Rucker Park Setup -- reviewed by Arinze Mgbemena

          This book is an interesting read for those who enjoy basketball and emotional readings. The book talks about these two boys named J.R and Mackey. J.R has known Mackey ever since they were in preschool. They have been through so much together especially when J.R.'s mother died,Mackey was there with him crying with his father by there sides holding them. The boys have dreams of winning a Rucker park tournament, this has been their dream ever since they were little and watching some of the great street ball players play their game on the Rucker Park Court, and they have worked their way into finally getting on a team and into a tournament. But while getting ready and prepared for the tournament, 2 horrible deaths occur first the death of J.R.'s father and then the murder of J.R., Mackey knows J.R's murderer and the murderer knows that Mackey is well aware of what he did to his friend J.R. With those deaths happening Mackey is forced to go through life and the tournament without of the two most important people in his life, and to also keep clear of J.R.'s killer who is watching Mackey's every move while he is playing in the tournament. 
          I really enjoyed this book because it talked about two friends that were following their dreams until one of them left which made things difficult for one, but also inspired him to work hard and win it for his loved ones. It also talks about loneliness and having no one with you when you're following and leaving your dream while at the same time it talks about fear of someone watching you and making sure you keep quiet or they will hurt you. This book is a very great book to read if you're searching for a book to read about achievements in memory of those who have passed away.

Loud Awake and Lost by Adele Griffin

  "Who was I, just before I almost died?"


Ember Leferrier is 17 years old when she returns home after spending over 8 months recovering from a near fatal accident. She sustained severe body injuries, and because of traumatic brain damage, has also lost the memory of six weeks of her life before the car crash. Although her body is mostly healed, the amnesia persists and Ember feels compelled to seek some answers -- especially when she finds that she "forgot" that a boy she can't remember much about was in the car beside her when she slid off the bridge that night. Who was she, and who was Anthony?

AOHS Book Club

Do you love to read and discuss the books with others? If so, please consider joining the AOHS Book Club. We meet once every month, during Advisory period, in the library. If you would like to be a member, please send an email to dcrawford@oharahs.org and I will send an invite to the Schoology group with the access code. Hope to see you at the first meeting, September 23, 2014.

Ms C.

Ball Don't Lie -- reviewed by Arinze Mgbenema

          Travis Richard nicknamed "Sticky" is an extremely skilled basketball player who has a great future in the profession, but until the age of 6 years old Sticky had lived with a troubled and drug addicted mother and no father. He and his mother were poor and had no money. His mother was a prostitute and had an abusive boyfriend for some time so Sticky experienced some shocking things most children under 6 do not experience. His mother ended up committing suicide and Sticky was forced to move to several foster homes and began to build up an awkward social attitude towards people. As Sticky gets older he gets interested in basketball and works to perfect his skill in it every day. His goal is to play for UCLA and go to the NBA to play for the Lakers. Sticky has also gone into life of crime. When he was robbing a store he met a female cashier named Ahn -thu and she becomes his girlfriend.

        Throughout the book Sticky goes through many stressful events basketball, his girlfriend, and struggled to keep away from trouble it's all hard for him. Sticky decided that the only things that were important in his life at the moment is basketball and his girlfriend's birthday. Sticky tries to buy his girlfriend a necklace for her birthday but learns that he does not have the money, so he decides to rob a man for his money at night but surprisingly the man had a gun and shoots Sticky in the hand, Sticky is found and taken to a hospital in the hospital sticky thinks about life while his girlfriend sits by him. While his hand heals he thinks about the dumb decision that he made that could've cost him basketball and/or life.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was an interesting and a very satisfying read. As I went deeper and deeper into the the book I truly didn't want to stop mostly because it was a book that at some points I can relate to. This is a true book for basketball players and people just trying to find a good book to read.