Life is looking up for Xavier. Things are good with Jennie, his baseball coach believes in him, he's earned the role of closer, and his dad's coming home after serving ten years.But making up for lost time with his dad doesn't go as Xavier had hoped. It seems his dad's always angry with him. Or drinking. Or out. Or lecturing Xavier on what it means to be a man. When the tension at home builds, Xavier's own hot temper flares, threatening to send him down the same path as his father. ...

Moving off the reservation and enrolling at Rondo Alternative High School is supposed to give Frankie a new start. But leaving gang life proves harder than Frankie ever imagined, as his cousins are set on bringing him into the family's dirty business. When Frankie's father is brutalized in prison by a rival gang, Frankie is faced with a decision. Will he take revenge and prove his loyalty to his people? Or can he keep his promise to his mother and find a way out?

Point guard Mercedes Morgan is on track to set the all-state record for three-pointers. She's even caught the attention of a big-time college recruiter. But her sister has fallen in with a gang from the old neighborhood, and a drive-by shooting lands her in a coma. Now their little brother might be headed down the same dangerous path. Can the star player help her family leave the past behind them while also saving her season, or will they always be on guard?

Everyone has secrets in high school. But no one has a secret quite like Camila Hernandez's.For as long as Camila can remember, her mother has been in prison. And Camila has tried to make sure no one finds out. She avoids all friendships. She keeps to herself. Because if people get too close to her, they might find out the truth. And once they know, they will see her only as a criminal's daughter.Sure, some of Camila's classmates also have parents doing time. But her mother is...

Jackson James wants three things: to succeed in MMA, to join the military like his father, and to protect his little brother from ending up in trouble like he did. But it's a challenge to stay in control of his life at school, at home, and at the dojo—especially with the distraction of Tyresha Harris, one of the new female fighters. When faced with tough choices, can Jackson learn to make the right ones inside the cage and out?

Do the crime, do the time behind bars. But once you've been in, it can be tough to stay out.Tension between African Americans and Somalis at Rodney's high school erupts into a food fight that turns into a riot. In the midst of the violence, Rodney helps a Somali classmate to safety. Soon Rodney and Jawahir fall for each other. Against the pleas of their families and friends, they can't help but follow their hearts.As groups on both sides of the fight harbor lingering...

Do the crime, do the time behind bars. But once you've been in, it can be tough to stay out.When Hinton Helsinger leaves the Youth Correctional Center, he's set on reforming his impulsive ways. But things at home have changed: his dad has been killed, his mom's remarried his uncle, and his uncle is the new kingpin of the family gang that controls the town's drug trade. Threatened by Hinton's return, Hinton's uncle hatches a sinister plot using Hinton's girlfriend, Olivia, a...

Deja's mom has never been there when Deja needed her. She's lied, run off, and gotten into trouble with the law more times than anyone can count. She always promises to change―and always breaks those promises.Now―seventeen years after Deja was born in prison―her mom is back behind bars and having another baby. Deja agrees to raise baby Heaven until her mother returns home. She's determined to give Heaven the loving family life Deja never had.But being a substitute parent is h...

Meghan lived through the car crash that killed her mom, but it left her with injuries that ruined her school sports career. Now she's the dojo's toughest female fighter. She just has to avoid getting kicked out for her pain pill habit. As her first amateur fight approaches, Meghan will have to decide if she's ready to move on from the crash and the secrets. Can she find the courage to choose her moves wisely—inside the cage and out?

Latrell Baker's scientific approach to football—watching football—has finally paid off. Harmon Holt heard about the algorithm he developed for determining best defensive play, and now Latrell's landed himself an internship with the NFL's LA Stars. But he'll soon discover that working in pro football involves more politics and secrets than science.

Life is looking up for Xavier. Things are good with Jennie, his baseball coach believes in him, he's earned the role of closer, and his dad's coming home after serving ten years.But making up for lost time with his dad doesn't go as Xavier had hoped. It seems his dad's always angry with him. Or drinking. Or out. Or lecturing Xavier on what it means to be a man. When the tension at home builds, Xavier's own hot temper flares, threatening to send him down the same path as his father. ...

Latrell Baker's scientific approach to football—watching football—has finally paid off. Harmon Holt heard about the algorithm he developed for determining best defensive play, and now Latrell's landed himself an internship with the NFL's LA Stars. But he'll soon discover that working in pro football involves more politics and secrets than science.