Black and White

by Paul Volponi

Marcus and Eddie are best friends. They're also stars on the basketball court, where they're known as Black and White. Race has never been an Marcus is black, Eddie is white, but it doesn't matter. Until they start to pull stickups for extra pocket cash and the gun they're using goes off. Now Marcus is going to jail and Eddie is going to college, even though Eddie is the one who fired the gun. Told in their two voices, Black and White is the gripping story of two good boys who make a bad mistake. It's also a heart-breaking look at the realities of the urban criminal justice system. Written with passion and uncanny authenticity, this is Paul Volponi's debut young adult novel.

Genres: Young Adult, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Basketball, Friendship

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2005

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that is book was a great and good for anyone to read. I like how it keeps going you never know what is going to happen next. It also shows how friendships are tested and what you will do to help a friend out.

One quote i really liked from the book was "Kids who are different colors don't get to be all that tight in my neighborhood. But we get past all that racial crap." It would have been hard to go through all of that at such a young age. I dont think that it is right for people to be judged by the color of their skin.

Another quote from this book is "But things are going to be diffrent for you. You've got a real chance in life." One of the reasons why i chose this quote is because I think kids dont hear stuff like that from there parents enough. To the parent it may seem like no big deal but when you say little things like that it makes us feel good even if we dont want to admit to it.

[Abdullahi D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is talking about a bla boy and a white boy in high school and they are freshman’s and play for the Varsity basketball Team.

The first pros in the book it’s that the book is talking about basketball and the book is really good basketball book. I think people that play basketball will enjoy the the book. My second thing I like in the book is that the story is really interesting because the book is basically talking about that how Eddie a white person and killed a old black person in the hood and that is why the book is a detailed book. My third thing I like about the book is when Marcus the black person was struggling for about 5 games because the old black person that died was the Varsity basketball Team bus driver and he know him very good and he was black so he was really emotional about.

My con for this book is that it was a old book. The book would be better if it was new or made in the 2000s.The other thing I hated about the book was that the book was 300 pages and that is a lot of pages. I think those are my only problems about the book.

I recommend this book to everyone, especially people that play or like basketball or watch basketball I think this is to book for you.



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[Jimmy Pillittere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it kept me intrigued and wanting to read more. Written very well and has a very good story. I enjoyed how descriptive the author was with different scenarios in the book. His descriptive skills helped me imagine the scenes in my head almost like it was a movie. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys basketball and suspense.

[Robby Goena · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Black and White," the story about two incredible basketball players in high school. Both Marcus and Eddie are looking for scholarships to play at the college level. As they are on there journey to get this scholarship, they both find them selves in trouble. Marcus and Eddie were caught robbing. This one decision may affected their lives forever, and there friendship.

Marcus and Eddie are best friends. After Eddie is arrested for the robbery, Marcus made his choice to go play for St. Johns University. Marcus is a smart kid. He likes to help Eddie in school. Marcus helps Eddie cheat on maths test, because Eddie isn't very smart.

The author, Paul Volponi is more of a mature author. He likes to use swear words, to describe moments, and scenes better. I think that the swear words the characters are saying, reflect who the are as a person. The way the author uses swear words, I think his readers should be more of a mature person.

I think that the theme could be, make good decisions, or think before you act. One decision can ruin someones life, or yourselves. Decision making is one of the most important things as a teenager.

I would recommend this book to teenagers, because it's a very good story about kids in high school. You can learn a lot from this book about decision making.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcus (Black) and Eddie (White) are high school hot shot basketball stars with their future laid out like an easy fast break in front of them: win the championship, get into a good college program, and then turn pro. They're both going to win and do it together. Yet bad luck and worse judgment intervene when they team not only on the hardwoods but on the street to do stick-up jobs. Their friends forever philosophy is challenged when Marcus is arrested, while Eddie remains free. If Black and White are treated no differently on the court, the young men soon learn they are treated very differently in the court system. Volponi uses alternating first person POVs, and he's got the vita with a history of teaching teens at Rikers and in the correctional system. What is lost here isn't life itself, but rather dreams of the future and illusions that racial injustice is a relic of the past

[Jorge Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was great only wished there could be a follow up with another book. Really showed true colors in friendships and how things can turn so quickly with someone you thought you could really trust.

