Middle Grade
6 books, newest first
In Jim Crow-era Virginia, Charley Cuffey dreams of becoming the first girl to pitch professionally, while her grandfather Nana Kofi teaches her Twi and shares stories of his African homeland. When she challenges a bully to a game, her choice puts her and her community in danger.
In 1860, Kofi Offin, an 11-year-old Asante boy in a West African village, dreams of winning a swimming race. Then a violent incident upends his world and pulls him toward capture and the transatlantic slave trade.
Before he was a legend, Cassius Clay was a Louisville kid whose stolen bike led him into a boxing gym. The book follows him from childhood to his first Golden Gloves win.
A prequel to The Crossover, following Josh and Jordan's father Chuck as a twelve-year-old grieving his own father's death and discovering basketball and comic books during a summer with his grandparents.
Nick Hall, an eighth-grade soccer star who would rather play than read, faces his parents' separation, a bully, a crush, and his linguist father's push toward books, all told in verse.
Twelve-year-old twins Josh and Jordan Bell are basketball stars like their father, a former pro. Their bond is tested as Jordan's attention turns to a girl and their dad's health becomes a worry.
Young Adult
2 books, newest first
Best friends Noah and Walt want to be cool by junior year, through baseball, jazz and Noah's long crush on Sam, until a bundle of old love letters stirs up feelings that threaten their friendship.
Blade, son of a fading rock star, tries to escape his father's mess, and a family secret sends him to Ghana.