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Miles has only been living with his musician father in New Orleans for two months when Hurricane Katrina hits—and they haven’t really been getting along. His dad lives for jazz, while Miles’ first love is football. But father and son must set aside their differences when they seek refuge in the crowded Superdome. What begins as a safe haven from the storm soon turns into a nightmare as the power fails and gangs of thugs compete for turf. When his father decides to rebel, Miles must make a choice that will alter their relationship—and both of their lives—forever.
From award winning author Paul Volponi comes this tale of how low humanity can sink in desperate times and how loudly hope can sing against the howl of tragedy.
"A brilliant blend of reality and fiction, this novel hits every chord just right. If it is not the best teen book of 2008, it is certainly one of the most important." --highlighted review by VOYA
“A riveting and readable exploration of the effects of race in today’s world”.—Kirkus Reviews
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Marcus and Eddie are the stars of Long Island City High School’s basketball team. Marcus is black and Eddie is white, but they got past all that “racial crap” and have been best friends for years. Both boys are looking forward to great futures in college basketball and are waiting to see where they’ll land their scholarships. Then one cold night, something goes wrong and they make a big mistake. Now they can’t turn back and one of them will have to pay. Told in their two voices, BLACK AND WHITE is the gripping story of two good boys who make a bad mistake. It’s also a heartbreaking look at the realities of the urban criminal justice system.
BLACK AND WHITE is the winner of the International Reading Association’s 2006 Young Adult Novel of the Year, an American Library Association Best Book Young Adult and Quick Pick (inspiring non-readers to read) Top Ten selection, and a New York City Public Library Book for the Teen Age selection. It is also a selection of the Texas Library Association for the TAYSHAS 2006-2007 high school reading list. The work received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
“Teens will want to discuss the story’s layered moral ambiguities, heartbreaking choices, and ‘the line that separates black and white’.”-Booklist
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Addison was like the big brother Clay never had. Separated for years by a family argument, the two cousins are finally back together at Daytop, a drug treatment program. Clay’s parents caught him smoking pot; Addison was arrested for dealing crack. Now they’re at the same place at the same time, trying to work out their problems together. But Addison never gets a chance. One night he and Clay are on the rooftop of one of the buildings in the projects where Addison lives, and Addison is fatally shot--by the police--as Clay stands just a few steps away. Addison wasn’t armed. He didn’t deserve to die. But was he completely innocent? And what will prove more difficult for Clay-living a lie or facing the truth? The text is an unflinching look at justice, honesty, and what it means to be a man.
ROOFTOP won an American Library Association's Best Book Young Adult and Quick Pick Award (inspiring non-readers to read). It is a selection of the Texas Library Association for the TAYSHAS high school reading list, and a New York City Library's Book for the Teen Age. Rooftop received a start review from Booklist, and is a 2006 selection of the Junior Library Guild.
"This thoughtfully crafted, deceptively simple story knits together a high-interest plot, a readable narrative crackling with street slang, and complex personal and societal issues that will engage teen readers." –Booklist
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Best friends Mackey and J.R. have waited their whole lives to win the basketball tournament at Rucker Park, where some of the sports greatest pro ballers squared off against street legends. Then the day of an important game, J.R. is fatally stabbed. Mackey didn’t wield the knife, yet he feels responsible. Now he has a score to settle, but the killer is watching his every move.
Mackey is caught between two opposing forces, but he’s determined to finish the final game of the Rucker Park Tournament on his own terms.
This gripping story of friendship and basketball from award-winning, critically acclaimed author Paul Volponi explores the true meaning of loyalty and greed, while powerfully exposing the painful truth that some wrongs can not be made right.
"The most demanding hoops fanatic will love the descriptions of the action, and those looking for suspense will hang in for the whodunit aspect. A slam dunk!"–Kirkus Reviews
Rucker Park Setup is an American Library Association Quick Pick winner, a Junior Library Guild and TAYSHAS reading list selection.
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