Three on Three (Orca Young Readers)

Nick and Kia get excited when their school gym teacher announces a "three-on-three" basketball tournament. The two most dedicated players in grade three, they know they'll be tough to beat. But when Nick finds out they'll be up against teams in grade four and five, he is ready to throw in the towel before they start. How can shrimps like them ever hope to beat the older kids? Kia, however, is undaunted. They need a third player for their team anyway, she reasons, so why not go after the best player in the school? Marcus is bigger, tougher and in grade five.

But it's not as easy as Kia thinks to convince Marcus to join their team. And there's no guarantee the older boy won't change his mind before the tournament begins. Marcus is often uneasy around them, but worse, Kia and Nick find themselves making enemies of some of the kids in the upper grade. Nick realizes it's going to take more than skill at basketball to win this tournament and make friends with Marcus without becoming targets for the older kids off the court.

Three on Three is the first of ten books in the Nick and Kia basketball series.
Book two is Full Court Press.
Book three is Hoop Crazy.
Book four is Long Shot.
Book five is Road Trip.
Book six is Off Season.
Book seven is Underdog.
Book eight is Triple Threat.
Book nine is Boot Camp.
Book ten is Home Team.