Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students-a bunch of energetic young men-are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy-or someone's going to get hurt. Saving this class is going to take a genius. Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts. "Coy understands the power of detail . . . and his tight focus on the game's initial season is immediately engrossing. Spare, precise language reflects the game's welcome sense of order as well as its athletic appeal. Morse's kinetic paintings, at once dynamic and controlled, fill the spreads, capturing the game's combination of power and finesse."-starred, The Horn Book Magazine "Naismith's story offers an excellent way to reach reluctant readers when launching a research project or collaborating across disciplines." -Library Media Connection "There's a bit of Otto Dix in Morse's distinctive paintings, with their angular contours and somber, blue-tinted skin, which lends an incongruous, though not displeasing, coolness to the notably hot-blooded sport." -The New York Times Book Review "Morse's energetic illustrations add an old-fashioned charm to the narrative....This entertaining and informative story will delight young sports fans." -School Library Journal "The fun here is in the contrast between Coy's straightforward narration and the stylized mayhem of Morse's cast of maroon-shirted, all-American-looking college guys." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Well researched with material artifacts and primary sources, this classic story is boosted significantly by big, blocky, muscular illustrations in muted tones that effortlessly mix tongue-in-cheek whimsy with serious action. Anybody who plays the game or watches it ought to find this pretty engrossing." -Booklist