[Kaylee Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It not only showed us different isms but it also showed us how the characters dealt with the problem. I liked that this book is based on the real world and that it showed how society treats people differently based on their color of skin. I really recommend this to people that don't like to read as much. You can get really hooked to the book because it's so interesting and suspenseful. You can really learn something out of this book!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Black and White by Paul Volponi was one of the best books I’ve read. I normally don't read a lot of books, unless I find a great, interesting book that can actually motivate me into reading. I have never heard of the author Paul Volponi and now that I've read a book from him, I plan to read more of his books because of his detail.

Begin reading the book you will meet the main characters, Eddie and Marcus, going through the life of two basketball players who don't have a very rich life, and you will have to find out what they do to make money. They play high school basketball and are getting looked at by colleges-one mistake and it’s all over.

Not only is the story is what drew me in, the way Volponi could describe what was happening he uses curse words and gory descriptions, it should be a book for a mature or highschool level audience, ultimately made the book a movie. The lesson I got from this book is think before you take action. You can never know the consequences. They could be really bad or really good. Once you pick up this book, you don't want to put it down. It takes you on a loop of action, you will see how fast a friendship can be broken and made at the same time. Definitely suggest a read if you like sports, a great story, and a good lesson.

[Alex Mattina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Black and White by Paul Volponi two best friends Eddie Russo and Marcus Brown get into lots of trouble with the police because they both live in poverty and need money for basketball game shoes that everyone on the team is getting. When they rob a black man in a parking lot Eddie has his grandfather gun that they use to mug people. When the gun accidentally goes off they bi-accidentally shot the man. Marcus remembered the man from some where and it turned out he remembered him too from the bus the man drives. They both get caught and Eddie is a little bit more wealthy then Marcus and gets out with no charges Marcus on the other hand has to go to jail for 19 months.
This book is very inspirational not only to kids that play basketball but it has many lessons about family and friendship. They are both really good at basketball and are unstoppable together. Also secretly Marcus has a romantic relationship with Eddies sister, Rose. Even through the very hard times at the end they both overcome there fights and problems together and become friends again.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't an action-packed book but I don't think it was supposed to be. I think a story like this is important for many young readers to READ ABOUT rather than falling into the trap of DOING IT. That's one of the many great things about reading, that you can step into the shoes of people making bad decisions and see the consequences they have to face. Whereas breaking the law in real life could cost you your life or freedom, reading about characters breaking the law can make you evaluate the pros and cons of going down certain roads. Hopefully young readers will walk away from this story with a similiar perspective.

Having lived in Queens, NYC, for 5 years after college, I also enjoyed the memories of Astoria that popped up as I read this book, especially life along Steinway Street.

[Kendy Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The end of the book came to fast. I feel that there should be a series of this book. I like that the chapter switch between Marcus and Eddie's perspective. The plot, I think was predictable, " the black man has to pay for someone else(white person)." It shows you how fast your life can take a different direction. I think that if Marcus had a relationship with his father things would have not play out how they did. This book was able to maintain my interest.

[Giselle Penaloza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and reading how the relationship between the two main characters Marcus and Eddie changed over time. This book shows the themes of racism, injustice, and friendship. The author, Paul Volponi did a great job making this book realistic as he was inspired by his life and experiences. My favorite character was Marcus because of his courage and the way he handled his hard situation. I wish there was more to the ending of the book, but overall it was a good book.

[Aracely Contreras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black and White is the first book I have read that contains two first points of view of the main characters. With seeing the perspective of Marcus and Eddie, you could read/see what they both think about certain situations that they are going through. I liked it because both of the characters are different from each other and how things around them affect them by the way they act. Overall, this is a good book to read.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black and White do everything together on and off the basketball court. They even rob people. At gun point.

