“Aunt Rosie hadn’t even parked the van yet, and I already wanted to tell her to turn around and take us home. This was a bad idea. I could feel it.” 

Twelve-year old Carlos Cooper has lost his parents and his ability to walk in a car accident. Now living with his aunt and uncle, he knows he has left his life as “Cooper the Hooper,” the star shooter for his champion basketball team, behind him.

But Aunt Rosie doesn’t give up so easily. She’s insisting that he give the wheelchair team at a local gym a chance, even though Carlos has no interest in returning to the basketball court. At first, Carlos is completely frustrated and disheartened by the difficulty of re-learning to play from a wheelchair, but as the weeks pass, he begins to find new strength in himself, to forge new friendships on the team, and to believe that basketball could still be a part of his life. 

And then the city decides to shut down their gym. 

Will Carlos and the other “Rollin’ Rats” be able to save their gym, so that they can participate in the state finals?

Bouncing Back is a classic underdog sports story---a tale of family, friends, and determination, all wrapped up in lots of basketball action.  (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award, 2021)