Checkmate (Cruisers Series #2)

by Walter Dean Myers

Overview

In the second book of the CRUISERS series, Walter Dean Myers explores the world of competitive chess as seen through the eyes of a group of middle school misfits.

Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age 16. When he's arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him. The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and wants to play chess, but dislikes the constant spotlight. He thinks that if he appears to be involved in drugs he'll be excused from playing on the school's team. In this book Zander and his creware back, using the Cruiser school newspaper express their frustrations and triumphs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780439916325
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Series:	Cruisers Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is the 2012 - 2013 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He is the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author an award-winning body of work which includes, SOMEWHERE IN THE DARKNESS, SLAM!, and MONSTER. Mr. Myers has received two Newbery Honor medals, five Coretta Scott King Author Awards, and three National Book Award Finalists citations. In addition, he is the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5?8—Zander Scott and the Cruisers are now coping with middle-school pressures at Da Vinci Academy for the Gifted and Talented in Harlem. Vice principal Culpepper asks for their help when Sidney, the school chess prodigy, is picked up by the police for attempting to buy drugs. But as Zander learns, there are no easy answers to serious problems. The novel ends on a hopeful note following a climactic chess match between Da Vinci and a rival school with Sidney's realization: "It could go wrong, but I know I got some people on my side." Myers includes his trademark themes, such as personal responsibility, making difficult choices, and coping with pressure, but scales back their intensity for a younger audience. Although setting and language are urban, situations and characters are universal enough to appeal to most middle schoolers. The antidrug message comes through loud and clear, but is authentically expressed by the characters. Although second in a series, Checkmate ably stands alone: personal details about the members and references to how the Cruisers formed provide enough backstory for new readers to know the group well. Zander is an engaging, thoughtful narrator who makes introspection look cool; the three other members of his group are distinct characters in their own right.—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

School Library Journal