Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A sweet story about friendship! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet story that reminds us that steadfast friends are out there (and particularly important to keep around in middle school!).

Perhaps my favorite book that I read this summer, Falling Short is about 2 best friends that support through life's many ups and downs. Isaac and Marco are about to start school, and both have a goal. Isaac wants to do well with school so his mom has one less thing to worry about, and Marco wants to impress his dad by trying out for the basketball team. Both Isaac and Marco have many obstacles in their way in order to meet their goals, but in the end they do and they learned a lot about themselves, and their friendship. Told from alternating perspectives, this book is a quick read and perfect to hand to anyone looking for a realistic fiction book.

11yo Isaac and Marco are best friends - have been since Kindergarten. They both have difficult relationships with their dads, live next door to each other and are starting middle school together - but not in the same classes. Isaac is tall and athletic - he a basketball star, but studying isn't his strength. Marco is probably the shortest kid in the 6th grade. He is in the gifted classes, so the only class they have together is PE. When Marco thinks he might get some attention from his father if he can make the basketball team, their friendship is tested, as Marco needs Isaac to teach him how to play, but Isaac has troubles of his own.

I liked that each boy had a complicated life - like most middle schoolers I suppose. Falling Short looks at divorce, alcoholismism, abandonment, bullies, and anxiety. The mom's (and abuelita) were stable and supportive, and I liked that there were good friends who helped balance and control the bullies. Some pretty good basketball action, too.

Unfortunately, this title fell short for me. I couldn't connect to either of the characters. That being said, I am not a middle grade reader. We purchased the book and it was been checked out several times.

A slam dunk for Ernesto Cisneros! My students will find the two main characters to be very relatable. The middle school relationships were very realistically portrayed. I liked the sports to life analogies, the tough topics that were addressed, and the way the author got into the heads of what middle schools are really like and what they deal with daily. My students will love this one as much as I did.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Falling Short is the story of two best friends as they navigate the change between elementary school and middle school. Isaac is the star basketball player, who has a problem with organization and schoolwork. His best friend Marco is a straight A student, but awful at sports, which is all his father cares about. Together, they will work to help each other navigate these new changes in school and in life. This book is funny and touching

Ernesto Cisneros is quickly becoming a favorite middle grade author. His previous book, Efrén Divided, made my top 10 list for 2021.
Even though this one will not reach the same level, I really enjoyed it. Both boys felt like fully fleshed out characters with real issues to face that they faced in pretty realistic 6th grade ways. While the teacher in me finds some issues with the portrayal of school, an unfortunately frequent complaint for these sorts of books, I did really enjoy the teachers who made secondary character appearances.
I think this is a wholesome, well-written middle grades novel. If I still taught middle school, I would definitely purchase this book to keep in my collection.

I can appreciate what Cisneros is trying to accomplish here. W have to very different boys trying to find their place in middle school and in their families. Both have complex relationships with their fathers though for vastly different reasons. We have characters coming up against traditional masculinity and it's tendency towards toxicity. They also see different kinds of bullying. Solid choices there. The plot is a bit idealized, though. There is some complexity with the fathers worth reading and considering.

Ernesto Cisneros continues to excellently capture the confusing feelings that can be childhood, especially when you're wrestling with some of the challenges Isaac and Marco face. Marco's dad has a new family and he rarely connects with Marco, while Isaac's dad is struggling with addiction / alcoholism. This book moves quickly, taking place in the span of a few weeks, while following the boys as they support each other through these challenges. It's very basketball centered and may reach sports-loving tweens who are reluctant to otherwise pick up such stories.

This terrific story is two in two voices, Marco and Isaac. They are starting middle school and have been friends since kindergarten, in spite of their big differences. Marco is studious and compulsive and small for his age. Isaac is big and athletic and struggles with academic self confidence. Both of them have dads who are out of the home, but for Isaac, this is a new thing. Each of them finds friends and support from the other's network of friends in middle school and each of them finds hidden talents as the story moves forward. This one is going to have broad kid appeal. Don't miss it!

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Falling Short follows Isaac and Marco, two very different friends, as they enter middle school. Both have earned their trophies, but one through athletics and the other through academic competitions. Isaac is excited to play basketball again, but can he keep up with his class work this year? Marco is excited for his classes and robotics competitions, but can he finally earn his absent father’s approval by becoming an athletic star? And can the two’s friendship survive this venture?

This book was a fun, quick ride. I really liked both Isaac and Marco’s mothers, who were very supportive of their children. Both Marco and Isaac have complicated relationships with their fathers: an absent father with a new family and an alcoholic father respectfully. The complications of wanting approval and time with their fathers while also dealing with the disappointment that comes was realistic and heartbreaking at times.

One thing I would have liked to see added to the story was someone talking to Isaac about his struggles remembering and completing homework. It felt to me that he was written as having ADHD without actually being labeled as such. Many people with undiagnosed ADHD struggle with the feeling that they are failing because of their struggle with organization, concentrating, and motivation. If any adult had had the chance to talk with him about his struggles and personal worries around them (even if ADHD was never mentioned) and helped him put into place some supports, I think it would have helped the story and been a great chance for a reader who identifies with Isaac to know that their struggles are okay and that there are ways to support brains that work differently.

