Andrea Williams – författare

Kids have big dreams. And when those dreams are on the line, how far are they willing to go to achieve them?

When Jayden and his teammates find out there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year—and maybe ever again—they have to learn to lean on each other if they want to save their basketball season, in this inspiring new middle grade novel from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams.

Jayden Carr has been training all summer to be ready for Hoop Group—the free afterschool basketball program where his hero, NBA superstar Kendrick King, got his start. But when his beloved coach tells him there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year, Jayden is heartbroken.

And he’s not the only one. Coach Beck’s daughter, Tamika, was planning to be the first girl ever to start for the squad. Chris King, Kendrick’s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle was coming home just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, Hoop Group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, all 4’6” of him, Hoop Group was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.

For each kid, Hoop Group was more than just a chance to ball; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem all but impossible—but then the world hasn’t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony, and Dex before. Determined to have their shot, the five new friends scrap, hustle, fight, and play hard to save their season to prove that sometimes a chance is all it takes.  

It’s an inspiring, original middle grade story from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams that channels the many relatable challenges so many young kids face.

The first step to winning is getting out on the court.

Discover the Riveting True Story of Effa Manley, the First Woman Inducted into the Baseball Hall of FameBefore Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball''s color barrier in 1947, Black athletes played in the Negro Leagues—on teams coached by Black managers, cheered on by Black fans, and often run by Black owners.At the center of this vibrant Black baseball world was Effa Manley, the elegant yet gutsy co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles. Effa cultivated a powerhouse team, but just as her Eagles reached their pinnacle, calls to integrate baseball threatened to extinguish the Negro Leagues.On and off the field, Effa hated to lose. She had devoted her life to Black empowerment, but in the battle for Black baseball, was the game rigged against her? Andrea Williams''s Baseball''s Leading Lady is a powerful true story of leadership, perseverance, and passion in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures and Steve Sheinkin''s Undefeated.