major Conflict
The major conflict in Danny's home life is between his mother and his father whom he desperately wants to see get back together; however his mother is opposed to this because she has suffered much trauma in the marriage due to Richie's alcoholism and impulse control issues
Climax
Danny's team scores in the nick of time - a "buzzer beater" - and wins the championship
Foreshadowing
Danny's former coach announces that he is looking to "go bigger" this year. This foreshadows Danny's dropping from the team since he is markedly shorter than the other boys on the team, and under consideration to play, and cannot be a part of any drive to "go bigger"
Understatement
Danny feels his height is holding him back which is an understatement as it is the key factor in his being dropped from the team which is the catalyst for the forming of a new team which indirectly brings him closer with his father too
Allusions
There are many allusions made to the NBA and its teams and players, particularly those of Richie Walker's generation such as Larry Bird
Imagery
The imagery is based around basketball and so the author describes the games in great detail, painting an image not only visually for the reader but also including sounds, smells and feelings as well
Paradox
When Danny gets home from winning the game he finds he has grown significantly when he measures himself against the marks on the wall. This is paradoxical primarily because now that he has grown in stature as a person and in his own eyes, his physical height does not seem so important anyway
Parallelism
There is a parallel between how mean Travis' father is to him and how much he wants to play against his father and on Richie's team
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The gymnasium is used as a phrase to encompass all of the individuals sitting in it to watch the game
Personification
No specific examples in this novel
