New Releases by Walter Dean MYERS

A gripping graphic memoir adaptation of iconic, multi-award-winning author Walter Dean Myers’s autobiography, telling the story of his coming-of-age in Harlem, adapted by Guy A. Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Legendary author Walter Dean Myers was once a troublemaker and a truant. Just how bad was he? From instigating mischievous pranks at home to fighting in the classroom—especially when teased about his speech impediment—irrepressible Walter was more than a handful. Underneath it all, he had a tremendous love for books, and by high school he longed to become a writer. But financial troubles at home made him feel his options were so limited that he dropped out of school. Still, his desire to write was as irrepressible as Walter himself. If he could only be given the chance… Walter recounts what growing up in Harlem was like in the 1940s and 1950s—when seeing Langston Hughes and Sugar Ray Robinson on the street was the norm and Jackie Robinson ruled the baseball field. Gripping. Funny. Heartbreaking. Walter Dean Myers''s memoir is unforgettable. This is the award-winning story of one of the strongest voices in children’s and young adult literature.

In this classic coming of age novel from a New York Times–bestselling author, an American teenager faces the gritty reality of the Vietnam War. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award in 1988 "Heartbreaking. . . . Other authors have gotten the details right, but Myers reaches into the minds of the soldiers. . . . Readers, including those born after the fall of Saigon . . . will reel from the human consequences of battle." — Publishers Weekly (boxed review) It''s 1967, and Harlem teenager Richie Perry is graduating from high school. He dreams of attending college and becoming a writer like James Baldwin. However, reality has other plans. After volunteering for the army, Perry doesn''t expect to fight in the Vietnam War, but a paperwork mix-up sends him to the frontlines. Perry and his platoon are soon face-to-face with relentless violence and brutality. One false move can mean the difference between survival and death, whether they are fighting the Vietcong or simply walking through the jungle. Overcome by the horrors, Perry begins questioning everything. What were his motives for joining the army? Why are black troops given the most dangerous missions? Why is the United States even there? Perry and his fellow soldiers may have all come to Vietnam for different reasons, but now they share the same dream—to get home alive. "Recalls Stephen Crane''s The Red Badge of Courage." — Horn Book (starred review) "As thought-provoking as it is entertaining." — The New York Times "This gut-twisting Vietnam War novel breaks uncharted ground. . . . Myers does an outstanding job of re-creating the war." — Booklist (starred review) "Myers masterfully re-creates the combat zone. . . . War-story fans will find enough action here, though it isn''t glorified; thoughtful readers will be haunted by this tribute to a ravaged generation." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A classic and highly acclaimed biography of civil rights activist Malcolm X, ever more relevant for today''s readers. As a 14-year-old he was Malcolm Little, the president of his class and a top student. At 16 he was hustling tips at a Boston nightclub. In Harlem he was known as Detroit Red, a slick street operator. At 19 he was back in Boston, leading a gang of burglars. At 20 he was in prison.It was in prison that Malcolm Little started the journey that would lead him to adopt the name Malcolm X, and there he developed his beliefs about what being black means in America: beliefs that shook America then, and still shake America today.Few men in American history are as controversial or compelling as Malcolm X. In this Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Walter Dean Myers, winner of a Newbery Honor and four-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, portrays Malcolm X as prophet, dealer, convict, troublemaker, revolutionary, and voice of black militancy.

"Captures the excitement that Ali created in a generation of young African Americans, who found in the brash, young boxer a new kind of hero." — Booklist Includes photos From his childhood in the segregated South to his final fight with Parkinson''s disease, Muhammad Ali never backed down. He was banned from boxing during his prime because he refused to fight in Vietnam. He became a symbol of the antiwar movement—and a defender of civil rights. As "The Greatest," he was a boxer of undeniable talent and courage. He took the world by storm—only Ali could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." From a New York Times–bestselling author and winner of numerous awards—including the Michael L. Printz Award, Newbery Honors, a Caldecott Honor and five Coretta Scott King awards—this is an inspiring biography of Ali, Olympic gold medalist, former heavyweight champion, and one of the most influential people of all time. "Myers interweaves fight sequences with the boxer''s life story and the political events and issues of the day. He doesn''t shy away from reporting on the brutality of the sport and documents the toll it has taken on its many stars . . . Myers''s writing flows while describing the boxing action and the legend''s larger-than-life story." — School Library Journal

A stunning graphic novel adaptation of Walter Dean Myers's New York Times bestseller Monster. Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story about Steve Harmon, a teenager awaiting trial for a murder and robbery. As Steve acclimates to juvenile detention and goes to trial, he envisions how his ordeal would play out on the big screen. Guy A. Sims, the acclaimed author of the Brotherman series of comic books, collaborated with his brother, the illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, in this thrilling black-and-white graphic novel adaption of Monster. Monster was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. Monster is also now a major motion picture called All Rise starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Nas, and A$AP Rocky. Fans of Monster and of the work of Walter Dean Myers—and even kids who think they don't like to read—will devour this graphic adaptation.

