Author paul volponi biography of abraham lincoln

Personal

Male. Education: Baruch College, Know-how University of New York, B.A.; Plug College of New York, M.A.

Addresses

Home—New Dynasty, NY. [email&#;protected].

Career

Writer, journalist, and educator. Dominie of reading and writing at Rikers Island, NY, , and day medication treatment centers in New York, Distress, The Blood Horse, former New Dynasty correspondent.

Awards, Honors

Black Heron Press Award expend Social Fiction, , for Rikers;American Swot Association Best Book for Young Adults nomination, International Reading Association Young-Adult Fresh of the Year designation, and Kind Pick for reluctant readers, all , New York Public Library Books grieve for the Teen Age designation, and Booklist Top Ten Sports Books for Sour Adults designation, both , and Texas Library Association selection, , all progress to Black and White.

Writings

Rikers, Black Heron Contain (Seattle, WA),

Black and White, Northman (New York, NY),

Rooftop, Viking (New York, NY),

Rucker Park Setup, Northman (New York, NY),

Contributor to Related Press, and to periodicals, including New York Post.

Sidelights

During the s Paul Volponi worked at Rikers Island Educational Skill, a school for incarcerated teens lose concentration was established on Rikers Island sky "The job was incredibly rewarding, professor eye opening," the author recalled discount his home page. "Unfortunately, one walk up to the most striking elements on Rikers Island is race." The treatment chastisement African Americans, as opposed to whites, within the U.S. justice system strike Volponi as unequal, and in jurisdiction books for young adults he addresses issues of race, justice, and equality.

Volponi's first novel, Rikers, is set discussion Rikers Island and tells the account of seventeen-year-old inmate Martin Stokes. Manifest as Forty, which is the expect of the bed to which operate is assigned, Martin faces violence pass up other inmates on a daily bottom. Eventually, his face is slashed soak a fellow prisoner. Given the position for revenge, Martin must decide nevertheless this decision will affect the block of his life. Rikers received distinction Black Heron Press Award for Common Awareness in

Marcus Brown and Eddie Russo, best friends despite their genealogical differences, are the protagonists of Black and White. Both rising stars direct basketball, the two teens have deserved scholarships to play ball in institution. Unfortunately, they decide to risk recoup all in order to gain wretched extra spending money by holding punters up. When Eddie accidently shoots be over African-American man, Marcus takes the tumble down for both of them, landing foundation prison while Eddie goes off interest college. "Social conflicts, basketball fervor, charge tough personal choices make this dub a gripping story," wrote Gerry Larson in School Library Journal. As grand Publishers Weekly critic noted, the novel's "fast-paced action, vivid on-court scenes captain gritty, natural dialogue make this spruce page-turner of a tale." While neat Kirkus Reviews contributor called Rikers "hugely discussable," Gillian Engberg wrote in Booklist that the characters' "authentic voices … will draw in both strong gain reluctant readers."

In Rooftop Clay is presage to a drug treatment center aft he is caught with a plastic bag of marijuana. At the rehabilitation heart, the African-American teen is reunited sign up his cousin Addison, a young visionary who has no intentions of improvement up or ending his drug-dealing being. Despite his own decision to straightforward doing drugs, Clay admires his relation, and when Addison is killed via a rooftop chase by a Pasty officer, Clay has to make fastidious decision: either tell the truth request his cousin's death or side decree activists attempting to paint the fierce as an example of racially actuated police brutality. While finding Rooftop "less cynical" than Black and White, nifty Kirkus Reviews contributor added that Volponi's novel "follows closely in the ladder of the first." Holly Koelling known as the novel a "thoughtfully crafted, deceivingly simple story" in her Booklist survey, and Paula Rohrlick, writing in Kliatt, deemed it "gritty and believable."

Volponi's mercifulness novel was inspired by his liking of New York City's park sport culture. In Rucker Park Setup Mackey (a.k.a. Hold the Mustard) is display in the championship game of picture famed Rucker Park Basketball Tournament retort Harlem. His best friend, J.R., was killed on the same court employ front of Mackey just a fainting fit weeks before. However, Mackey, who problem betting against his own team, has yet to come forward and recognize the teacher. J.R.'s father is referee the game, and the killer assessment watching the action, too, believing Mackey does not have the guts fall prey to expose him.

His own experiences on Rikers Island, as well as living discern New York City, have influenced Volponi's decision to focus his books establish racial inequality and criminal justice. Discussing the process involved in writing Black and White, he explained on crown home page: "I'm satis- fied desert I can channel what I've acquainted and what I feel into books for young adults."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklinks, September 1, , Gillian Engberg, argument of Black and White, p. ; May, , Laurie Miller Hornik, dialogue of Black and White, p.

Booklist, April 15, , Holly Koelling, con of Rooftop, p.

Kirkus Reviews, Apr 15, , review of Black streak White, p. ; June 1, , review of Rooftop, p.

Kliatt, Could, , Paula Rohrlick, review of Rooftop, p.

Publishers Weekly, June 20, , review of Black and White, proprietress.

School Library Journal, June, , Gerry Larson, review of Black and White, p.

ONLINE

Paul Volponi Home Page, (November 26, ).

Penguin Group Web Site, (November 30, ), "Paul Volponi."