Playing the Cards You're Dealt (Scholastic Gold) - by Varian Johnson

About the Book

"Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley--and keep his plans a secret. Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart ..."--Jacket.

Book Synopsis

"With a deft hand, Johnson shows us there's no such thing as "too young" when it comes to questioning big ideas like manhood, or even family." -Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Look Both Ways and Stamped

Literary powerhouse and Coretta Scott King Honor- and Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance Varian Johnson explores themes of toxic masculinity and family legacy in this heartfelt, hopeful story of one boy discovering what it really means to be a man.

SECRETS ARE ALWAYS A GAMBLE

Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table.

Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash -- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley -- and keep his plans a secret.

Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart...

Review Quotes

Praise for Playing The Cards You're Dealt:

An Indies Next selection

Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year

* "A compelling story of cards, courage, and compassion." -- Booklist, starred review

* "A story about showing great courage and persevereance when life gets shuffled." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Johnson addresses themes of toxic masculinity, family, and legacy in this vividly told novel." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Playing the Cards You're Dealt, is a necessary tale about how some traditions are worth upholding, and others--especially those that harm people--aren't. More importantly, Johnson with the deft hand indicative of all his work, gives us Anthony Joplin to show us there's no such thing as "too young" when it comes to questioning big ideas like manhood, or even family." -- Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Look Both Ways and Stamped

"Reading a well-written book is akin to watching an acrobat on a tightrope. And Varian Johnson is the best of acrobats--he's made the task look effortless with an air of compassion, tenderness, humor, and a dab of magic realism." - Christopher Paul Curtis, Newbery Award-winning author of BUD, Not BUDDY and The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963

"Definitely lives up to The Parker Inheritance. Nicely rounded characters facing believable issues in a supportive, but not always perfect, community setting. This fills a good need--early middle grade books with smart boys learning how to be great men." --Rosie Lee-Parks (Readers' Books) for Shelf Awareness

Awards and Praise for The Parker Inheritance:

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner

A Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor winner

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year

BookPage Best Books of the Year

Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of the Year

NPR Best Books of the Year

New York Public Library Top Ten Books of the Year

Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year

Boston Globe Best Books of the Year

Parents Magazine Best Books of the Year

"Powerful... Johnson writes about the long shadows of the past with such ambition that any reader with a taste for mystery will appreciate the puzzle Candice and Brandon must solve... Their adventure is also a quest for dignity and justice and a journey to understand each other. In a novel marked by scenes of pain and rage, their friendship, genuine and sustaining, is a great achievement." -- The New York Times Book Review

* "A candid and powerful reckoning of history." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Johnson's Westing Game-inspired tale is a tangled historical mystery, a satisfying multigenerational family story, and an exploration of twentieth-century (and contemporary) race and racism." -- The Horn Book, starred review

* "Part historical fiction, part critical problem-solving exercise, part suspenseful mystery, this story weaves through the past and present of one town's struggle with hatred and racism." -- School Library Journal, starred review

* "Johnson takes his readers on a whirlwind expedition with two exceptionally bright kids as they connect the dots of this mystery and gain insights into their own families' secrets. The author flashes back to earlier eras to fill out the backstory of the town and the treasure, creating a vivid portrait of the cultural and demographic changes in a South Carolina town, and he creates a narrative that's both a compelling mystery and a powerful commentary on identity, passing, and sacrifice. Fans of The Westing Game, which gets several textual shoutouts, and other puzzling mysteries such as Balliett's Chasing Vermeer will appreciate the twists and turns of this meaningful tale." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"A clever puzzle, a hidden treasure, and a couple of kids you'll wish were your friends... Dive in!" -- Sara Pennypacker, author of Pax

"Varian Johnson delivers once again with this rewarding mix of relevant history and challenging mystery!" -- Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky

"With a nod to The Westing Game, Varian Johnson has penned a smart mystery that deftly explores the history of racial segregation in the South, modern-day discrimination, friendship, love and bullying... beautifully written, this complex story will captivate an adult audience as well." -- BookPage

"Realistic and complex." -- School Library Connection

"A dazzling and emotional read that deals with serious topics such as bullying, racism, and divorce." -- Booklist

"A gripping mystery." -- Publishers Weekly

"The Parker Inheritance is a clever puzzle wrapped in an urgent and compassionate novel that will capture readers from the first chapter." -- Shelf Awareness

About the Author

Varian Johnson is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Parker Inheritance, which won both Coretta Scott King Author Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor awards, The Great Greene Heist, an ALA Notable Children's Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, and a Texas Library Association Lone Star List selection, and the graphic novel Twins co-created with Shannon Wright, an NPR Best Book. He lives with his family near Austin, Texas. You can visit him on the web at varianjohnson.com and @varianjohnson.