Black and White

"Marcs and Eddie are the stars of Long Island City High School's basketball team. Marcs is black and Eddie is white, but they got past all that "racial crap" and have been best friends for years." Quote from Black and White Marcs and Eddie are going make it to the NBA. Everyone knows it. They have scouts coming to their games to see them play. Both know it will only be a matter of time before they get their big scholarships and then they can go to the pros. The problem is both boys are from the inner city and have little money. They could work but that would interfere with their practices and games. So, they decide to make some quick cash. Everything is fine until one night when things go horribly wrong. Now one will have to pay for their mistake. This is an excellent novel that I cannot keep on the shelf. My students love this book. Mr. Volponi does an excellent job of portraying the struggle these young men face. The ending shocked me and when I finished reading the book I couldn't believe what happened. Amazing read. Boys who are into basketball will especially like this novel. However, I think boys and girls who want a solid story with realistic characters will enjoy this book. Paul Volponi has written two other young adult novels including Rooftop and Rucker Park Setup. His first novel was Rikers, which could appeal to teens due to its topic.

Here's another book, I wanted to read more...more...more! What great messages the author delivered in the story. Volponi speaks of "black and white" issues, but he also goes deep into the human soul and gives guidance on how to live a content, happy life. This book could be a self-help book on dealing with the "big and small" mistakes made in life, change, stress, and growing up! As a high school teacher-librarian, I will certainly recommend _Black and White_ to my teen readers as a fabulous read. There are numerous quotes I admire, but my favorite is: [school office speaking to Marcus mother] "I know he's made some mistakes. But that's what adolescents do. Marcus is the type of young man who's going to learn from what he did wrong. He's going to pick himself back up and succeed. And one day, other kids from this neighborhood are going to look up to him for that." p. 131 The book is open-ended at the end. But that's okay and will leave the reader content. There will be ups and downs after the final page and much food for thought in the reader's imagination.

This is a magnificent story, it begin with Eddie Russo (White) and Marcus Brown (Black) running back to their house after they shot Sidney Parker a person they were trying to mug. They were mugging people with White's grandfather .38 caliber and they had robbed two people and accidentally shot the third guy. Then as the story progresses we find out that they had to pay their high school dues and they had their money saved up. However some new Nikes came out and everyone on the team was getting them, the two best stars couldn't be seen without them, could they? They weren't out of style, but they were out of money and desperately needed some money. So then White said "We could rob a few people to get the money and what we get we probably deserved." In the end Black is taking the heat for the chime and white seems like he's going to get off scot-free. I believe all people of every race can and will like this book. I also believe it will effect the Blacks and White the most. It will touch everyone and give us a reality check on what the world is really like, not the fantasy everybody believes it is. My favorite part was when Black finally got hooked up with Rose (White's little sister). I believe anyone that likes basketball will also like, as basketball has an important role in this book. My question to you the reader is can people of different races really and truly get along? That's for you to decide for yourself, after you read the book.

As a high school librarian I'm always on the look out for exemplary new titles for young adults, particularly for boys. Black & White is one I'll be sharing a lot this year. Marcus and Eddie are best friends and a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. Theirs is a story of racial prejudice, character, friendship, taking responsibility, and fairness. There's a bit of romance in it, too. There is much here for kids to talk about and the book is sure to spark discussion. While the ending is hopeful, it certainly isn't tidy or predictable.