I had a hard time feeling sympathy for either of them.

I'm sure that my students will like reading this book. I'll have a hard time not asking them to explain what they would do if they were in the same situation. I would also ask (often) if tennis shoes were worth it.

[Trixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this more than I thought I would - was expecting a sports story. I liked the juxtaposition of Marcus and Eddie's perspective in alternating chapters. Well-written, great story. Volponi did an excellent job of highlighting friendship, family, and race relations.

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think it was the best book a have ever read it really taught me a lesson about the modern-day struggles of a black kid and a white kid. really a good and 10/10 book really recomend

[Dequan Cade]

best book ever
everyone should read this book

[Carson Scribner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "black and White" is about two basketball stars in high school. Paul volponi is a writer, journalist, and teacher from New York City. He taught teens in prison how to read and write. From this he wrote "Black and White" from covering sports events as a journalists. This story uses different ways of kids making good and bad choices.
Paul uses step by step examples of how different choices can affect people. The boys lives prove this. I found it interesting that the basketball stars made illegal choices that made a huge impact in their lives.
I like this book because it shows the importance of decision making. This book is a good influence foe high school students to make good choices for their lives. I enjoyed this book because of the twists and turns that kept it interesting.

[Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is mostly based on classism and criminal injustice. It's about two boys who are best friends at first but due to one poor decision, their friendship comes to an end. One is black, Marcus and the other is white, Eddie. When Marcus and Eddie decide to rob people for money they needed, it all went downfall. They continued doing it until one day Eddie shot a guy. Days passed, they were in the clear until the guy that was shot recognized Marcus. He was arrested and no matter how hard they tried to get the name of the "shooter" he never did spilled. When Eddie gets arrested, he makes bail and gets out quick compared to Marcus. Eddie was the shooter and Marcus participated in the robbery but only Marcus got time. This is really unfair because it shows who the privileged one is.

[Danny]

Black and white is about the friendship of two boys who their friends call "Black and White" because one boy is white and the other is black. Although race plays ni part in their friendship, the community treats each boy differently after are both involved in a crime spree. The boys become close after playing together on the school's basketball team. Aftre fiding success during the basketball team. After stealing Eddie's granfather's gun the boys succesfully rob several people without getting caugt. Things suddenly go wrong on night whebn eddie acidentally pulls the trigger during a robbery and shots a man.

[Maritza AlvarezSoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

in my opinion this is a really good book becuase this talks bout some of the things that are happening in society like the judgement in the color of our skin and who people should/shouldnt date,talk,and socialis,etc.I really liked this book becuase it reminded be of a time that i saw people in the tv getting hurt and the injustice they are getting.

[Jareth Manjarrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book it showed so thing that happen in the real world. People of color going to jail for something that they weren't really the blame for. A for white well he just got away with it and became a pro.

[Cienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel that if it had been written with today's society knowledge and the rise of BLM movement among other things I think it would have done well. A compelling story that somehow just doesn't compel hard enough.

[Goodgame · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book from my point of view because the real life theme. I love how it talks about race, and the point it makes about blacks being put in jail and if someone that is white getting let out freely. This book lets you know the inside peek of how the real world is like.

[Dylan Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The two main characters both got into trouble. However Marcus is going to jail.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is amazing and this book also shows how racist the system(police) is.

[Addison.A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed and liked reading the book because it had a good realistic view of the violence, inequality, and racial difficulties in the United States and as well describing the events that lead to the 2 main characters betraying each other.

[Edgar Penaloza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really great for anyone into drama and conflicts. I gave it a 3 out of 5 because I personally don't like reading, but I enjoyed. It catches your attention from the start. It's really cool how you can see two point of views from black and white. The two main characters are Marcus and Eddie and you can really see how they go through their struggles.

[Nolan Zink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Jayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kinda liked but I don't like the ending.