Salt in his shoes / Young Michael Jordan, who is smaller than the other players, learns that determination and hard work are more important than size when playing the game of basketball.
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream” as Want to Read:
Rate this book
See a Problem?
We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan.
Not the book you’re looking for?
Preview — Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan
Michael Jordan.
The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he'd never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That's when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into t...more
Published November 1st 2003 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
To see what your friends thought of this book,please sign up.
To ask other readers questions aboutSalt in His Shoes,please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
AngieTHIS MEAN ABOUT PEOPLE LOVE HIM?
African American Picture Book Biographies
205 books — 59 voters
Best of Kadir Nelson
40 books — 32 voters
More lists with this book...
Rating details
|
Mar 01, 2013Megan Piero rated it really liked it
Shelves: books-for-boys, books-about-facing-challenges, text-to-self-books
This story was written by Michael Jordan's mother and sister and tells about his childhood. When Michael Jordan was younger, his older brothers always played basketball at a nearby court. Michael always wanted to play with them but he was much younger and smaller so he was only allowed to play when one of the older boys wasn't there. When he did have the rare opportunity to play, he often couldn't shoot well because everyone was so much taller than him. He became very frustrated. When he went ho...more
Oct 26, 2017Ashli Harper added it
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan is a fictional story about Michael Jordan wanting to be tall when he was a child. He would play basketball with his older brothers and his neighborhood friends but they were so much taller than him. He felt like he had to be tall to be good. He thought putting salt in his shoes would make him get taller but it didn't. However dedicating time to practice, being patient and working hard made him a lot better when he played t...more
Feb 22, 2018Rachel Giddings rated it it was amazing
Biography:
I really enjoyed reading the biography, Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream. I think that this text would be engaging for students and inspirational as they are also facing some of the same issues that Michael Jordan is described to face. I would use this book in grades 3-5. This biography discusses the internal and external struggles that Michael Jordan faced as a young boy who dreamed to become a tall basketball player. As a future educator, I can see this book h...more
Kids and I loved this—very inspiring, and I had no idea that Jordan had failed so spectacularly before becoming such an historic success! Definitely a must-read for motivating kids to work hard and pursue their dreams
Feb 07, 2015Brittany Wall rated it it was amazing
Salt in His Shoes-Biography- 3rd grade
Salt in His Shoes is a biography about Michael Jordan written by his mother, Deloris, and sister, Roslyn. This heartwarming and inspirational story tells us about a time when Michael was younger and he was much smaller than all the other basketball players. Some of the kids would pick on Michael for being so short. One day after a game, Michael came home and asked his mother how he could grow taller. His mother thought for a second and responded by saying M...more
Feb 08, 2015Ms.Tina Stone rated it it was amazing
After hearing so much about this book I am so glad that I finally had the chance to read it for myself. I thought that this was a really great and encouraging book. Salt in His Shoes is an autobiographic memoir written by Deloris Jordan about her son Micheal Jordan. This story focuses on Micheal as a young boy and the trials he went through wanting to pursue basketball but being frustrated because he was shorter than his brothers and his other players. His mom encourages him to pray and put salt...more
“Salt in His Shoes” is a story about Michael Jordan and his dream to be a great basketball player. The story is set when Michael was a young boy who wished he were taller, so that he could help his older brothers win their basketball games each Saturday. Michael thought the key to being a great basketball player was how tall he was, which led his mom to suggest that he put salt in his shoes, pray that he would grow taller and be patient. After many weeks of waiting to be taller, Michael grew dis...more
Oct 25, 2017Abby Butterfield rated it really liked it
I think that the book Salt in His Shoes is a great book because it is an easy read, and has a lot of descriptive details. This story isn’t written in any special kind of way, but I like the story it tells. This book is a biography of Michael Jordan. As most people know, he is a legendary all-star basketball player. Almost everyone adores him. But most people don't know his back story, or part of how he became who he is today. In this book, it will tell you about an important moments in his child...more
Nov 21, 2018Allison rated it really liked it
The book, 'Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream' is an uplifting story about Michael Jordan and some of the obstacles he faced as a child growing up loving basketball. As a child, he frequently would play basketball with some of his friends. Often, his friends would tell him that he was 'too short' and that he was never going to be tall enough to play basketball, or play it well. Disappointed, Michael went home and talked to his mother, who told him to sprinkle salt in his sho...more
Young Michael Jordan would spend every Saturday at the park courts with his older brothers, Larry and Ronnie. Since he was the youngest, that also made him the smallest. One boy, Mark, would pick on Michael and take the ball from him. Michael would take this really hard and feel bad that he's the reason his team lost. He thought if only he was taller and then his team would win. Michael asked his mom how he could grow taller and she replied with salt. She told them if he sprinkled salt in his sh...more
Apr 23, 2019Alex Haven rated it really liked it
Shelves: early-reader, family, informational, basketball, african-american
Used for Final Nov 14, 2018Becky B rated it liked it
Michael is a young boy who loves to play basketball, but being the shortest player makes things harder for him. After losing another game, he goes home and asks his mom what he can do to grow taller and her answer is to put salt in his shoes and pray. Michael does both and waits patiently, but after two months have gone by and he has not grown an inch, he begins to get even more upset. He stops playing basketball until his dad reminds him that it does not matter how tall he is, he...more
Shelves: sports-picture-books, picture-books-about-character, picture-books
A fictionalized story of Michael Jordan's youth in which he struggles on the local basketball court whenever he faces a player taller than himself. Michael asks his mother how to grow taller. She gives him an idea but also tells him to eat well and practice in the meantime.
