Ten authors create an entire day of full court, pick-up games at the Cage in Greenwich Village, New York City, through this collection of basketball stories. Some characters are out to make some cash—betting on winning—others are there to impress and challenge each other, and a few are there just to watch, hoping to get noticed. The Cage has a reputation for being the place to show your skills, and this particular Saturday it’s full of action. A different author wrote each story, in order, requiring him or her to work with characters someone else introduced, sometimes moving them to secondary rolls and introducing new ones, and often presenting intriguing new perspectives on insights into individuals. Charles R. Smith Jr.’s photographs and poems, combined with compelling characters and a strong sense of setting, allow even someone without knowledge of basketball to get wrapped up in the Cage scene. (Age 13 and older)