Synopses & Reviews
Francisco Ortiz, a handsome straight-A student and gifted basketball player from the barrio, wins a full scholarship to an elite boarding school. His future seems promising. But soon after Francisco moves into the dorm, his new classmates assume the worst of him: they pepper him with questions about drugs and gangs. Its all so confusing, made even more complicated when Francisco realizes that back home in the hood, he no longer fits in, though his friends still rely on him to solve their problems. In a desperate attempt to help one of his homies, Francisco makes a terrible decision and becomes everything he fought so hard to rise against.
In When We Wuz Famous, Greg Takoudes has written a riveting novel about breaking down stereotypes, crossing boundaries, and clinging to where you come from.
Review
"Puerto Rican senior basketballer Francisco Ortiz cant escape the past. . . . A fresh new voice in teen fiction." —Kirkus Reviews "Intense and determinedly realistic, this story will leave a lasting impression on readers." —Publishers Weekly "Gritty, fast-paced urban fiction." —Booklist "Compelling." —BCCB "Takoudes chooses authenticity over a pat resolution and doesnt downplay the consequences of regrettable choices. Purchase where urban fiction is popular." —School Library Journal
Synopsis
Francisco Vicioso, a handsome straight-A student and gifted basketball player from the barrio, wins a full scholarship to an elite boarding school. His future seems promising. But soon after Francisco moves into the dorm, his new classmates assume the worst of him: they pepper him with questions about drugs and gangs. Its all so confusing, made even more complicated when Francisco realizes that back home in the hood, he no longer fits in, though his friends still rely on him to solve their problems. In a desperate attempt to help one of his homies, Francisco makes a terrible decision and becomes everything he fought so hard to rise against.
Greg Takoudes has written a riveting novel about breaking down stereotypes, crossing boundaries, and clinging to where you come from.
Synopsis
Francisco Ortiz, a handsome straight-A student and gifted basketball player from the barrio, wins a full scholarship to an elite boarding school. His future seems promising. But soon after Francisco moves into the dorm, his new classmates assume the worst of him: they pepper him with questions about drugs and gangs. Its all so confusing, made even more complicated when Francisco realizes that back home in the hood, he no longer fits in, though his friends still rely on him to solve their problems. In a desperate attempt to help one of his homies, Francisco makes a terrible decision and becomes everything he fought so hard to rise against.
Greg Takoudes has written a riveting novel about breaking down stereotypes, crossing boundaries, and clinging to where you come from.
About the Author
Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Greg Takoudes worked for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer as a member of the creative team at Imagine Entertainment in Los Angeles. When We Wuz Famous is his novel adaptation of his first feature film, Up with Me, which garnered several film awards. Greg recently completed his second feature, The Jonestown Defense. He also cowrote House of Satisfaction, directed by Jesse Hartman, which made its European debut at the Reykjavik International Film Festival. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.