The moral of this story is that hard work and skill building are more important than height in basketball. Kids will probably listen to this more since it features Michael Jordan. An encouraging picture book for kids who love...more
Apr 24, 2019Rayona Hart-Wilson rated it it was amazing
This story highlights the famous Michael Jordan through his childhood basketball days. Jordan was always the smallest when he tried to play with his brothers, and always got teased about it. Desperate to grow, he asked his mom what to do. She said to put salt in his shoes and to have patience and faith. For the next few months, Jordan prayed and practiced faithfully. He did get discouraged, but in the end he ends up back at the park and shoots the winning shot.
This book is a great way to show an...more
Genre: Biography Nov 21, 2018Sarah rated it it was amazing
Grade Level: 3rd-5th This story is all about the determination and hard work that goes into being successful at something. I love that Michael Jordan's mom told that putting salt in his shoes would help him to grow taller. Children everywhere recognize the greatness of Michael Jordon and this book will show them the amount of patience and practice it took for him to become the all-star basketball player that he was. I also liked that this book portrays the loving and supporting fa...more
Shelves: sports, family, virtues-moral-lesson, true-story
I've always been a Michael Jordan fan, and this book written by his mother and sister and illustrated by the amazing Kadir Nelson, just made me love him more. Jordan's mother encourages him to chase his dream and supports him, while Jordan's father assures him that he has everything he needs to be a great athlete already. Such a beautiful scene of a strong and loving family, and what is even more beautiful is that Deloris works as a children and family advocate in Chicago. What noble work!
A grea...more
Dec 01, 2018Kolbe Bales rated it it was amazing
The book is written by his mother, Deloris Jordan. Michael was an ordinary African-American boy growing, and had the dream of playing professional basketball one day. Mike was small, and often had trouble playing with taller kids. However, one thing that Mike could control no matter what was how hard he tried, and his work ethic. In this book I would show kids how hard work does pay off! This may make your students work a little harder by showing this example of Michael Jordan and where he is no...more
Sep 03, 2018Keagar25yahoo.Com added it
Summary: Jun 08, 2018Savannah Webster rated it it was amazing
Michael loves playing basketball, but he is not as tall or as good as the older boys that he plays with. One boy even teases him because he is so short. Michael asks his mom how he can be taller so he can be a good basketball player like the other boys. His mom tells him he needs to put salt in his shoes, and he will grow tall. So every night before bed, Michael's mom filled his shoes with salt. Michael was patient, practiced and prayed. He never gave up. After many months of this, Micha...more
Shelves: sports, realistic-fiction, childrens-illustrations, growing-up, diverse-books, childrens-picture
In this book young Michael Jordan dreams of being an amazing basketball player but he feels like he is at a disadvantage because of his height. His mom tells him to put salt in his shoes and pray over night. Over the next pages he works really hard, his game improves and his team wins. He realized it didn't matter that he wasn't tall or if there was salt in his shoes. It was his determination to be better and all the hard work and practice that helped him achieve his dream. This was a great book...more
Jan 14, 2019Jessica rated it really liked it
This book was historical fiction. I read it to my sixth graders and decided to tie in making goals, or new years resolutions. The book was nice because although Michael Jordan's goal of getting taller was out of his control, the book showed how he persisted and practiced to get better at basketball anyways. It helped show my students how to still work for their goals even if they seem out of reach. I enjoyed that the book did not use all of standard English as well.
Apr 05, 2018Donna Mork rated it really liked it
A young Michael Jordan is too short to win the game, so he asks mom to help him grow taller. She puts salt in his shoes and tells him to pray every day and eat his vegetables and be patient. He is, but doesn't grow. He continues to practice, and becomes very good. He goes to the park again and wins the game. After that, they don't put salt in his shoes but he continues to pray and to practice, and becomes the best player ever, and 6' 6' tall!
