Falling Short

Falling Short is the Pura Belpré Award-winning author Ernesto Cisneros's heartfelt and hilarious novel about two best friends — star basketball player Isaac, who is struggling in school, and straight-A Marco, who has never touched a basketball in his life — who each desperately want to prove something to their difficult, absent fathers as they enter sixth grade together. Told in alternating first-person chapters that reveal how much the two boys have in common beneath their apparent differences, the novel balances a winning sports story with sensitive, honest portrayals of family instability and the complex emotions of growing up.

This is an excellent choice for students because it celebrates authentic male friendship between Latinx characters while handling divorce, alcohol use, and absent fathers with nuance and genuine warmth.

Publishing Details

Author : Ernesto Cisneros

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Type of Book: Chapter

Cover: Hardcover

Pages: 304

Size: 8.7 x 5.9 inches

Year Published: 2022

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 4th

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: Friendship, Sports, Family, Hispanic Heritage Month, About POC