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by Kevin Waltman (Author)

For 6'3" freshman Derrick "D-Bow" Bowen, it's non-stop action both on and off the court--a deft, coming-of-age tale.

In Indiana, basketball is the next thing to religion. Especially for Black kids in the big city like Derrick "D-Bow" Bowen. He's a 6'3" freshman, lightning quick, and he can "slam the rock" like the greats. D-Bow hopes to start at point guard for Marion High, but senior Nick Starks already has that position nailed down. Plus, the coach is old school. He thinks D-Bow needs to work on his game, his shot, and his attitude. That means bench time for D-Bow.

It's on that very bench that some folks from Hamilton Academy, the elite school in the suburbs, come sniffing around. They want D-Bow for the next three years. But when he brings the news home, his mom wants no part of it. To complicate his situation even more, there's a girl and a best friend at Marion he has to think about. Man, there's plenty of basketball action, drama, and suspense going on. And D-Bow is smack in the middle of it.

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Author Biography

Kevin Waltman is an instructor at The University of Alabama. He lives in Coker with his wife Jessica, their daughter Calla, and their dog Henry. His first young adult novel, Nowhere Fast, was published by Scholastic in 2002, and his second, Learning the Game, was published by Scholastic in 2005.