Jun 09, 2018Melissa Hicks rated it really liked it
A biography for young readers about the famous basketball player Michael Jordan. This story is told by Michael Jordan’s mother and she sister about the challenges that Michael faced while wanting to accomplish his goal and the lessons they taught that took him far. This is a wonderful read that teaches about character development, grit and the need for perseverance to accomplish goals when feeling defeated.
Jun 07, 2017Jo Oehrlein rated it liked it
When I picked this out, I didn't realize it was written by Michael Jordan's mother. :-) Mar 22, 2018Michaela rated it it was amazing
It's about Michael as a little boy, playing street ball with his brothers and the neighborhood kids. Michael was always the shortest and was guarded by a big boy who seemed to dominate him. Michael spent months practicing and praying and hoping to grow taller. In the end, he wasn't taller, but the practice helped and he was able to shoot over the tall boy.
Shelves: my-classroom, black-representation-text-set
I think this story is a fun way to introduce children to biogrpahies. This biography aout Michael Jordan explains how he so badly wanted to be tall like the rest of the boys he played basketball with as a child. He though that being tall would make him good- but he learned that with hard work and practice that he could be great. This is a very inspriational story- one of my favorites. Not to mention the illustrations are amazing.
This book is about Micheal Jordan and for some reason he can’t find a way to get tall. One day he asked did she know a way he could get taller. She replied to pray every night and put salt in his shoes but he had to be patient. He realized that he wasn’t getting any taller but his father told him, it’s not about what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside.
I liked this book not because it has the best basketball player of all times in it. But it shows kids that you become great in whatever...more
Mar 01, 2018Jenese Wilson rated it it was amazing
This was a great story about Michael Jordan that I believe anyone would enjoy reading. I really loved the illustrations within the book and how Michael started to realize that he didn't need to be tall to play basketball, he just needed to be confident in his self and practice. I also loved the support of his family.
Dec 14, 2018Monique rated it it was amazing
We must all find our gifts and pursue our dreams. This story is told my Rosalyn Jordan, Michaels, sister. The sheer faith, hard work and determination is what
made Michael Jordan so successful. The artwork is magnificent and everyone that reads this work will be inspired. Maybe I need some salt on my shoes....
This book meant alot to me as a kid. Even till now I am still inspired about being tall and being one of the best basketball players in the game. Being tall, wanting to play with the big kids and not having patience is something black boys suffer from but experience in their childhood everyday. But what grandma always told me with a little prayer things can happen in many ways and different times.
May 27, 2019Jeremy rated it really liked it
The biography was written by Michael's mother. The story follows Michael through a brief period of his youth were he had a love of basketball but doubts about his ability and feeling that his lack of height would keep him from playing well. During the text, Michael shows the determination and grit that carried him to being one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Feb 24, 2019Jennifer rated it it was amazing
My students loved this story about Michael Jordan! Such a great reminder to have a growth mindset and never give up! His mother wrote the story. Throughout the story you can feel the warmth and love his parents surrounded him with. Without them, he wouldn’t have become one of the greatest basketball players!
Genre: Biography
One unique feature of this book is that the author is actually Michael Jordan's mother. She writes this book from a personal perspective highlighting young Michael's desire to become a superstar and the obstacles he had to overcome to get there. It's an inspiring story a lot of young kids would enjoy and relate to. Recommended for grades 2-5
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.Be the first to start one »
Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates
See similar books…
See top shelves…
2followers
More quizzes & trivia...
The first story in Jackson’s collection, “The Intoxicated,” takes place at an ordinary house party in suburban America, as do many of the stories in this collection. The scene of the party is quite ordinary: “the group by the piano singing ‘Stardust,’ his hostess talking earnestly to a young man … a little group of four or five people sat on the stiff chairs….” (9).
An unnamed male guest, intoxicated, escapes to the kitchen supposedly to retrieve more ice, but in fact hoping to become sober. In the kitchen, the guest encounters Eileen, the daughter of the party hosts, sitting across from him at the table and having a cup of coffee. Eileen, 17, is a senior in high school, having stayed back one year in school due to pneumonia. To the guest, Eileen seems “baggy and ill-formed; it’s the clothes they wear now, young girls, he thought foggily; her hair was braided down either side of her face, and she looked young and fresh and not dressed-up” (9).
Eileen offers the guest black coffee, which he uses to clear his head. She comments that the party must be fun, without expressing any desire or longing to join the party. Eileen is in the kitchen to escape the heat from upstairs, where she was finishing a paper regarding the future of the world.
The guest encounters difficulties, whether actual or perceived, relating to Eileen; he struggles to find a topic of conversation, wondering if he should ask her about boys and basketball. He is irritated that he must make an effort to talk to her. However, Eileen unhesitatingly tells the guest about her paper and states that she does not believe the world has much of a future at all. The guest, put off by her precociousness and earnestness, attempts to brush her off at first. “‘It’s an interesting time to be alive,’ he said, as though he were still at the party” (10).
