Homeboyz (Hoopster)

Homeboyz (Hoopster) by Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781423100300.

Alan Lawrence Sitomer writes a compelling story of piecing together a life after a devastating loss--when the threat of violence lurks at every step. When Teddy Andersons little sister Tina is gunned down randomly in a drive-by shooting, the gangstas who rule the streets in the Anderson familys rapidly deteriorating neighborhood dismiss the incident as just another case of wrong place, wrong time. According to gangsta logic, Tina doesnt even count as a statistic. After his elaborately laid plans for revenge against his sisters killer are foiled by the cops. Teddy soon finds himself in and then out of prison on house arrest, into the hands of Officer Mariana Diaz, the smart, tough probation officer assigned to oversee his endless hours of community service. As part of the innovative rehabilitation program Diaz runs, Teddy is assigned to tutor Micah, a twelve-year-old orphan and would-be gansta. As Teddy goes through the motions of complying with the terms of his probation, Diaz has no idea that he is using his genius-level computer hacker skills to plot his final vengeance and to defraud the state education system of hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even though Teddy thinks he knows it all, he fails to see how Micahs desperate need for love and trust just might have the power not only to pierce all Teddys defenses, but to save his family.