A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of the acclaimed Trackseries from Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award–winning author Jason Reynolds.

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.

Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?

High school football fervor splits a town philosophically when emphasis on education collides with emphasis on victory at all costs. Friendships, sportsmanship and pride of accomplishment are put to the test when it is discovered that West High is holding its student-athletes back a year in school. The scheme, known as redshirting, is utilized to help the football team gain a physical advantage over the competition.

The news is met with outrage by fans of East High, which never employed the same tactic. Many think it is hypocritical of parents and coaches to hold a good student back purportedly for academic reasons, when in reality they are held back for athletic reasons.

Emotions run high and spill over into the community. Will the antagonism continue to divide the town of Mountainside or will differences be settled on the gridiron?

Heng is learning how to surf, but is getting discouraged by how hard it is. Will a new friend help her learn how to ride the waves? Introduce the concepts of waves and ocean currents to early readers with this beautifully illustrated picture book. With pre-reading questions, this fiction book is ideal for guided reading and builds early literacy skills.