The Moves Make the Man facts for kids

The Moves Make The Man is an exciting sports novel written by Bruce Brooks. This book explores important topics like fairness, family challenges, and finding your way in the world. It was recognized as a top book in 1984 by School Library Journal and the American Library Association. It also won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and received a Newbery Honor in 1985, showing how much readers and critics loved it.

Story Setting: North Carolina in 1961

The story takes place in North Carolina in 1961. This was a time when the Civil Rights Movement was happening in the United States. This movement was about making sure all people, no matter their skin color, had equal rights.

The book is told from the point of view of a character named Jerome Foxworthy. He is an African-American teenager who goes by the nickname Jayfox. Jerome is the only African-American student at his school, and he faces challenges as schools were just starting to welcome students of all backgrounds.

The story shares how Jerome becomes friends with a white boy named Braxton Rivers III, who is called Bix. You'll read about their first meeting, how Bix reacted in a cooking class, and how Jerome taught him to play basketball at night in the woods.

Bix is a unique character because he always tells the truth. This can sometimes cause problems for him that others don't understand. Eventually, Bix runs away from home. The book also explores difficulties happening in both Jerome's and Bix's families. This book was published by Harper & Row.

Meet the Main Characters

Jerome: The Basketball Star

Jerome is the narrator and the main character of the story. He is a teenage African-American boy who absolutely loves playing basketball. Jerome lives with his single mother. He meets Bix (Braxton Rivers) in a Home Economics class. Jerome has to take this class after his mom gets hurt, so he can learn to help take care of his younger brothers and sisters.

Bix: The Truth Teller

Bix is Jerome's friend, and his real name is Braxton Rivers. Bix used to always tell the truth, no matter what. However, he stops doing this after he realizes how much the truth can sometimes hurt his mother and other people around them. Bix loved baseball, but Jerome helped him learn how to play basketball. He taught Bix how to dribble and shoot, not just "bounceball." One day, Bix played a one-on-one basketball game against his stepfather. He played to earn the chance to visit his mother, who was in a hospital for her mental health.