This book would be a good addition to an upper elementary or middle school classroom. I would make sure to provide content warnings for some students in case the parental dynamics strike too close to home.

Isaac and Marco seem as opposite as can be, but they have been best friends since kindergarten. Marco is studious, friendly, and a bit awkward. Isaac is a standout basketball player, but struggles in school and is dealing with his parents’ cantankerous divorce and his father's drinking problem. The book begins with the friends attending their first day of middle school. The two characters narrate alternating chapters.

The friendship in the story is honest and welcome. The boys are challenged by the middle school social hierarchy, but their commitment to each other never wavers. Isaac is thrilled to be part of his new basketball team, but when a freak accident sidelines one of the players, Marco is persuaded to compete to earn a place on the team. The problem is, Marco has never played basketball a day in his life.

There are laugh out loud moments in the book and by the end, the reader is on the edge of their seat rooting for this team. I highly recommend Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

Cisneros career as a veteran teacher will make this novel resonate with his audience. The struggles and circumstances are real and his characters triumph. A story my students need and will love reading even those who won’t admit to it.

Time to join the neighbors and friends as Isaac and Marco navigate the challenges of middle school, divorced parents, and basketball tryouts. Oh yes and Marco is really short for his age and all that encounters in the brutal world of middle school.

Isaac Castillo and Marco Honeyman are headed into sixth grade…Middle School! The boys are more like family than friends yet they possess very different personalities and interests. Their differences are quite apparent. You see, Isaac’s a talented basketball player who struggles academically, while Marco’s a straight-A student who prefers chess to contact sports. Still, they have been inseparable besties since kindergarten. Isaac knows how to talk Marco through his panic attacks and ease his mind concerninghis absent and uninterested father, and Marco calmly listens to Isaac’s fears about his father’s not-so-secret alcoholism.

A misunderstanding prompts Marco to get a sudden interest in competing in basketball. Maybe this will get him attention from a father who appears to be a bit ashamed of his short and unathletic son. Isaac’s former teammates convince Marco he could be their middle school basketball team’s next Muggsy Bogues. You remember this amazing player. He was the smallest player in NBA history, they even begin to call Marco Mugs, a moniker he adores. Well the only attribute the two possess really is being short. Marco and Isaac dedicate themselves to getting him a spot on the team, even though he’s never played before.

This rather tense story is told in two points of view. There is much encouragement, collaboration and generosity going on here. But alas, there are also the meanies and seems they may have gotten this attitude from the very folks who are raising them. How can the parents boo a young boy on the court who is clearly working to his maximum. .

The plot is quick-moving and points out the various ways preteens and their parents fall short of their goals only to end up stronger because of their resilience and grit.

The game at the end of the book seemed a little unlikely but was hugely satisfying.

Both protagonists are Latinx: Isaac is Jewish and Mexican, and Marco is Mexican American. The team has a leading female player in the background of the story, but she is clearly a strong leader on her team. Cisneros’ touching novel is an ideal pick for sports fans and will appeal to reluctant readers.

An exciting basketball filled exploration of friendship, teamwork, and Mamba Mentality, (Kobe Bryant reference). Sports Fiction. 9-13

Falling Short was a light-hearted read touching on some deep issues. Marco and Isaac could not be more opposite. Marco is in all GATE classes as he begins middle school. Isaac almost failed 5th grade. Isaac is a star on the basketball court. Marco needs to use the granny shot to make a free throw. Despite the differences they've been best friends since preschool.
Marco's dad has pretty much disappeared from his life. Isaac's father is dealing with some alcohol issues, causing him to be asked to leave the home.
This book is a wonderful example of friendship who have not yet discovered the angst of junior high. They kiss their moms goodbye. They're surprised to hear words that aren't said at home. They appreciate that they have a friend who accepts them unconditionally. And discover that sometimes family doesn't always look the same.
This book will be going in my classroom library quickly.

A nice, well-written friendship story with clearly defined character POVs which give a strong "walk a mile in each other's shoes" perspective. I did wish that some of the issues which came up were handled a bit more comprehensively, mainly the hints regarding Isaac's grandmother's memory trouble, but Isaac's father's alcoholism and Marco's feelings about his father's distance are very well done.

Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros resonated with me in so many ways, especially the character of Marco--the anxiety and panic attacks that Marco feels when he is less than perfect, the feeling that academics is all he is good at and therefore MUST be perfect at, and his incredibly short stature and all that entails. Yet Marco sets his sights on making the basketball team to make his absentee sports obsessed father stop and take notice. Marco's best friend, Isaac, whose parents are constantly arguing, coaches and trains with Marco. However Isaac has problems of his own. He is struggling with academics, something Marco helps him with. Isaac is determined to change this year in hopes that it will bring his father home.

I loved this book because it shows an amazing friendship between two boys, where they both are fully invested in supporting each other. Off hand, I can't think of other middle grade books that show this positive male friendship so strongly. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Sixth graders Isaac Castillo and Marco Honeymon, both from Mexican-American families, have been best friends forever. Despite their obvious differences – Isaac is tall, athletic, and the star of the basketball team, Marco is short, brainy, and star of the chess team – they have always supported each other through hard times. When they start middle school, their deep friendship helps them overcome challenges like bullies, tough coaches, and disappointing parents. This is a great pick for fans of sports stories that celebrate the importance of friendship and teamwork.