Justin #1 (Blacktop)

A street-smart action-packed basketball series set on the courts of Oakland, California

“The brief novel is both a satisfying basketball story and an African-American boy’s first-person account of finding his way in the world . . . debut author Alonge plays the game just right.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A coming-of-age story with hard edges and heart.”—Publishers Weekly

Justin has a list of goals stashed under his mattress. Number 1 is “figure out life plans.” Number 5 is “earn Zen Master rating in WoW.” Number 7 is “play a little basketball every day.” Nowhere on that list is “play the crew from Ghosttown,” but that’s the type of trouble that always seems to finds him. And Justin is not the type to back down from a challenge.

Perfect for basketball enthusiasts, this thrilling young adult story about pursuing your dreams will leave readers eager for more in the Blacktop series.

LJ Alonge has played pick-up basketball in Oakland, Los Angeles, New York, Kenya, South Africa and Australia. Basketball's always helped him learn about his community, settle conflicts, and make friends from all walks of life. He's never intimidated by the guy wearing a headband and arm sleeve; those guys usually aren't very good. As a kid, he dreamed of dunking from the free throw line. Now, his favorite thing to do is make bank shots. Don't forget to call "bank!"