Concrete Rose

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood. A Printz Honor Book!If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.Life’s not perfect but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back Mav’s got everything under control.Until that is Maverick finds out he’s a father.Suddenly he has a baby Seven who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope finish school and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing maybe Mav can prove he’s different.When King Lord blood runs through your veins though you can't just walk away. Loyalty revenge and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.