"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 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)"
"Zander and his friends are in trouble—again. The freedom of expression they’ve enjoyed by publishing their own school newspaper has spread all the way to England, where kids from a school 'across the pond' are now contributors to their own school’s most talked-about publication. When photos start to go alongside the articles written by kids, things get suspicious. Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, Bobbi—and a bunch of students from Harlem’s DaVinci Academy and London’s Phoenix School—come to learn that words and pictures in a newspaper don’t always tell the whole story."
"This thrilling basketball story from New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers is a strong choice for independent reading and sharing in the classroom. Thought-provoking and packed with court action, Game is a winner!
Drew Lawson is all about basketball. Everyone in his life knows that his game is taking him places. (It has to, because his grades certainly won’t.) Drew knows how hard it is to make it big, but even with the long odds, he is good enough to have a shot.
But when Coach hands the ball to another player—Tomas, a white kid from Europe—Drew can’t help but feel like he’s not the star on the courts anymore. He’s seen enough men in his neighborhood flame out to know that if he wants to be extraordinary, his game has to be the best.
As his team makes the playoffs with Tomas on the court, Drew knows he has to come up with a big move to save his fading college prospects. It's all up to Drew to find out just how deep his game really is.
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.'"
"An alternative school newspaper published by Zander and his crew is alive and well. And now there's plenty to report on when LaShonda 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 her friends have got her back and will be there for her whether she's center stage or waiting in the wings."
"Eighth grade is hard enough, but when you're a Cruiser, you're really put to the test.
In the second book of The Cruisers series, the term 'gifted and talented' takes on a whole new meaning for Zander and his crew, a group of misfits who attend Da Vinci Academy, a school in Harlem for only the brightest kids. Their friend Sidney Aronofsky is considered one of the best chess players in the city. When Sidney is arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a shock to those who know him, especially the Cruisers. Sidney loves chess, but the pressure never lets up, and he wants out. the kids' school newspaper, The Cruiser- and Sidney's passion for coded messages-may be the only outlet they have for expressing themselves in the face of tough decisions that could change them forever. With piercing insight, acclaimed author Walter Deam Myers gives middle school boys and girls stories to call their own."
"By the groundbreaking author of the award-winning Monster—a visionary who influenced and inspired a generation—this fast-paced and poignant story reveals the fierce underworld of sports.
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?
An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults "
"Eighth grade is hard enough, but when you're a Cruiser, you're really put to the test. The launch of a new middle-grade series from bestselling award-winner Walter Dean Myers. Zander and his friends, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi start their own newspaper, The Cruiser, as a means for speaking out, keeping the peace, and expressing what they believe. When the school launches a mock Civil War, Zander and his friends are forced to consider the true meaning of democracy and what it costs to stand up for a cause. The result is nothing they could have expected, and everything they could have hoped for."
"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"
"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."
"After witnessing the annihilation of his people by El Muerte's legions, young Tarik undergoes the training which will enable him to destroy this fierce leader."
"From the award-winning author of Monster, this collection of powerful and poignant stories about 145th Street-an unforgettable block in the heart of Harlem-celebrates African-American life in all of its glory.
"Myers is a master." -The New York Times Book Review
On Harlem's 145th Street, things happen that don't happen anywhere else in the world.
Get to know Big Joe, who's throwing his own funeral while he's here to enjoy it, and everyone's invited. Meet Kitty and Mack, teens with a love story more real than anything they've ever known. Follow Monkeyman, the quietest kid on the block and the last person you'd expect the Tigros gang to target. And don't miss the block party of the year-the whole neighborhood will be there.
From danger and despair to hilarity and joy, literary legend Walter Dean Myers captures every mood and every beat of life in this vibrant Harlem.
Stories and and touching tributes from authors, artists, and literary legends reflecting on Myer's legacy are narrated by:
Brandon Gill
Almarie Guerra
Johnny Heller
Dominic Hoffman
Sullivan Jones
JaQwan J. Kelly
Adenrele Ojo
Paula Parker
Heather Alicia Simms
Bahni Turpin"
"What does 'being a guy' actually mean? Some of the most talented writers are about to show you. In this diverse and original collection of short stories, ten well-known writers, including Mo Willems, Walter Dean Myers, Ron Koertge, Rene Saldaña, Jr., David Levithan, and David Lubar, share their stories about the trials and tribulations of being a guy. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always honest, each story portrays the reality of being an everyday guy who gets a few life lessons and still manages to come out on top."
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