I received an electronic ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers through NetGalley.
Simon is back and working with his friends to rally neighborhood pride and be a Creighton Park Panther basketball player. Simon, C.J., Maria and their classmates learn about becoming a team and conquering the fundamentals before venturing into the more complex situations - and not just in basketball. Readers learn more about each of the three friends and get to see Simon's rapping skills keep getting better. Middle grade readers will understand the complexities of school and teams; they also will relate to the world changing around them. Some of the story was predictable but the points were made well.