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The Rebound

By Fiona Harris
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Brief Description
After missing his eagerly awaited trial to play for the Under Sixteens Firsts, fourteen-year-old Harry Portelli has no choice but to play with the worst training team in the school. The Redbacks are a mess. They can't pass. They can't shoot. They can't win. This is... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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'Hoop wizard' Harry is relegated to his school's worst basketball team when he misses tryouts, but his new team has some surprises for him in this triumph-over-adversity story. Perfect for sports-mad kids and readers of series such as Patty Mills' Game Day.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

After missing his eagerly awaited trial to play for the Under Sixteens Firsts, fourteen-year-old Harry Portelli has no choice but to play with the worst training team in the school.

The Redbacks are a mess. They can't pass. They can't shoot. They can't win.

This is not the future either Harry or his dad imagined. Harry has to dig deep to work out what basketball means to him and, with the help of surprising new friendships, he rediscovers his love for the sport as the Redbacks start to play like a team.

And then the school arranges a derby, the Redbacks against the Firsts, and Harry's heart sinks - the Redbacks are bound to be destroyed. But is winning all that matters? Harry learns that sometimes the sweetest shot is the one you get on the rebound.

A fast-paced feel-good story guaranteed to capture the imagination of readers of all levels by the bestselling author of Liz Watson's Diary of a Netball Star and Sam Kerr's Kicking Goals.

Perfect for:

  • Readers 10+ who love uplifting stories about sport and overcoming the odds
  • Kids who loved reading series fiction like Patty Mills' Game Day and Sam Kerr's Kicking Goals and are ready for the next level
  • Parents, teachers and librarians seeking shorter fast-paced books that appeal to less confident readers
  • Middle-grade readers who love Ted Lasso

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761182303

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 June 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: A&U Children

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 288

Collections

Children's Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiona Harris Young Adult

About the Author

Fiona Harris is an award-winning author, scriptwriter, and actor with over twenty years of experience across publishing, television and theatre. Over the past few years, she has penned forty-three books, including two adult fiction novels The Drop-off and The Pick-up; the junior fiction series, Sleepover BFFs; Holocaust survivor Abram Goldberg's memoir, The Strength of Hope; five books in Liz Watson's junior fiction series, Diary of a Netball Star; three books in the Trolls series for Dreamworks; and two picture books for footballer Marcus Bontompelli. She also co-authored the children's book series, The Super Moopers, with Sally Rippin, and wrote four books in the Miraculous series, based on the animated kids TV series.

Fiona co-created the award-winning comedy web series, The Drop Off, with her husband, Mike, McLeish, which aired on Channel 9, and in 2025 they co-adapted the script for the Dolly Parton musical, Here You Come Again, for Australian audiences. Fiona has acted in numerous TV shows including The Beautiful Lie, Tangle, One More Shot, Comedy Inc and The Librarians. Her TV writing credits include Flipside, Skithouse and Prank Patrol. Fiona is currently working on three new books and a play.

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