Books with author Ms. Anne Schraff

When rookie first baseman Jackie Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, he was doing something no black man had done in the 20th century: playing major league baseball. Many people didn t want him there. In the days and weeks to come, fans would shower him with racist slurs; opposing players would spike him; death threats would arrive in the mail. But through it all, Jackie Robinson knew that by defying the racists, he was opening up baseball to a long line of talented young men who would come after him, men who had been denied their chance before. He would be the man at the front of the line.

Welcome to Bluford High. This widely acclaimed teen series set in an urban high school features engaging, accessible writing and appealing, contemporary storylines.Darcy Wills is in big trouble. And she does not know where to turn for help. First there was the mysterious stranger who started following her. Then there was the threatening note left on her desk at Bluford High School. And now her sister has disappeared. Forced into a desperate race against time, Darcy must take action to save her sister--and her fragile family--before it is too late.

Excellent teacher Mr. Ridley appears from nowhere and accepts a teaching job at the tiny and poor Crow's Crossing School. He s an excellent teacher, but questions swirl around him. Why is he here? Where did he come from? And most importantly, why is he digging holes on Shadow Hill? Tazmin doesn't care about all that. She's learning math. Her brother is learning how to read. But the truth has a way of revealing itself, much to Tazmin's dismay.

Set in contemporary urban America, the Urban Underground series is about a group of teens attending Tubman High. The high school years are important to our intellectual and emotional development. Teens are faced with many obstacles, both imagined and in real life. Finding stories that speak to their struggles can help guide them and build the foundation for the future. The American teen experience at Tubman is typical as students deal with trust, loyalty, friendship, unemployment, urban decay, drugs, dropouts, bullies, alcoholism, abuse, and self esteem to name a few. The highly readable style and mature topics will appeal to struggling teen readers of both sexes and encourage them to finish each novel. Paperback books look and feel like a trade edition and are complete in just under 200 pages. Between his father's pessimistic moods and his mother's "put on a happy face" attitude Jaris Spain feels trapped. Jaris hides his own darkness from his parents: How hard he has to work for good grades. How quickly a teacher's pen stroke sends him slipping. How he tries out for every sport at Tubman and fails. And then there's Sereeta's scorn...