In New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers''s last novel, he delivers a gripping story based on the life of a real dancer known as Master Juba, who lived in the nineteenth century. This engaging historical novel is based on the true story of the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer, William Henry Lane, who influenced today''s tap, jazz, and step dancing. With meticulous and intensive research, Walter Dean Myers has brought to life Juba''s story. The novel includes photographs, maps, and other images from Juba''s time and an afterword from Walter Dean Myers''s wife about the writing process of Juba!

Captured, and about to be killed, a young African princess is dramatically rescued by a British naval officer. Taken to England, she is presented at court to Queen Victoria. As an important friendship begins, Sarah embarks on a whole new life. This incredible true story is retold alongside real letters, photographs and historical documents. Recounted with insight and empathy by Walter Dean Myers, the US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature 2012-2013, this is an important reflection on royalty, race, class, belonging and - above all - identity.

"Visionary. This book should be in every reader''s hands." –JACQUELINE WOODSON, National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming Young heroes decide that they are not too young or too powerless to change their world in this gripping, futuristic young adult novel by the New York Times bestselling author of the Printz Award–winning Monster. It is 2035. Teens, armed only with their ideals, must wage war on the power elite. Dahlia is a Low Gater: a sheep in a storm, struggling to survive completely on her own. The Gaters live in closed safe communities, protected from the Sturmers, mercenary thugs. And the C-8, a consortium of giant companies, control global access to finance, media, food, water, and energy resources—and they are only getting bigger and even more cutthroat. Dahlia, a computer whiz, joins forces with an ex-rocker, an ex-con, a chess prodigy, an ex-athlete, and a soldier wannabe. Their goal: to sabotage the C-8. But how will Sayeed, warlord and terrorist, fit into the equation? AWARDS FOR WALTER DEAN MYERS: New York Times Bestselling Author 3-Time National Book Award Finalist Michael L. Printz Award 5 Coretta Scott King Awards 2 Newbery Honors National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2012-2013) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement Children’s Literature Legacy Award Praise for ON A CLEAR DAY: “Walter Dean Myers was such a visionary. On a Clear Day is at once historical and futuristic, thoughtful and thought-provoking. It should be in every reader''s hands. It''s a book for anyone who has ever given thought to our own future and the futures of those coming behind us. Stunning.” –JACQUELINE WOODSON, National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming *"A clarion call from a beloved, much-missed master." –Kirkus Reviews, Starred "In his last book, Myers has turned his thoughtful attention to matters of pressing global importance and issued an implicit challenge to his teen readers to become involved and make a difference. It makes for a stirring valedictory." –Booklist "Published posthumously, this is an angry story, demonstrating again Myers''s acute social conscience." –Horn Book "Worth serious YA consideration." –The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books

An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults New Bonus Content: -Q&A with Walter Dean Myers -Q&A with screenwriter John Ballard -Teaser chapter from On a Clear Day -Excerpt from 145th Street All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance—but sold out. As the tournament nears, Lonnie learns that some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick away, Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they willing to blow the chance of a lifetime?

From Walter Dean Myers, the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, comes this 20-page one-act play. Tags is a look at life and death in New York City, complete with a shocking end. Four New York City teens are shot down in the prime of life. They move through limbo, re-creating their distinctive tags in a Harlem walk-up so that they can "live" forever. But what's the point? How can you think of living forever if you're already dead? Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

Newbery and Coretta Scott King award-winning author Walter Dean Myers's baseball story THE JOURNAL OF BIDDY OWENS is now available in paperback, with an exciting repackaging!Seventeen-year-old Biddy Owens is part of the Birmingham Black Barons baseball team and dreams of becoming a major league baseball player. However, in 1948 most black players can only play for the Negro Leagues. Jackie Robinson has just recently integrated and is playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the white owners are reluctant to add too many blacks to their rosters. The Birmingham Black Barons are some of the best players in the league. But as they travel around playing ball, Biddy realizes that not everyone is ready for blacks and whites to play on the same team. Can Biddy prove he's good enough to be part of the game his loves, no matter what color his skin is?

