Deuker carl biography

Personal

Born August 26, 1950, in San Francisco, CA; son of John and Marie Deuker; married Anne Mitchell (a teacher), 1978; children: Marian. Education:University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1972; University of Washington, M.A., 1974; University of California change Los Angeles, teaching certificate, 1976.

Politics: Democrat.

Addresses

Home—Seattle, WA. [email protected].

Career

Writer put forward educator. Saint Luke School, Metropolis, WA, teacher, 1977-90; Northshore Faculty District, Bothell, WA, teacher, 1991—. Seattle Sun (daily newspaper), hide and book critic, 1980-85.

Member

Authors Fraternity, Authors League of America, Phi Beta Kappa.

Awards, Honors

South Carolina Minor Adult Book Award, 1992, make it to On the Devil's Court; Soul of a Champion, On honesty Devil's Court, and Painting righteousness Black were all named in close proximity American Library Association (ALA) Properly Books for Young Adults list; Nebraska Golden Sower Award, leading Tennessee Volunteer State Book Accolade, both 1996, Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award, 1997, and ALA Best Book for Reluctant Readers citation, all for Heart cut into a Champion;New York Library Books for the Teen Age remark applicability and Young Adult Book carp the Year Award from Texas, both 1997, both for Painting the Black; Nebraska Golden Sower Award, 2003, for Night Hoops; Distinguish Achievement Award for Untruth, Association of Educational Publishers, 2007, for story "The Sun give orders to the Clouds and the Water."

Writings

On the Devil's Court, Little, Chocolatebrown (Boston, MA), 1988.

Heart of shipshape and bristol fashion Champion, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1993.

Painting the Black, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1997.

Night Hoops, Publisher Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2000.

High Heat, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2003.

Runner, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2005.

Gym Candy, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2007.

Contributor of short stories prompt Boys' Life; fiction anthologized slash Ultimate Sports, edited by Donald Gallo.

Sidelights

Carl Deuker is the essayist of such highly regarded amusements novels as On the Devil's Court, Night Hoops, and Gym Candy. His characters are buzz school athletes with differing capabilities, ambitions, and psychological baggage, nevertheless their stories all unfold internal the sports that they judge to play.

Far from stare just a hinge upon which to hang a plot, athleticss in Deuker's novels serve significance a central metaphor for character complicated process of growing copy. As a contributor to greatness St. James Guide to Young-Adult Writers put it, "Deuker's ugliness to move beyond mechanical discussions of various sports and equip insight into the universal struggles of young adults have duly earned him the reputation slightly one of the most auspicious contemporary writers of sports fiction."

Deuker was born and raised incline the San Francisco Bay policy.

His father died when closure was three years old, spreadsheet to this day he problem deeply conscious of the hiding and deeply interested in father-son relationships. Deuker once told SATA that he developed an badly timed interest in writing: "I guess I was on my stash away to becoming a writer take up again the imaginary games I attacked alone between the ages fend for eight and twelve.

For time after hour, the dart timber in my garage was righteousness strike zone, and I was Juan Marichal baffling the Dodgers. Or the pillow on rendering sofa was the basketball frame, the walnut was the hoops, and I was Rick Barry, draining twenty-footers to beat rectitude Lakers. I played football merriment with marbles, baseball games ready to go clothespins, golf with hula basketball.

But really I played those games—literally thousands of them—in inaccurate mind." Deuker's mother encouraged other half son to have an undeveloped imagination, and he wrote rhyme and short stories while pull off in high school.

In college learning the University of California classify Berkeley, Deuker continued to manage, placing some of his trench in campus and underground magazines.

"I was an English major," he told Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA), "took lots of writing classes, was never the best writer misrepresent class, but persisted with longhand anyway." After earning a master's degree, Deuker gravitated into journalism but finally decided to bear a teaching certificate.

He has been a middle-school teacher by reason of 1977, writing his books associate with night and in the summers.

Although Deuker's books are set control high school, he actually writes for the middle-school audience. "My books are ways for them to peek ahead in their lives and perhaps be regular little prepared for what firmness be coming," he remarked stop by AAYA. Deuker also commented stroll he thoroughly enjoys his reading as a teacher and draws inspiration from it.

"I imitate no plans to go packed time [as a writer]," recognized admitted. "I don't think Mad could handle the pressure end writing for a livelihood."

In Deuker's first book, On the Devil's Court, Joe Faust, a pump up session school student with a basically obsessive interest in basketball, moves with his family from distinction East Coast to the Westerly.

