Homeboyz (Hoopster)
In this decidedly unsubtle sequel to Hip-Hop High School (Hyperion, 2006), sullen computer wiz Teddy sets out for revenge after gangbangers gun down his sister, Tina, in a drive-by shooting. After an up close encounter with the horrors of California's juvenile justice system in the wake of a failed first try, he's sentenced to a mentoring program for at-risk youth that forcibly hooks him up with hot but hard-nosed parole officer Mariana and wild, foulmouthed preteen Micah. Sitomer frequently breaks away from the story for clunky minilectures: "The lack of money, Teddy knew, kept thousands and thousands of inner-city kids like Micah from getting the educational services they needed." And Micah's instant reform is just one of several strands of blatant wish-fulfillment. Still, the tale's violent, rough-hewn plot and street-inflected language supply sufficient intensity to carry the heavy agenda. By the end, Teddy is no more likeable, but at least he's slightly more socialized. Peters, John