All the Right Stuff

New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers tackles the social contract from a teen’s perspective in his novel All the Right Stuff. In one of his most thought-provoking novels to date, Myers weaves together political philosophy, basketball, and making soup in Harlem, with the depth that defines his writing career.

After his father is shot and killed, Paul Dupree finds a summer job at a Harlem soup kitchen. Elijah, the soup man, questions Paul about tough life choices, even though Paul would rather be playing basketball. Over the summer, Paul begins to understand the importance of taking control of your life.

All the Right Stuff includes a Q&A between Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman, coauthor of Kick.

In a world of conflicting advice and unwritten rules, how does a young man find his own way?

• An Unlikely Mentorship: In a Harlem soup kitchen, a wise old man named Elijah uses soup, philosophy, and tough questions to challenge everything Paul thought he knew about the world.
• Basketball and Life Choices: While Paul dreams of the basketball court, he finds himself mentoring Keisha, a teen mom and star player who believes the game is rigged against people like her.
• A Gritty Harlem Setting: From the soup kitchen to the basketball court to a tense encounter with a charismatic street boss named Sly, Paul must navigate the complex social contracts of his neighborhood.
• Grief and Identity: Reeling from the random death of his estranged father, Paul must figure out what kind of man he wants to be without a map.

For Paul DuPree, life is about to get real.

Paul is just coasting after his dad is shot and killed.

Elijah won't stop talking about philosophy and how it affects Paul's life.

Keisha has crazy basketball skills . . . and a baby daughter at home.

Sly may be sleazy, may be wise. He's the Harlem dude who sees the "social contract" as a tool to keep the poor down.

This summer is about more than getting by. It's about taking charge of your life.

“Myers has cooked up a provocative novel that simmers long after its last pages.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“Myers has cooked up a provocative novel that simmers long after its last pages.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“Myers’s bold novel gives readers the same gift Elijah gives Paul: the chance to think....All the case studies in this stimulating debate are drawn from Paul’s neighborhood, including the sad example of his father on and off drugs, in and out of jail, his life ending in a bodega shooting as the novel begins. Paul gradually forms opinions of his own, but readers don’t have to agree with him to be persuaded by Myers’s main argument- that you can’t hope to improve the system unless you engage with it.” - The Horn Book

“[E]ngrossing and fast-paced… a must-read novel.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[R]ewarding. A good fit for school libraries in which the social contract is taught or emphasized.” - School Library Journal

“[B]egins with a bang.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)