An Amnesty Sports original
He tried to buy his way to greatness. The shoes had other plans.
A picture book for every kid who has ever believed the commercial, told in 28 fully illustrated spreads.
Now showing: Episode 2
Micah is back with a new plan. In Episode 2, Dial It Up!, he talks his dad into the Astonish Dribble Glove and turns the skill dial all the way up. Every line is right there on the screen, so your kid can read along with Micah, and five new special words light up orange and sparkle when they come by. Missed the start? Episode 1 is right below. Read the launch story.
Sing along: Dare to Dream
The first song from the Micah soundtrack. Follow the bouncing basketball from word to word, then read the full lyrics or see the whole soundtrack.
Watch the trailer
Two thirty-second films: the official trailer, and a second spot that follows one boy from the bookstore shelf into the story.
The story
Micah wants to be the best baller on the block, and he wants it by sundown. Luckily, every ad on every screen is selling exactly that. A Wonder Ball headband. An Astonish Dribble Glove. And finally, the Air Sneak Magic Basketball Shoes, glowing in the box like they were waiting for him.
Each one arrives at the door. Each one lands him flat on the pavement. And somewhere between the third faceplant and the last of his saved-up coins, Micah starts to work out what the boxes were never going to deliver.
It is a story about advertising, patience and the slow unglamorous business of getting good at something, told without ever once wagging a finger.
What Micah figures out
S.O.D.A.
- Skill
- The part you build, one repetition at a time.
- Optimism
- Missing is not the same as failing.
- Diligence
- Showing up on the days it is boring.
- Attentiveness
- Noticing what is actually going wrong.
Four words a child can actually remember, and a reading-aloud parent can point back to for years.
Inside the book
Twenty-eight full-page illustrations, printed edge to edge.
Three ways to read it
All three editions are available now on Amazon.
Most complete
Deluxe Hardcover
$24.99
80 pages, case bound, with a 16-page activity section: seven puzzle spreads and a glossary.
Buy on AmazonKindle Edition
$8.99
Fixed layout with tap-to-zoom text on every page. Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
Buy on AmazonPrices are set by Amazon and may change. Links go to amazon.com.
Questions
- What age is Micah and the Magic Basketball Shoes for?
- Ages 6 to 9, roughly grade 1 to grade 4, and it reads aloud well from age 4. The measured reading level is Flesch-Kincaid 6.3 and Micah himself is six.
- What does S.O.D.A. stand for?
- Skill, Optimism, Diligence and Attentiveness. It is the four-word idea Micah works out by the end, and the one a reading-aloud parent can point back to for years.
- Which edition should I buy?
- The deluxe hardcover is 80 pages and adds a 16-page activity section with seven puzzle spreads and an illustrated glossary. The paperback is the same 28-spread story at 64 pages. The Kindle edition is fixed layout with tap-to-zoom text on every page and is free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
- Is it a picture book or a chapter book?
- A picture book. Twenty-eight fully illustrated spreads, printed edge to edge, with the story told in short read-aloud passages rather than chapters.
- What is the story actually about?
- A six-year-old who is certain the right gear will make him great. Three advertised gadgets arrive, each one lands him on the pavement, and somewhere past the last of his saved-up coins he works out what the boxes were never going to deliver. It is about advertising, patience and the slow unglamorous business of getting good at something.