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John Coy is the author of the award winning picture books Night Driving, Strong to the Hoop, Vroomaloom Zoom and Two Old Potatoes and Me. Both Night Driving and Strong to the Hoop have been adapted as plays, and Strong to the Hoop has been published in Spanish as Directo al Aro. As part of the Read to Achieve Program, John is a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx and NBA All-Star Reading Teams. One of John's more recent books, Two Old Potatoes and Me is based on his own potato growing and is illustrated by Carolyn Fisher. You'll also enjoy John's new young adult novel, Crackback, which is all about making choices and sometimes about football. John lives in Minneapolis and works as a visiting author and writing specialist in schools around the country. |
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Box Out Liam has just been bumped up to starter on the varsity basketball team, and the pressure's on. With the girls' team heading to State, the boys' team is under even greater scrutiny than usual in Liam's small midwestern town. When the team's coach starts counting on the power of prayer—and enforcing teamwide participation—Liam finds himself in a spotlight that's more nerve-racking than any trip to the free-throw line. In trying to stand up for what's right, Liam is forced to stand up for himself—against his teammates, his fellow students, and even his parents. |
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Crackback When Miles Manning, a successful high school football player, discovers his teammates are using steroids—and one of them is his best friend—he's faced with a tough decision: Is he willing to do what it takes to win? Football is his life, and his family, especially his dad, is pinning its hopes on him. It's a lot of pressure for a high school junior to bear. This gripping look into the world of high school boys and athletes—and their struggle to be the best—is provocative and searingly honest. Honors |
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Around the World In this fast-paced game celebrating international basketball, players in ten different countries compete to win. With comic book inspired art by Tom Lynch and Antonio Reonegro, readers have loads to look at on each page. The book offers a great way to teach geography, time zones and the international nature of the game so many kids love. Awards |
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Two Old Potatoes and Me Reading Guide available through Minnesota Storytime One day at her dad's house, a young girl finds two old potatoes in the cupboard. "Gross." But before she can throw them away, her dad suggests they try to grow new potatoes from the old ones, which have sprouted eyes. Told from May to September, the potato-growing season, the story includes all the basic steps for growing potatoes while subtly dealing with the parents' recent divorce. Just like the new potatoes that emerged from ugly old potatoes, this dad and daughter move on and make a new life together in the face of unavoidable and unpleasant change. Carolyn Fisher's artwork will be instantly recognizable from her recent picture book debut, A Twisted Tale, and her trademark high-energy art and design infuse joy and humor into this heartwarming story. Awards |
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Directo al Aro Reading Guide through Minnesota Storytime Ten-year-old James has gone to the basketball court with his brother Nate many times, but one day a player's injury actually gets him into the game with the older, stronger boys. James must guard powerful Marcus, whose strength intimidates him. James is skilled, but can he prove himself against the odds? John Coy's lively prose and Leslie Jean-Bart's dramatic photo collages deliver both the grit of the game and an important lesson about determination. "Este atractivo libro ilustrado combina fotografias y dibujos raspados en una audaz mezcla de tecnicas....El fuerte contrapunto de diaglogos y descripciones compite con el ritmo de arranques y paradas del uego." (Publishers Weekly) |
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Vroomaloom Zoom One August night, cake-bake hot, Carmela can't get to sleep. So she and Daddy get into their car for a little drive. Vroomaloom zoom vroom vroom! They take a fantasy ride past farms (cackle lackle), through woods (whoo whoo), to the sea (splash dash wave crash). "Are you ready for sleep?" asks Daddy. "Not yet. Keep driving," says Carmela. So on they go by swamps, over streams, around waterfalls, forward, backward, sideways, and around in circles. Finally, Carmela's eyes close. She must be ready to sleep. "Not yet, Daddy. Keep driving." Vroomaloom zoomaloom vroom vroom. With its inventive use of language and irresistible refrain, this send-up of a familiar family problem will tickle the fancies of parents and children. Awards |
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Strong to the Hoop Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime Ten-year-old James has gone to the basketball court with his brother Nate many times, but one day a player's injury actually gets him into the game with the older, stronger boys. James must guard powerful Marcus, whose strength intimidates him. James is skilled, but can he prove himself against the odds? John Coy's lively prose and Leslie Jean-Bart's dramatic photo collages deliver both the grit of the game and an important lesson about determination. Awards |
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Night Driving Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime A father and son drive into the night. As the sky turns shades of deep blue and purple they watch for night animals, swap baseball stories, and keep a lookout for eighteen wheelers. But they have miles to go before they can sleep, and it's a real challenge to stay awake for a whole night of driving. Celebrating the relationship between a father and his son, John Coy's spare, poetic text and Peter McCarty's striking black-and-white drawings (complete with gas pumps, cafes, and truck stops) capture the warmth and nostalgia of a very special road trip. Awards |
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