Hoop Dreams Deflated


Book Description

With a crack-whore for a mother, it’s no wonder that life for Davion and his younger sister Janaya, was everything but a crystal stair. Left in a dirty house by themselves with only the roaches to look after them as their tummies rumbled, the two anxiously await their mother to return with food for them to eat. Seeing LeBron James play in one of his first NBA games awakened Davion’s passion for the sport, but hearing his baby sister’s tearful pleas for something to eat makes him vow to become a super star athlete, so he and his sister would never again see days like the ones they were currently living. While salvaging slices of bread from a moldy loaf in the refrigerator, the two manage to make jelly sandwiches, only for the electric to be turned off. They are now alone in the dark, cold and hungry. A phone call placed to their father leads to their rescue and Davion and Janaya are placed in his custody. His mother’s dope fiend habits wreak havoc in his young life, causing him to get into countless fights while losing all respect for the woman he now only refers to as Joselyn. But a heated confrontation between the two leads to a startling revelation that it was his father who turned Joselyn onto coke and created her habit that ultimately led to her overdose, with Janaya and Davion being the ones to find her. The respect, love and admiration Davion once had for the man he affectionately referred to as Pops, quickly diminishes after that dreadful day, and tragedy seems to make itself right at home in their lives. Holding on to his hoop dreams, Davion works hard at perfecting his craft with his sister following in his footsteps. But with tragedy striking around them constantly, the dream begins to slowly slip from his grip. Davion soon learns that everyone is not who they seem as he suspects his step-mother played a part in a murder that nearly destroys the family. Through Davion’s eyes, he tells his story down to the final seconds of his fourth quarter when it’s too late for him to realize that his suspicions were misplaced… as was his trust.




American Dreams


Book Description

A powerful, moving collection of 170 portraits of Americans and their handwritten statements about what the American dream means to them. Shot by one photographer over twelve years, fifty states, and eighty thousand miles, American Dreams is a poignant, defining look at people from every walk of life and a remarkable exploration of what it means to be an American. Long fascinated by the idea of the “American Dream,” Canadian photographer Ian Brown set out to document, in photographs and words, what that dream means to Americans of all ages, races, identities, classes, religions, and ideologies. Over the course of twelve years, Brown traveled more than eighty thousand miles in an old truck, visiting all fifty states and connecting with hundreds of Americans. He knocked on people's doors; met them at town halls, diners, and factories; and approached them on main streets in small towns. He shot their portraits and asked them to write down their own American dreams. Their dreams and stories—which range from hopeful, moving, and optimistic to defiant, bitter, and heartbreaking—offer a fascinating, unparalleled perspective of the striking diversity and deep nuance of the American experience.




Sporting Blackness


Book Description

Sporting Blackness examines issues of race and representation in sports films, exploring what it means to embody, perform, play out, and contest blackness by representations of Black athletes on screen. By presenting new critical terms, Sheppard analyzes not only “skin in the game,” or how racial representation shapes the genre’s imagery, but also “skin in the genre,” or the formal consequences of blackness on the sport film genre’s modes, codes, and conventions. Through a rich interdisciplinary approach, Sheppard argues that representations of Black sporting bodies contain “critical muscle memories”: embodied, kinesthetic, and cinematic histories that go beyond a film’s plot to index, circulate, and reproduce broader narratives about Black sporting and non-sporting experiences in American society.




LIFE IS A COMEBACK


Book Description

Have you ever faced a setback so overwhelming that you thought there was no way forward? Whether it's divorce, bankruptcy, addiction, mental health challenges, or even prison, you're not alone. Life is a Comeback is your guide to discovering how to rise from life's toughest blows, reclaim your power, and chart a path to success and happiness. Packed with 299 inspiring stories of both famous and everyday people, Life is a Comeback will fill you with hope and determination. Learn how people like Adam Weitsman, who turned his life around after serving time in federal prison to build a billion-dollar empire, and Arunima Sinha, who became the first female amputee to conquer Mount Everest, found the strength to rise again. Each story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, showing that no matter the depth of your struggle, a new chapter of success and fulfillment is possible. Imagine harnessing that same power of perseverance in your own life. Picture yourself drawing inspiration from Jeff Bezos, who was turned down by 38 investors but went on to create Amazon, or Samuel L. Jackson, who overcame addiction to become one of the most successful actors in the world. These stories, combined with motivational poems and quotes from Daron “Dr. Comeback” Fordham, will remind you that every setback is an opportunity for a greater comeback. Don't let life’s challenges define you—let them propel you toward your next victory. Life is a Comeback is the resource you need to find the strength to rise again. Order your copy today and unlock the incredible force of your own human spirit!




The Cook Up


Book Description

Reminiscent of the classic Random Family and The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, but told by the man who lived it, The Cook Up is a riveting look inside the Baltimore drug trade portrayed in The Wire and an incredible story of redemption. The smartest kid on his block in East Baltimore, D. was certain he would escape the life of drugs, decadence, and violence that had surrounded him since birth. But when his brother Devin is shot-only days after D. receives notice that he's been accepted into Georgetown University-the plans for his life are exploded, and he takes up the mantel of his brother's crack empire. D. succeeds in cultivating the family business, but when he meets a woman unlike any he's known before, his priorities are once more put into question. Equally terrifying and hilarious, inspiring and heartbreaking, D.'s story offers a rare glimpse into the mentality of a person who has escaped many hells.




Hoop Dreams


Book Description

Playing ball is what keeps Podium Sports Academy's basketball captain going when things get rough. When there's trouble back home, Allie turns to basketball. Ditto when her relationship is in trouble or when she's at odds with her friends. But then tragedy strikes when an old knee injury resurfaces and Allie is told she might not be able to play again. With her hope of a future as an elite basketball player gone, Allie is overwhelmed with dark thoughts and feels she has nothing left to live for. That is, until unexpected support comes from two unlikely sources: her folks back home and her friends at Podium, her home away from home. [Fry Reading Level - 3.0]




My Refusal


Book Description

In his riveting debut Marquise Thompson unveils a creative tale that sheds ligh on the hidden pains that we all experience in life. As he seeks to stomp out the ignorance that exists in his lifestyle, he is forced to confront the inner struggle and turmoil that comes along with such a journey of self exploration. While following Thompson as he undertakes this expedition, we are introduced to a young man who also faces considerable hardships of his own. Santino Brown attempts to navigate the tough terrains of the Tree Port Projects while simultaneously managing the quotidian stresses of being an African American male. Travel with Thompson as he uses Santino to illustrate the life lessons he has learned thus far.




Better Smoke


Book Description

This book is about wave runners trying to fi nd their place in certain situations dealing with lust, love and common sense by Wave Runner.




Scruplez


Book Description

After the death of her mother, Kay hadn’t always made the best decisions. In spite of her big mistakes, she was still determined to become an interior designer. The young mother of two struggled, but seemed to be on her way when she met and married a corporate executive whom hands her a fairytale ending on a silver platter. Before long, the storybook ending marked the beginning of a nightmare, a nightmare that caused her to be criminally charged for the murder of her husband. What made her snap? “Scruplez” is a story of the jaw-dropping possibilities that occur in the pursuit of happiness; how dreams become reality, and how we sometimes wished our reality were just a dream. Feel Kay’s pain and share her joy as you read and discover the highs and lows within her life.




iPeoms Lyrically Speaking


Book Description