Book excerpt: Ninth Grade Blues follows four teens through the adventures and misadventures of the first year of high school. Interweaving first person stories are told by: Luke: a shy, poorly dressed boy from the wrong side of the tracks. But he has hidden talents in science -- and he is even appealing to some girls. Elly: sociable and friendly, Elly worries about getting a boy to like her. She has frizzy hair, and a few excess pounds. However, she is also a top notch student. Elly has her life mapped out, all the way through a big church wedding and a house in the suburbs. Marcus: a freshman superstar, Marcus plays football and basketball at the varsity level and has his sights on a D-I college scholarship. He worries about having to choose between the NBA and the NFL. Mia: a smart, dedicated girl who gets straight A's. Her Mexican-American parents are intent on matching her up with a nice Hispanic boy. But Mia and Luke begin studying together, and very soon, Mia develops other opinions.