Checkmate

Gr 5—8—Zander Scott and the Cruisers are now coping with middle-school pressures at Da Vinci Academy for the Gifted and Talented in Harlem. Vice principal Culpepper asks for their help when Sidney, the school chess prodigy, is picked up by the police for attempting to buy drugs. But as Zander learns, there are no easy answers to serious problems. The novel ends on a hopeful note following a climactic chess match between Da Vinci and a rival school with Sidney's realization: "It could go wrong, but I know I got some people on my side." Myers includes his trademark themes, such as personal responsibility, making difficult choices, and coping with pressure, but scales back their intensity for a younger audience. Although setting and language are urban, situations and characters are universal enough to appeal to most middle schoolers. The antidrug message comes through loud and clear, but is authentically expressed by the characters. Although second in a series, Checkmate ably stands alone: personal details about the members and references to how the Cruisers formed provide enough backstory for new readers to know the group well. Zander is an engaging, thoughtful narrator who makes introspection look cool; the three other members of his group are distinct characters in their own right.—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY