New Releases by Walter Dean Myers

New York Times bestselling author and Printz Award winner Walter Dean Myers once again connects with teenagers everywhere in Darius & Twig, a novel about friendship and needing to live one''s own dream. This touching and raw teen novel from the author of Monster, Kick, We Are America, Bad Boy, and many other celebrated literary works for children and teens is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. Darius and Twig are an unlikely pair: Darius is a writer whose only escape is his alter ego, a peregrine falcon named Fury, and Twig is a middle-distance runner striving for athletic success. But they are drawn together in the struggle to overcome the obstacles that life in Harlem throws at them. The two friends must face down bullies, an abusive uncle, and the idea that they''ll be stuck in the same place forever. Maria Russo, writing in the New York Times, included Darius & Twig on her list of "great kids'' books with diverse characters." She commented: "The late Myers, one of the greats and a champion of diversity in children’s books well before the cause got mainstream attention, is at his elegant, heartfelt best in this 2013 novel. It’s about two friends growing up in Harlem, one a writer, one an athlete, facing daily challenges and trying to dream of a brighter future."

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.

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.Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers offers an honest story about finding a way to make it without getting lost in the shuffle.

Told in their separate voices, thirteen-year-old soccer star Kevin and police sergeant Brown, who knew his father, try to keep Kevin out of juvenile hall after he is arrested on very serious charges.

A history of the African-American struggle for freedom and equality, beginning with the capture of Africans in 1619, continuing through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and into contemporary times.

A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.

Jesse uses his sketchbook and comic strips to make sense of his home in Harlem and the loss of a close friendship.

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.

Biography of the African princess saved from execution and taken to England where Queen Victoria oversaw her upbringing and where she lived for a time before marrying an African missionary.

Depicts the rich character of Harlem through poetry and illustrations in which the author and his son paint a picture that connects readers to the spirit of Harlem in music, art, literature, and everyday life.

Things are going OK for Jimmy. He's getting along and holding his own in a tough world that's getting even tougher. Until he meets up with a stranger standing in a dark hallway. A man who turns out to be Jimmy's father, Crab, whom he hasn't seen since he was a baby. Crab's got something to prove to Jimmy. Maybe he's not sure what it is. Maybe Jimmy's not sure he wants to hear it. But Crab's determined to break through to his son, and he knows this could be his last chance. So he takes Jimmy off on a trip halfway across the country to his old haunts. Because he has to show Jimmy who he was, who he is. His father. In this intense and intimate book, Walter Dean Myers takes an unsparing look at the ties that bind us, and sometimes free us. - Publisher. A teenage boy accompanies his father, who has recently escaped from prison, on a trip that turns out to be an, often painful, time of discovery for them both.

Seventeen-year-old Greg "Slam" Harris can do it all on the basketball court. He's seen ballplayers come and go, and he knows he could be one of the lucky ones. Maybe he'll make it to the top. Or maybe he'll stumble along the way. Slam's grades aren't that hot. And when his teachers jam his troubles in his face, he blows up. Slam never doubted himself on the court until he found himself going one-on-one with his own future, and he didn't have the ball.

ALA best book for young adults, This is the true story of one family, captured, shackled and brought to this country from Africa.

"In an extraordinary revelation of the lives of black Americans over the last 150 years, Walter Dean Myers presents stunning, evocative images, many never seen outside private family albums: the wealthy and the middle class of the late nineteenth century; the cowboys, sheriffs, and settlers of the Old West; miners and lumber mill workers and men on assembly lines; writers, businessmen, and -women; families sharing time together; "people being people, unburdened by the historical restrictions of race, defining themselves according to their understanding of who they are.""--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Traces the life of the controversial Black leader, describes his involvement with the Nation of Islam, and looks at his speeches and assassination.

Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.

After reluctantly taking on the leadership of the Harlem gang, the Scorpions, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he acquires a gun--until a tragedy occurs.

Five devoted friends become landlords and try to make their Harlem neighborhood a better place to live.