The Junto Racing to the Bell - Softcover

Costello, Ron

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615337023 ISBN 13: 9780615337029

Publisher: Gold Sun Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

This is a story about an African American boy growing up poor on the streets of South Philadelphia, the same stomping grounds as Rocky. His name is Jamil Jamil and he was born with a special gift, a secret passed down through generations since time began. That secret is Jamil's ability to communicate with animals by exchanging mind messages with them. Communicating on a wave his Grandma Rody calls the "sixth dimension." When Jamil stumbles upon a terrorist plot to blow up Philadelphia at the Liberty Bell, and when no one believes him, he takes the advice of his Grandma Rody: "Boy, you've got to use those zoo animals and save the city." Then, it’s a race to the bell, a bell that once rang for freedom. Breaking out zoo animals is no easy feat; neither is hiding them in the city. It's an edge of the seat finish with twists and turns along the way. The Junto Racing to the Bell is an inspiring account of determination overcoming poverty. Jamil’s love of animals is equal to the love from his Grandma Rody, who is a guiding light in a storm of bullies and a bad home life. Kids 12 to 20 will love The Junto. It is fun to read and action packed. The Junto is also about teachers who care, tricks played on the principal, and sad tales from the ‘hood. It’s about having friends and loving animals. It’s about why kids learn in some schools and don’t in others. And, it’s about defending America.

Review

“I could not put this book down. In fact, I read it in two days. The main character, Jamil Jamil reveals the heart of so many of our African American students in urban settings. The author has captured the essence of Jamil Jamil– courageous, lonely, creative, isolated--has a grandmother who supplements a crack head mother―and he has a smart, engaging personality.
The setting is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the time is now. Jamil’s charter school provides an option for a safe effective education. Jamil has inherited a gift that allows him to transcend human communication; a secret gift that enables him to deal with a possible 9-11 terrorist attack on his beloved city. The book is rich with behind the scene information regarding governmental and international intrigue. Readers from elementary through high school as well as adults will find this an exciting and enjoyable experience. Whether the book is read to or read by youth and their family members, a good feeling will result.”
Fredricka Reisman, Ph.D.
Professor and Founder of the Drexel University School of Education
Director of the Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA

About this title

About the Author

Growing up in a blue collar Irish-Italian town overlooking the Schuylkill River, author Ron spent his career in education. He worked his way through college as a regional reporter for the Gannett owned Elmira Star Gazette. He's written newspaper columns for the Wellsboro Gazette and the Elmira Star Gazette. Upon graduation from college, he taught and coached five years in a rural high school, where his student's newspaper won the Keystone Award for the best high school newspaper in Pennsylvania. He coached girls junior high basketball, girls varsity volleyball, and boy's varsity baseball. For the next 25 years The Junto author was an educational fund raiser at Mansfield University, Penn State University, the University of Illinois, Temple University and now currently at Drexel University. He's raised funds for student scholarships, faculty support positions, i.e., chairs and professorships, and he even raised a million-plus dollars for mushroom research. In 2005 Ron spent a year teaching in a Philadelphia inner city charter school learning first-hand about urban education. He taught social studies to grades four through eight and called it "an eye opening experience." From that opportunity he gained knowledge about inner city children, which gave him insight for the Jamil Jamil series. Many of the episodes and characters in The Junto Racing to the Bell, are based on the experiences Ron had while teaching. The author is an avid runner who logs 25 miles a week through 'Rocky Country.' He loves to write and has written blogs about the Phillies and his family. It took Ron a year to write The Junto. He would get out of bed at 4:30 a.m., go for a 30 minute run, shower quickly, then, with his coffee, write for two hours, before leaving for work. He also loves speaking to groups about self motivation, self worth, and self discipline; and how any goal is achievable for anyone who works hard and smart enough. He and his wife Denise make their home in South Philadelphia.

Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong social commentary wrapped in the adventures of an unusual boy with great skills, October 12, 2009 By Charles Ashbacher "(cashbacher@yahoo.com)" (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com)) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) Although this is an adventure story involving a young boy and based on an unlikely premise, there is also a great deal of hard social commentary. Jamil Jamil is a poor young black boy in the inner city of Philadelphia with few prospects. While he is attending a Charter school where education is paramount, his mother is into drugs and her revolving group of boyfriends mistreats him. His father is a dim memory so the only familial constant in his life is his Grandmother Rody. Furthermore, the older neighborhood is home to many bullies that do not hesitate to beat him up just because they can. Fortunately, Jamil Jamil is in possession of a generational gift, the ability to send mental memoranda back and forth among the animals. This skill is needed when the Liberty Bell monument becomes the target of a terrorist cell that has managed to sneak radioactive material into the country. In combination with a powerful explosive, their goal is to explode the bomb near the radioactive material and contaminate the city. One of the meetings of the terrorist cell takes place at the zoo and the animals learn of the plot, so they contact Jamil Jamil and tell him about it. When no adult believes him, Jamil Jamil and the animals are on their own, but together they make a formidable army. Working together and finally convincing the mayor of the threat, the animal army plus Jamil Jamil defeat the terrorists and save the day. The most biting and unfortunately true comment in the book involves a boy named Kyree. Born in South Philadelphia, Kyree was very intelligent and vowed to overcome the obstacles and make something of himself. He studied very hard in high school and was rewarded with a scholarship to Penn State University. Working very hard in his classes and at his part-time job at the university, Kyree was on a path to success. In his senior year while he was debating whether to go to graduate school he came back to Philadelphia over the Christmas break to visit his parents. One morning he was gunned down by people in the `hood jealous of his success and his murder was never solved, as no one was willing to speak to the police. The chapter is closed with the paragraph: "There are many students in the inner city schools like Kyree. In spite of the frequent interruptions in class by disruptive students, the Kyrees of the inner city do succeed. To bad this Kyree didn't." Although the mental memoranda aspect is most implausible, this is an excellent adventure story with accurate and disturbing social commentary. I highly recommend --Charles Ashbacher / cashbacher@yahoo.com/ An Amazon Top Reviewer

Edition details

• Publisher: Gold Sun Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0615337023
• ISBN 13: 9780615337029
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 378