Books with author Jesse Joshua Watson

In this reissue of a classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs, find themselves involved in exciting mysteries around their town.Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome call themselves The Black Dinosaurs, and share exciting adventures. In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they’re swept up in a mystery more intriguing—and scary—than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse?

Join Ziggy and his friends as they solve mysteries, crack codes, and help the community in The Clubhouse Mysteries—now available together in a collectible boxed set!Best friends Ziggy, Rashawn, Jerome, and Rico decide to form a clubhouse, complete with secret codes, meetings, and special treasures. Join them as they solve mysteries, find their courage and help their community in this fun and heartwarming series! In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they’re swept up in a mystery more intriguing—and scary—than anything they could have imagined. In Lost in the Tunnel of Time, the boys discover their hometown was a stop on the Underground Railroad and are excited to explore the part of the tunnel that is right under their school—but will they find themselves at a dead end? In Shadows of Caesar’s Creek, Ziggy and the rest of the Clubhouse gang decide to test their courage like the Shawnee youth did during a fun camping trip—but things don’t go quite as planned. In Space Mission Adventure, Ziggy is hoping to meet some aliens during a space camp tour, and when he discovers a mysterious shiny stone, his wish might actually come true! Ziggy and his friends rescue an orphaned fawn in The Backyard Animal Show, and are inspired to put on a talent show to raise money for the local wildlife rescue center. And in Stars and Stripes on Stage, the boys are determined to take home the grand prize at the school talent show—until they meet someone who might need it more.

In this reissue of a classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs, find themselves involved in exciting mysteries around their town.In Lost in the Tunnel of Time, the boys discover their hometown was a stop on the Underground Railroad and are excited to explore the part of the tunnel that is right under their school. When a trapdoor slams behind them, locking them in the tunnel, there’s only one thing they can do—plunge deeper and deeper into the darkness. Where will the tunnel lead them? And will the old, crumbling walls hold until they find their way to the end?

Soon to be a feature film starring Idris Elba“Original in theme and inspirational in tone and content.” — BooklistFrom a Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor winner comes a street- smart tale about a displaced teen who learns to defend what’s right — the Cowboy Way. Inspired by the little- known urban riders of Philly and Brooklyn, this compelling tale of latter- day cowboy justice champions a world where your friends always have your back, especially when the chips are down.

In a country struggling with acceptance, hope can come in many different forms. As a boy, Hector loved playing soccer in his small Johannesburg township. He dreamed of playing on a real pitch with the boys from another part of the city, but apartheid made that impossible. Then, in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and apartheid began to crumble. The march toward freedom in South Africa was a slow one, but when the beloved Bafana Bafana national soccer team won the African Cup of Nations, Hector realized that dreams once impossible could now come true. This poignant story of friendship artfully depicts a brief but critical moment in South Africa’s history and the unique role that sports can play in bringing people together.

As the dust settled on Port-au-Prince, hope was the last thing anybody could see.When the earth shook, his whole neighborhood disappeared. Now a boy and his mother are living in the soccer stadium, in a shelter made of tin and bedsheets, with long lines for food and water. But even with so much sorrow all around, he finds a child playing with a soccer ball made of rags. Soon many children are caught up in the magic of the game that transports them out of their bleak surroundings and into a world where anything is possible.Then the kids are given a truly wonderful gift. A soccer ball might seem simple, but really it's a powerful link between a heartbroken country's past and its hopes for the future. Jesse Joshua Watson has created an inspiring testament to the strength of the Haitian people and the promise of children.

Ziggy and his friends blast off to space camp in this freshly repackaged chapter book from bestselling author Sharon Draper!Ziggy and his friends are excited to be going to Space Camp, where they’ll get to learn about weightlessness and how astronauts eat—and use the bathroom—in space! But Ziggy has another goal: he wants to meet some aliens. Purple, three-headed Martians, preferably, just like in his Mega Mighty Martian Blaster game. Once he gets to camp, Ziggy learns that real-life space travel is even more exciting than what he has imagined. But when a mysterious shiny stone appears, Ziggy can’t help but wonder if his dream of alien contact has just come true....

In this reissue of a classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs, find themselves involved in exciting mysteries around their town.Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome call themselves The Black Dinosaurs, and share exciting adventures. In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they’re swept up in a mystery more intriguing—and scary—than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse?

In the third mystery of the series, Ziggy and friends are excited about their overnight camping trip to Caesar's Creek State Park--named after a Shawnee chief. Their camp counselor is a descendant of Caesar, and fills the campers' imaginations with fun (and spooky!) stories about her ancestors and the Shawnee legends. When Ziggy and the rest of the Clubhouse gang decide to test their courage like the Shawnee youth did, things don't go quite as planned. And when they end up lost, strange things start to happen. Could it just be the animals roaming the woods? Or are the ancient spirits of Caesar back to haunt their old stomping grounds?

A street-smart tale about a displaced teen who learns to defend what's right-the Cowboy Way.When Cole’s mom dumps him in the mean streets of Philadelphia to live with the dad he’s never met, the last thing Cole expects to see is a horse, let alone a stable full of them. He may not know much about cowboys, but what he knows for sure is that cowboys aren’t black, and they don’t live in the inner city. But in his dad’s ’hood, horses are a way of life, and soon Cole’s days of skipping school and getting in trouble in Detroit have been replaced by shoveling muck and trying not to get stomped on. At first, all Cole can think about is how to ditch these ghetto cowboys and get home. But when the City threatens to shut down the stables-- and take away the horse Cole has come to think of as his own-- he knows that it’s time to step up and fight back. Inspired by the little-known urban riders of Philly and Brooklyn, this compelling tale of latter -day cowboy justice champions a world where your friends always have your back, especially when the chips are down.

Three movesis all it takesto change the outcomeof the game.In Marcus's world, battles are fought everyday on the street, at home, and in school. Angered by his sister's death and his father's absence, and pushed to the brink by a bullying classmate, Marcus fights back with his fists.One punch away from being kicked out of school and his home, Marcus encounters CM, an unlikely chess master who challenges him to fight his battles on the chess board. Guarded and distrusting, Marcus must endure more hard lessons before he can accept CM's help to regain control of his life.Inspired by inner-city school chess enrichment programs, Chess Rumble explores the ways this strategic game empowers young people with the skills they need to anticipate and calculate their moves through life."

As the dust settled on Port-au-Prince, hope was the last thing anybody could see.When the earth shook, his whole neighborhood disappeared. Now a boy and his mother are living in the soccer stadium, in a shelter made of tin and bedsheets, with long lines for food and water. But even with so much sorrow all around, he finds a child playing with a soccer ball made of rags. Soon many children are caught up in the magic of the game that transports them out of their bleak surroundings and into a world where anything is possible.Then the kids are given a truly wonderful gift. A soccer ball might seem simple, but really it's a powerful link between a heartbroken country's past and its hopes for the future. Jesse Joshua Watson has created an inspiring testament to the strength of the Haitian people and the promise of children.