First pick in the 2008 NBA draft Derrik Rose had his fantasy come true when he was selected by the Chicago Bulls.  Born and raised in Chicago, the people of Chicago were equally pleased to have a hometown boy on their team.  Raised as much by his older brothers as by his mother, Derrick was a basketball standout from a very young age.  The Rose family, who lived in a tough neighborhood, worked hard to keep Derrik out of trouble. His determination to win and his strong moral values make him a good role model for our young readers.  Basketball fans will love the sports-talk in this biography, re-caps of games, and the fact that Derrik Rose was chosen as the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2009, as well as being  the first rookie to win the Skills Challenge at the NBA All-Star Weekend that year.

Not completely flawless, the book discusses Rose’s possible cheating on the SATs, and being photographed at a party flashing a gang sign.  I appreciated the author’s honesty on those issues, yet the overwhelming feeling about Rose is that he’s a modest, hard working player.