Pictures and easy-to-read text introduce the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bestselling award-winning author Walter Dean Myers is back with a new book in his acclaimed Cruisers series.The Cruiser, an alternative newspaper published by Zander and his crew of middle school misfits, is alive and well. And now there's plenty to report on when LaShonda, one of the Cruisers, steps into the spotlight with her costume designs for an upcoming play. LaShonda's designs get rave reviews, but she soon learns that show business is filled with challenges and choices. LaShonda is forced to consider what's more important--fame, or loyalty to her autistic brother. Whether she gets a standing ovation or the curtain pulled down on her is up to LaShonda. And she can't help but wonder if the Cruisers have got her back and will be there for her whether she’s center stage or waiting in the wings. With signature humor and thought-provoking questions, Walter Dean Myers once again delivers a Cruisers novel that will keep readers at the edge of their seats, and have them applauding after the drama ends on the book’s last page.

New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers tackles the social contract from a teen’s perspective in his novel All the Right Stuff. In one of his most thought-provoking novels to date, Myers weaves together political philosophy, basketball, and making soup in Harlem, with the depth that defines his writing career. After his father is shot and killed, Paul Dupree finds a summer job at a Harlem soup kitchen. Elijah, the soup man, questions Paul about tough life choices, even though Paul would rather be playing basketball. Over the summer, Paul begins to understand the importance of taking control of your life. All the Right Stuff includes a Q&A between Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman, coauthor of Kick.

Abdullah Syed Hari is fourteen years old. He loves his family and his friends. And he is a Somali pirate. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka.

In the second book of the CRUISERS series, Walter Dean Myers explores the world of competitive chess as seen through the eyes of a group of middle school misfits.Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age 16. When he's arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him. The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and wants to play chess, but dislikes the constant spotlight. He thinks that if he appears to be involved in drugs he'll be excused from playing on the school's team. In this book Zander and his creware back, using the Cruiser school newspaper express their frustrations and triumphs.

A powerful National Book Award Finalist from the acclaimed, bestselling author of Monster. "This novel is like photorealism; it paints a vivid and genuine portrait of life that will have a palpable effect on its readers." (School Library Journal starred review) With Harlem as its backdrop, Autobiography of My Dead Brother follows the diverging paths of best friends Rise and Jesse. When Rise becomes engulfed in gang activity and starts dealing drugs, Jesse, a budding artist, tries to make sense of the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and loss in a neighborhood plagued by drive-by shootings, vicious gangs, and an indifferent juvenile justice system. The innovative first-person storytelling, along with cartoons and photos, pulls in readers and makes Autobiography of My Dead Brother a strong and thought-provoking choice for sharing in a classroom or at home. "Though the story is starkly realistic, there is always hope in the gifts of Jesse the artist and C. J. the musician, of schools and churches and of caring parents." (Kirkus) "Touching and impactful, Autobiography cannot fail to intrigue, and hopefully influence youngsters with its poignant statement of two roads taken." (Judges'' Citation, National Book Award)

Lockdown is the powerful tale of fourteen-year-old Reese Anderson, who has spent 22 months in a tiny cell at a “progress center.” Living in fear and isolation, Reese begins looking within himself to find a way out of the prison system. Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers offers an honest story about finding a way to make it without getting lost in the shuffle. Told with compassion and truth, Lockdown is also a compelling first-person read that "could resonate with teens on a dangerous path."* When I first got to Progress, it freaked me out to be locked in a room and unable to get out. But after a while, when you got to thinking about it, you knew nobody could get in, either. It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his friend Toon get jumped? Then Reese gets a second chance when he's picked for the work program at a senior citizens' home. He doesn't mean to keep messing up, but it's not so easy, at Progress or in life. One of the residents, Mr. Hooft, gives him a particularly hard time. If he can convince Mr. Hooft that he's a decent person, not a criminal, maybe he'll be able to convince himself. Walter Dean Myers was a New York Times bestselling author, Printz Award winner, five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, two-time Newbery Honor recipient, and the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Maria Russo, writing in the New York Times, called Myers "one of the greats and a champion of diversity in children’s books well before the cause got mainstream attention." *Kirkus

Robin "Birdy" Perry, a new army recruit from Harlem, isn''t quite sure why he joined the army, but he''s sure where he''s headed: Iraq. Birdy and the others in the Civilian Affairs Battalion are supposed to help secure and stabilize the country and successfully interact with the Iraqi people. Officially, the code name for their maneuvers is Operation Iraqi Freedom. But the young men and women in the CA unit have a simpler name for it:WAR

Friends Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi, caught in the middle of a mock Civil War at DaVinci Academy, learn the true cost of freedom of speech when they use their alternative newspaper, The Cruiser, to try to make peace.

