John Coy, Author, at ASW October 25,26,27
John Coy will be working with elementary and middle school students regarding his books and the writing process!
Booklist selected Coy’s young adult novel, Box Out as one of the best sports books for youth in 2009.
Booklist review of Box Out.
The author of Crackback (2005) crafts an equally perceptive, triumphant tale—this one centered on a high-school hoops player searching for, and finding, his own road. Liam is dazzled at first by his unexpected elevation to the varsity team, but the shine wears off quickly once he discovers that the coach is leading prayer sessions before each practice and game. Then he sees Darius, who is a star player but the team’s only African American, maneuvered into quitting. Eventually Liam follow suit, after gathering his nerve to contact a watchdog organization. What follows is an eye-opening lesson in what team spirit is really all about. More a decent, average, level-headed kid than an introspective sort or a crusader, Liam struggles with the urge to conform and ultimately finds realistic ways to rebound from self-doubt as well as serious peer and adult pressure. Plainly well acquainted with teenagers as well as b-ball play and lingo, Coy adds subplots and supporting characters to give Liam’s life dimension, but he weaves in plenty of breathlessly compelling game action too.
— John Peters, Booklist.
Visit John’s site here.
