Long Jeffery and the Backboard
by
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Once again he heard the comments, “I told you he was useless and tall for nothing.” "Man does he suck. He is the worst I ever saw. Don’t ever pick him to play with us again.” Jeffery wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear. It was getting dark and the kids decided to stop the game and go home. Jeffery went back to his bench were he always sat and began to cry. He had no self-confidence and he felt all alone. He knew that pretty soon his mom would be calling him into the house which was right across the street from the park. As he was getting up to leave he thought he heard someone whisper his name. He quickly looked around but saw no one in sight. Again he heard “Long Jeffery.” The voice sounded weird almost as if it was inside his head. Again he looked around but saw no one. This time he heard it again and it seemed to be coming from above his head. The only thing that was above his head was the backboard. Silly Jeffery he thought to himself, backboards don’t talk. He shook his head and was about to turn away when again he heard the voice but this time it said, “Yes they do!”
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About the Book
Long Jeffery is a very shy lonely kid who gets teased a lot because he is taller than everyone else. He sits in the park and watches the kids in the neighborhood play basketball and have fun. Lacking confidence and afraid to make a mistake, he sits on the side and wishes he knew how to play basketball and be good at it. He figures that if he could play well the kids would like and respect him and become his friends. He is befriended by something he least expected to offer friendship. As a result of this friendship his world is changed forever. He learns that its never to late to learn and believe in himself.
About the Author
Abdul Shamsiddeen is very similar to the Long Jeffery character. Growing up in NYC, he was teased a lot because he was taller than everyone in his class and didn’t play any sports. When he finally started playing in his mid-teens, he realized his potential and became more confident through hard work and belief in himself. Basketball became his life. He received a Scholarship to play basketball at Providence College and Played on the 87' FinalFour team. He was later selected in the 1990 NBA draft by Seattle Super Sonics in the second round. He believes that writing from experience is the best way to grip the readers attention. He also believes that through his writing he can help people reach their goals and believe that anything is possible. As a father himself, the author knows the importance of encouraging your kids and helping them attain their goals.