As the conversation continues, the guest seems to become more impatient with Eileen and gives her rather condescending responses. When Eileen says that, given the current state of the world, “I don’t really think it’s got much future” (10), the guest answers that girls in his generation thought only about cocktails and necking. Eileen remains unperturbed by his mocking attitude and continues the conversation seriously: “If people had been really, honestly scared when you were young we wouldn’t be so badly off today” (11).
At this point, the guest is clearly put off by Eileen and the conversation. “[H]e turned partly away from her as though to indicate the half-interest of an older person being gracious to a child” (11). Nonetheless, Eileen continues to describe her vision of the “end” of the world: churches would be first destroyed, “then all the big apartment houses by the river, slipping down slowly into the water with the people inside…” (11). She wonders whether the students in her Latin class will be the last to read Caesar once the world is destroyed. The guest responds flippantly to these predictions, finding them to be “morbid trash” (Jackson 11).
Eileen carries her vision of the future to its final end, when there are no schools, no houses: “We’ll have new rules and new ways of living” (12). Uncomfortable, the guest ends the conversation and exits the kitchen. Before leaving, he considers saying “something adult and scathing” (12) but decides instead to offer his assistance with her Latin homework. Eileen giggles and informs him that she still completes her homework.
The guest returns to the party and tells Eileen’s father that he has just had an interesting conversation with her. The guest claims that Eileen is completing her Latin homework in the kitchen, and the father quotes Julius Caesar in Latin. Then, Eileen’s father and the guest commiserate over the state of “[k]ids nowadays” (12).
Analysis
For the first story in this collection, Jackson puts forth the notion that society is progressing in a detrimental manner through the dire predictions Eileen makes regarding the world’s future. This view is shared by other female characters in the collection, particularly when they encounter a wholly new environment, such as Margaret in 'Pillar of Salt' or Mrs. Arnold in 'Colloquy.' For unclear reasons, Eileen perceives that the world and its inhabitants are headed towards self-destruction. She describes the world's prospective destruction and resulting chaos in physical terms. 'The subways will crash through, you know, and the little magazine stands will all be squashed' (11). Much to the guest's discomfort, however, Eileen regards this projected destruction almost with awe. The man is unsettled by her demeanor and thus dismisses her prediction as youthful foolishness.
Another theme in this story—exemplified by the lack of understanding between the guest and Eileen, in addition to the impatience and discomfort he feels with their conversation—highlights the guest’s inability to break away from the conformity of suburban society. The first introduction to the guest, at a nondescript party, indicates his subscription to the harmful boredom of suburbia—a theme upon which Jackson expands in subsequent stories. As the story progresses, the guest’s condescension towards Eileen indicates his discomfort at the possibility that she is accurate and insightful. 'His voice had more of an edge than he intended ... and he turned partly away from her as though to indicate the half-interest of an older person being gracious to a child' (11). At the story's conclusion, he and her father attempt to brush off her brutal honesty by citing the younger generation’s peculiarities, which they assume she will outgrow. 'His host shook his head ruefully. 'Kids nowadays,' he said' (12).
“The Intoxicated” also touches upon another Jackson theme, the significance of homes, particularly as they are linked to people’s identities. Eileen states, “Maybe there’ll be a law not to live in houses, so then no one can hide from anyone else, you see” (12). She implies that in the identical masses of suburban homes, people begin to lose their individual identities and become subsumed in the anonymity of suburbia. If the world's self-implosion were to destroy homes, people would no longer lose their individuality through the process of conformity witnessed in suburban neighborhoods, for such neighborhoods would no longer exist without physical houses. As a result, people would be forced to face themselves—their true identities—and those around them with honesty.
The story is told from the point of view of the drunk man. However, Jackson does not make clear that he is the protagonist. On the contrary, the reader sympathizes more easily with Eileen; the narrator's inner thoughts depict his resentment and condescension towards her, thus rendering him a less pleasant character. 'He wanted badly to say something adult and scathing ...' (12).
The drunk guest dimly but correctly perceives that Eileen is more aware and knowledgeable of the state of the world than he is. This is the primary cause of conflict within 'The Intoxicated,' though both he and Eileen are too polite to confront each other directly. Instead, each makes veiled jibes regarding what women of their respective generations 'should' be learning, thinking about, or reading. 'In my day, he thought of saying mockingly, girls thought of nothing but cocktails and necking' (11).
This is another example of the guest's conformity to expected or accepted behavior, to the politeness that Eileen believes the world's destruction will end. Were houses no longer in existence and people unable to hide, she and the guest could confront one another more directly without having to conform to the standards of polite behavior. In this story, however, the guest is constrained by societal convention and can only internalize the nasty jibes he wants to make toward her. He cannot confront her directly and dispute her view of the world as he wishes to do.
Comments are closed.
|
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |