Two high school basketball stars are arrested. One of them is black; the other white. Their experiences following the arrest are very different. ( )

Volponi’s novel tells the story of Marcus, who is Black, and Eddie, who is White. They are also lifelong best friends, high school seniors, and stars of their high school basketball team—each one destined for fame and glory. Until they decide they need to engage in petty theft in order to afford sneakers, senior dues, prom fees, and other “incidental” expenses, which turn out to be not so negligible for working class students growing up in New York City.

Inevitably, one of their crimes goes wrong and a man is shot. Marcus is arrested and shoulders the blame for the crime, creating tension with his best friend, his family, school administration, and the other members of the basketball team.

Narrated from the alternating perspectives of Marcus and Eddie, the novel examines issues of friendship, race, ambition, guilt, and loyalty. While these themes might sound somewhat heavy for a Young Adult novel, Volponi handles them well, telling the story with a matter-of-face realism. And although the symbolism of the co-protagonists’ nicknames is rather heavy-handed, the characters themselves are genuine, and their plight is all too believable. ( )

A revealing novel about dealing with the consequences of one's actions. You keep waiting for Eddie to do the right thing but the conclusion is open-ended, guaranteeing a rousing book group discussion. A good pick for reluctant readers. ( )

Black and White are seniors on their Queens, N.Y. high school basketball team who have been best friends for years. Marcus (Black) and Eddie (White) don't care about their skin colors and, together, have been accepted in the neighborhood because of their great basketball skills. Marcus lives with his single mom and sister in the projects while Eddie lives with his parents and sister in a private house nearby.

Read more at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/ ( )

Good guys sports book for reluctant readers. ( )