On Guard

Bounce

By: Patrick Jones

Narrated by: Book Buddy Digital Media

Point guard Mercedes Morgan is on track to set the all-state record for three-pointers. She's even caught the attention of a big-time college recruiter. But her sister has fallen in with a gang from the old neighborhood, and a drive-by shooting lands her in a coma. Now their little brother might be headed down the same dangerous path. Can the star player help her family leave the past behind them while also saving her season, or will they always be on guard?

©2016 Patrick Jones (P)2018 Lerner Digital ™

Critic reviews

"Mercedes Morgan is a point guard for her high-school basketball team, and she's excited that her moves on the court have attracted a number of college scouts. On the outside, everything seems to be going great, but underneath it all, her family is struggling at home. Her older sister, Callie, is a high-school dropout who joined a gang, while her younger brother is making new friends who might lead him down the same path. When Callie is involved in a gang-related shooting and ends up in a coma, Mercedes needs to balance her responsibilities to her team with her need to save her brother from the same fate. This volume in the Bounce series is a fast-paced choice for reluctant readers, with lots of basketball action and hard-hitting plot turns. Refreshingly, Mercedes is in a lesbian relationship and faces no backlash for it. Hand to high/low readers who are moving up from Matt Christopher's sports titles or have burned through all of Orca's Sports offerings." (Booklist)