Andre Anderson is a black teenager with a bright future. He loves to play basketball. He loves to hang out with his friends. He loves to laugh. Andre has skills, brains and heart. He also has a burning dream to be more than anyone thinks he can, both on the court and in the field of journalism.

But when Andre gets his chance at the big time he incites flaming passions in areas no one ever expected, including the heart of his smart, ambitious, hot girlfriend, Gwen, and the hateful soul of a vicious gang of racists. Triumph turns to tragedy as a violent attack calls everything Andre ever believed into question and he is forced to fight an internal war with himself about how to do battle with unabashed brutality, silent depression and a thirst for vengeance.

How does a man get up when he's been unjustly beaten down?

Andre is about to find out.

Andre is The Hoopster.

With its vivid dialogue, true-to-life characters and cinematic action, The Hoopster marks the arrival of a compelling new voice in young adult fiction. The first book in a contemporary urban trilogy, The Hoopster races along with the speed of a three-on-one fast break toward a soulful conclusion that's a slam-dunk -- especially for reluctant readers.

Theresa Anderson is smarter than anyone knows. But with the example of her super achiever older brother, Andre, towering above her and temptations of the hip-hop kulture floating everywhere, navigating her way through the dangerous maze of high school becomes a precarious, roller-coaster adventure. With her parents and her teachers always on her case, and her best friend living the “wild style” life, Theresa turns to hip-hop for comfort and inspiration. Her favorite artists seem to understand her when no one else does.

Everything changes when a new man comes into Theresa’s life. Devon might have a tough guy reputation, but behind it lays a blazing ambition for academic success. Together, Devon and Theresa set off on a quest to beat the SAT, prove they are not merely another “urban statistic” and earn their way into top colleges. However, when gang life intrudes and tragedy strikes Devon, Theresa faces a pile of unfinished college applications and a heart full of unrealized dreams – and time is running out…

In this gripping and inspirational sequel to The Hoopster, Andre Anderson’s sister Theresa tells, in her own hip-hop flava’d voice, how she reaches down deep, rises up strong and takes on one of the baddest monsters in high school – the SAT.

The American Library Association for Engaging Reluctant Readers named Homeboyz a Top Ten Book of the Year (A Quick Pick)

When Teddy’s little sister, Tina, is gunned down in a drive-by shooting, the gang members who rule the streets in the Anderson family’s rapidly deteriorating neighborhood dismiss the incident as just another case of RP, RT – wrong place, wrong time. According to gangsta logic, Tina is just another random casualty in a never-ending inner-city street war.

But while the Anderson family mourns, Teddy plots revenge. Soon, he is arrested for attempted homicide and thrown into the dark reality of California’s juvenile prisons, his plans for revenge foiled.

However, an innovative probation program earns Teddy early release from jail and house arrest under the supervision of Officer Mariana Diaz. As part of the juvenile rehabilitation program Diaz runs, Teddy is assigned to mentor Micah, a twelve year old foster child and wanna-be gang banger who has nothing: no parents, no role models, not even a raincoat to call his own.

Teddy pretends to comply with the terms of his probation while secretly using his elite computer hacker skills to plot his final vengeance against the gang members who took his baby sister’s life. However, Teddy fails to see how Micah’s desperate need for love and trust just might have the power to not only pierce all of Teddy’s defenses but also heal the deep wounds of the Anderson family.

Homeboyz is Alan Lawrence Sitomer’s darkest, most dramatic and most hopeful work yet.

Being the oldest daughter in a familia of seven has its benefits. I cook, I clean, I mop, I sweep, I shine, I bake, I dust, I do laundry, change diapers, wipe countertops, and scrub the goopy grime off the tile in the shower. I even do windows. Like I said, being the oldest daughter has its benefits:
For everybody else. It’s part of mi cultura.

Don’t get me wrong, I love mi cultura. I love it deep in my bones. I love the cooking and the food. I love the music and the dancing. But most of all, I love the people. Smiles, honor, family, amor—Latinos have warmth in their blood.

I promised myself a long time ago that no matter what, I was going to be the first in my family to graduate from high school. For some people that may not sound like much, but for me it’s a big deal. A very big deal. Especially because I am a girl. Of course, no one expects me to do it, but in my heart I am determined, more determined than anyone gives me credit for.

As Booklist says: “Sonía’s immediate narrative will hold teens with its mix of anger, sorrow, tenderness, and humor.”

Stories, Strategies, Tools and Tips from a
Three-Time teacher of the Year Award Winner

How do you prepare teens for a world with jobs, technologies, and challenges that don’t even yet exist? Take a pull-no-punches, inspirational trip inside the classroom of Three-Time Teacher of the Year Award winner and Young Adult novelist Alan Lawrence Sitomer. Hear stories, discover teaching tools and gain insights straight from the private filing cabinet of his high school classroom. Yes, there are educators breaking through to today’s teens in remarkable, innovative, reproducible ways. Meet one and learn Alan’s best strategies.

The goal: to make the study of poetry accessible relevant, comprehensible and enjoyable to students in our contemporary, multicultural classrooms.

The methodology: to analyze the poetry of Hip-Hop and compare its motifs, themes, and general poetic devices (such as alliteration, rhyme scheme, figurative language, etc. ..) to the "classic" poems traditionally studied (by writers such as Frost Dickinson, Keats, etc...) in order to teach the core elements of the poetic craft in an appealing, relevant, thorough and accessible manner.

The aim: to dispel preconceived notions about poetry for students and educators alike.

For Students: We convert the traditional response to the idea of studying poetry from, "Poetry?... YUCK!" to an appreciation of the writing as well as the art form.

For Educators: We convert the traditional response to the idea of studying Hip-Hop from, "Hip-Hop? You mean those thugs and gangstas?" to an appreciation of the writing as well as the art form.

And we pledge to be free of edubabble!!

Hip-Hop Poetry and The Classics for The Classroom is a means by which students – particularly reluctant readers and writers – can be engaged in a manner that raises academic achievement while embracing, stimulating and motivating young minds

Featuring 160 pages of Material for:
AP Exams * Gifted and Talented Education *
English Language Learners * Recitals and Slams *
ALL English Classes Teaching Poetry