When you look in a mirror, who do you see? A boy? A girl? A son? A daughter? A runner? A dancer? Whoever and whatever you see―just put out your fist and give yourself an "I am" BAM! This jumping, jazzy, joyful picture book by the award-winning team of Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers celebrates every child, and everything that a child can be.

The Scorpions are a gun-toting Harlem gang, and Jamal Hicks is about to become tragically involved with them in this authentic tale of the sacrifice of innocence and the struggle to steer clear of violence. This Newbery Honor Book will challenge young men to consider their own decisions as they come of age in a complex and often frustrating society. Pushed by a bully to fight and nagged by his principal, Jamal is having a difficult time staying in school. His home life is not much better, with his mother working her fingers to the bone to try to earn the money for an appeal for Jamal''s jailed older brother, Randy. Jamal wants to do the right thing and help earn the money to free his brother by working, but he''s afraid to go against the Scorpions. Jamal eventually pulls free of the gang''s bad influence, but only through the narrowest of escapes. Walter Dean Myers, five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, sensitively explores the loyalty and love between friends faced with hard choices. Scorpions is 25 years old, but the issues of poverty and violence make it a timeless powerful read—sadly as relevant as ever.

The groundbreaking and widely praised novel about a school shooting, from the acclaimed author of Monster. Multiple narratives, a personal journal, and newspaper and police reports add perspective and pull readers into the story. "Questions of guilt and innocence drive the plot and stay with the reader," said Hazel Rochman in a starred Booklist review. "Highly readable." "A haunting story that uncovers the pain of several high school students," according to Teenreads.com. "It explores the tragedies of school violence and how the result of bullying can go to the most dramatic extreme. Myers has a gift for expressing the voices of his characters. Shooter is not a light read, but it will leave you reeling." Multiple Narratives: Piece together the truth from conflicting interviews, police reports, and the shooter’s own chilling journal entries. Bullying and Its Consequences: Go beyond the headlines to explore the daily torment and isolation that pushes a teenager like Leonard Gray to the breaking point. Outsiders and Loneliness: Follow Cameron, Carla, and Len, three teens who don’t fit in, and discover how their search for belonging leads to a tragic conclusion. A Haunting Look at Guilt: After the shots are fired, Cameron must confront his own role in the tragedy. Is he a victim, a bystander, or something more?

The itch starts when things get too heavy for Lil J. Skin popping or stealing pain pills from his mom help him relax. But Lil J''s focus is wandering because money is short, and his man Rico knows a way to make some quick cash. It''s supposed to be an easy deal, but it isn''t so simple when the buyer is an undercover cop. With a gunshot wound to the arm, Rico in jail, and a police officer clinging to life, Lil J is starting to get dope sick. He''d do anything to change the last twenty-four hours, and when he stumbles into an abandoned crack house, it actually might be possible. . . . Walter Dean Myers weaves elements of magical realism into a harrowing story about drug use, violence, alternate perceptions of reality, and second chances.

By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster–a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation–this story take us back to the world of 145th Street: Short Stories to show how love can be found, and thrive, in the most unlikely places. Curtis finds love in Iraq as he struggles to stay alive in a war he doesn't want to fight, and Letha discovers her own beauty in the love of her child. There is the "good daughter" who realizes that there's only one way to help her brother and her family. Other stories center on the daily drama of the Curl-E-Que beauty shop, or capture the slapstick side of passion. AWARDS FOR WALTER DEAN MYERS: New York Times Bestselling Author 3-Time National Book Award Finalist Michael L. Printz Award 5 Coretta Scott King Awards 2 Newbery Honors National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2012-2013) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement Children’s Literature Legacy Award

Acclaimed writer Walter Dean Myers celebrates the people of Harlem with these powerful and soulful first-person poems in the voices of the residents who make up the legendary neighborhood: basketball players, teachers, mail carriers, jazz artists, maids, veterans, nannies, students, and more. Exhilarating and electric, these poems capture the energy and resilience of a neighborhood and a people.

Ida B. Wells was an extraordinary woman. Long before boycotts, sit-ins, and freedom rides, Ida B. Wells was hard at work to better the lives of African Americans. An activist, educator, writer, journalist, suffragette, and pioneering voice against the horror of lynching, she used fierce determination and the power of the pen to educate the world about the unequal treatment of blacks in the United States. Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of this legendary figure, which blends harmoniously with the historically detailed watercolor paintings of illustrator Bonnie Christensen.

Set in Harlem, this book bears witness to the difference a caring adult can make in the life of a young person.