# Stepping Up

**Author:** Mark Fink
**Grade range:** Grades 3–8
**Age range:** 8–13
**First published:** 2009
**Page count:** 215
**Genre:** Realistic Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9781934813034`
**ISBN-10:** `1934813583`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/stepping-up
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Fourteen-year-old Ernie Dolan and his best friend Mike find their friendship tested while attending basketball camp, where Mike succumbs to peer pressure and begins teasing Ernie in the hopes of fitting in with the other boys, but when Ernie risks his life to save three of his teammates, he becomes the camp hero and the boys' relationship is altered once again. Fourteen-year-old Ernie and his best friend, Mike, find their friendship tested while attending basketball camp, when Mike succumbs to peer pressure and Ernie risks his life to save three of his campmates.

## Themes

- basketball
- basketball stories
- camps
- friendship

## Where this book is assigned

### Nevada Young Readers' Award

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.](https://www.librarything.com/award/343.1/Nevada-Young-Readers-Award-Winner)

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. For the full HTML view with reading-list cross-references, see https://readinglist.school/book/stepping-up._