"Volponi, a multiple award-winning author, keeps the tension high from the first to last page ...The Final Four is definitely a winner. —VOYA, starred review March Madness is in full swing, and there are only four teams let in the NCAA basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the seminfinals, and it's there that the fates of Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J. intertwine. As the last moments tick down on the game clock, you'll learn how each player went from being a kid who loves to shoot hoops to a powerful force in one of the most important games of the year. Which team will leave the Superdome victorious? In the end it will come down to who has the most skill, the most drive, and the most heart. Author Paul Volponi is a writer, journalist, and teacher. His experience teaching incarcerated teens literary and his experience as an ardent basketball player has informed this tense, action packed novel! The Final Four is a gripping read for young adults and older audiences alike. Volponi nails it when it counts in this dynamic story. —Booklist, starred reviewVolponi adroitly renders authentic and inspired basketball action. —The New York Times Book Review This audiobook is skillfully read by Leon Nixon, and was produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont. Audio engineering by Mike Thal."
"Jiu-jitsu is more than a martial art; it is a lifestyle that promotes health, confidence, self-determination, and balance. Famed jiu-jitsu instructor Rener Gracie presents the core teachings of jiu-jitsu and explains how they can apply to all of our daily lives, including:
● The Pyramid Principle: the importance of investing in a strong foundation
● The Acceptance Principle: recognizing when it's better to yield than to resist
● The Pivot Principle: the value of changing your perspective to increase your effectiveness
● The Redirection Principle: using unfavorable circumstances to create favorable outcomes
Intended for both longtime fans and practitioners of jiu-jitsu as well as those completely unfamiliar with martial arts, The 32 Principles will help you take control of your personal and professional pursuits, supercharge your entrepreneurial spirit, and balance your relationships at work and at home.
Along with multi-award–winning author Paul Volponi, this book features contributions from more than 40 champion athletes, topflight coaches, and others who have benefited from the everyday life applications of these timeless jiu-jitsu principles."
"Hurricane Katrina is raging and you are inside the Superdome!
Miles has only lived in New Orleans with his dad, a musician, for a few months when Hurricane Katrina hits. Father and son haven't exactly been getting along. Miles is obsessed with football; his dad's passion is jazz. But when the storm strikes, they're forced to work through their differences to survive a torturous few days in the Superdome.
Paul Volponi, known for writing books that capture the pulse of urban life in New York City, creates a gripping hour-by-hour portrayal of what life was like for those left behind once the floodwaters began to rise."
