To the Buzzer

by Brian L. Tucker

Fourteen-year-old Levi loves to play basketball with his best friend, Mike Mulaney. But as Mike grows seven feet tall and dominates middle school competition, Levi realizes he might be left behind. The tension builds as Mike's home life suffers, and his family encounters racism. As the middle school season ends and Mike is asked to join varsity's run at a state title, Levi feels his friend slipping away. Can he learn to balance friendship with these big changes? And when the worst news imaginable hits, can Levi live for more than the game?

152 pages, Hardcover

Published December 15, 2020

About the author

Brian L. Tucker was born in Monticello, KY. He has lived in Appalachia, Houston, eastern North Carolina, the Scenic City, and most recently, the Holy City. His fiction has appeared in several publications. He is an alumnus of the Bluegrass Writers Studio and was a finalist for the Linda Bruckheimer Series in Kentucky Literature Award for his debut, Baptisms & Dogs - with one copy currently nestled in Washington D.C.'s historic Marine Barracks, Center House. Pokeweed (2018) was nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award and the Volunteer State Book Award. His newest effort, Star Crowley Goes to High School (2026), was published by Wipf & Stock. You can reach him online at: brianltucker.com.