Fiona Harris' new middle-grade novel, The Rebound, uses basketball as a metaphor to help boys process complex emotions like grief, friendship, and hope.The story follows Harry, a boy who loses his parent and uses basketball to cope, with the support of his coach and teammates.Harris draws from her own experience when a friend's sudden death left her 14-year-old son unable to attend tryouts for his basketball team.

The book challenges the cultural expectation for boys to 'man up' and suppress emotions, advocating for stories that validate feelings rather than demand emotional fluency.

Harris emphasizes the importance of books in allowing children to explore empathy and imagination, arguing that reading provides a safe space for boys to connect with characters and navigate their inner worlds.

The novel highlights how sports can foster connection and healing without requiring verbal expression, offering a framework for boys to engage with their emotions through narrative.

Harris believes such stories are crucial for building both readers and better people, as they provide a language for emotional exploration in a tech-saturated world.