Full House: 10 Stories About Poker - Hardcover

K. L. Going lives with her family in the Hudson Valley area of New York State. Since graduating from college she has worked as an adult literacy tutor, a ticket agent for a major airline, a front desk clerk at a resort hotel, and an assistant in a Manhattan literary agency. She has lived in Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New York. K.L. is the author of many books, including Fat Kid Rules The World, The Liberation of Gabriel King, and Dog in Charge. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World, was a YALSA Michael L. Printz honor book.

Grade 7 Up—Popular young adult authors, including Alex Flinn, K. L. Going, and Walter Sorrells, contributed to this fast-paced compilation of stories about teenage encounters with poker. The characters find themselves in high-stakes situations: playing with the Devil, competing in a scholarship game, fighting to defeat a deadbeat stepdad, and staying one step ahead of an Internet poker company. The authors depict a variety of endings from the thrill of winning newfound respect to the consequences of losing a girlfriend. At the same time, each story interweaves the elements of both strategy and luck as the players compete in what is ultimately a game of chance. The stories vary from the eerily realistic to amusingly far-fetched. In all cases, teen poker players will recognize themselves and their opponents in this diverse collection. A glossary and brief description of the poker hands will help readers who are new to the game. However, some stories are so saturated with jargon that only experienced players will be able to appreciate the pace and tension in them. The popularity of the game among teens will make this collection a surefire hit with its many fans. Suggest it to teens who have enjoyed Hautman's other poker novels such as All-In (2007) and The Prop (2006, both S & S).—Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD
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