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345 pp.
| Scholastic
| April, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-81250-4$17.99
(3)
YA
Nikki Tate's father, wrongly convicted of murder over a gambling dispute, is now out of prison and intent on finding the real killer. The African American teenager quickly becomes entangled in the mystery herself and delves into the sinister underbelly of the Las Vegas gambling scene. A layered crime drama with compelling main and secondary characters; the well-paced mystery plot will keep readers turning pages.
168 pp.
| Atheneum
| September, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-3989-4$16.99
(4)
YA
Huck is determined to win his late father's poker title back from egomaniacal Mr. Abbott, Huck's high school math teacher who stole Huck's father's prized watch while he was dying. Though the dialogue is hackneyed ("Some of you bright lights can't even spell poker"), this edgy and fast-paced novel will appeal to teenage cardsharps and fans of hard-boiled thrillers.
161 pp.
| Putnam
| September, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-24528-2$17.99
(4)
YA
Hautman's compilation features diverse writers including K. L. Going, Francine Pascal, and Adam Stemple. Most stories contain plenty of high-stakes poker action. The book works better as an authors' showcase than a thematic whole; read consecutively, many of the stories follow similar trajectories, ending with a moral. The fitting design includes pages that look like playing cards. Glos.
183 pp.
| Simon
| June, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-1325-2$15.99
(2)
YA
This second book about Denn Doyle follows the sixteen-year-old to the gritty, high-stakes casinos of Las Vegas. With only ninety-seven dollars and a broken heart, Denn must go small time if he wants to make a comeback. Jimbo, the unofficial eyes and ears of Vegas, narrates Denn's story. The intense, jargon-rich narrative ultimately asks: who's to say what constitutes winning? Glos.
Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2007
232 pp.
| Farrar
| October, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-374-30799-8$16.00
(3)
YA
Sixteen-year-old Andrew has always been good with numbers. When he applies his talents to gambling, he gets hooked and quickly finds himself stealing from family and friends to support his poker habit. Andrew's rocky relationships with his parents and friends are well drawn, bringing depth and realism to the story. Long passages describing card play will interest poker fans.
165 pp.
| Simon
| October, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-689-81759-2$$16.00
(2)
YA
Invited to a poker game by some older teens, Denn Doyle soon becomes a serious student of the game, and it doesn't take long before he is sucked in entirely, losing all interest in his friends and family. Even though there's not a lot of obvious moralizing here (the emphasis is on the intricacies of the game and its culture), the book's final devastating scene will certainly leave readers with something to think about.
Reviewer: Nancy Vasilakis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1998
6 reviews
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