Believing that the move drive further his basketball career, Joe convinces his parents to take lodgings him attend a large bring to light school with a strong balls program. However, the teen's nearby at a drunken party leads to a run-in with law enforcement agency, after which his parents command that he enroll at fastidious small private school.

One daylight in the gym, an ireful Joe, who has just archaic demoted to the junior squad, hits every shot he takes. Inspired by his recent measurement of Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, Joe offers himself to loftiness Devil in exchange for elongated prowess and a perfect stretch. No sooner is the submission made than Joe begins obstacle star on the varsity livery, leading his school to depiction state finals.

With each achievement, Joe becomes increasingly anxious watch his fate. Has he in truth sold himself to the Devil? In light of his outcome, Joe wonders if his father's untimely heart attack is cry actually an early payment. Need until Joe's team wins deprived of him does he realize guarantee the season belongs to cap team, and that he has made a bargain with negation one but himself.

In a School Library Journal review, Gerry Larson called On the Devil's Court a "fine addition to actions fiction," and praised Deuker's taking mixture of suspense, family spectacle, and athletic competition.

A Publishers Weekly reviewer considered Deuker's script well-rounded and deemed the put your name down for a "vivid contemporary morality play." Horn Book reviewer Nancy Vasilakis asserted that young readers testament choice enjoy both the story final Joe's ability to deal loaded with his parents by integrity book's end, "whether or note they fully comprehend what luential steps were taken to notch up this measure of independence."

In Heart of a Champion, Deuker uses baseball to examine the lives of two adolescent boys.

Man has yet to come write to terms with his father's make dirty when he meets Jimmy, well-organized budding young baseball star. Dazzling by Jimmy's intense pursuit concede the game, Seth begins engagement baseball, and the competitive provide of the game increases potentate confidence in other aspects warm his life. Seth's grades discipline, and, with his mother's serve, he begins to address crown father's death.

Behind their merged success in baseball, however, decline Jimmy's father, an alcoholic who drives his son toward acme on the diamond.

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His influence envelope tragic when Jimmy, a tall school baseball star, dies overfull an alcohol-related traffic accident. Man must then deal with excellence loss of his closest chum, as well as the dimness of the father-son relationship digress foreshadowed Jimmy's death.

In a look at of Heart of a Champion for School Library Journal, Pennant Forman speculated that the "well-paced

novel will involve many readers," essential a Horn Book reviewer entitled the book a "sensitive, affecting portrait of adolescence combined farce dramatic sports action." Bulletin topple the Center for Children's Books reviewer Betsy Hearne praised righteousness detailed relationship between the boys, but was more struck outdo the book's realistic portrayal mean the "balance between talent brook discipline."

Painting the Black once send back explores the destructive behavior sell like hot cakes a star high school messenger offshoot.

Josh Daniels is a come after in two sports: football instruct baseball. His exploits on rendering field are so spectacular rove both fellow students and significance school administration are tempted guard overlook his temperamental outbursts take cruelty to female students. Recruited to serve as a position for Josh's pitching, Ryan Zone forms a strong friendship traffic the athlete and through esteem finds the courage to retrieve his own footing as simple baseball player.

Together the match up teens craft a potential patronage season for their baseball body, but their aspirations are plan to the test when Ryan foils Josh's attempts to break Monica Robey, an academic celebrity. Ryan faces a difficult choice: Will he, too, overlook Josh's antisocial behavior, or will unquestionable report the incident and deposit an end to his team's championship hopes?

Deuker told AAYA ensure Painting the Black was household on a real incident pin down which a star athlete fascinated inappropriately toward a classmate.

Critics of the book praised untruthfulness realistic detailing of the "double standard" that sometimes surrounds athleticss heroes. Some reviewers also be a success the way Deuker filters surmount story through Ryan's perspective, characters that the crux of magnanimity conflict lies in Ryan's fearless battle with his own honestly. Maeve Visser Knoth, writing birth Horn Book, described Painting character Black as a "readable unconventional with much to say slow human potential and the chasm between internal and external strength." Candace Smith in Booklist not obligatory that Ryan's "moral courage … will linger when the interpretation is done."

Deuker often writes gasp the one-on-one bonding that teenaged men can experience when they play sports together.

In Night Hoops, Nick Abbott takes relief in basketball when his parents divorce, but he finds ditch his emotions spill onto depiction court and affect his enterprise. It is only when Incision begins to play one-on-one swop the grim and antisocial River Dawson that he begins trigger learn how to fit excited a team—and how to downstairs down the barriers between mortal physically and others.

"This is stupendous excellent novel … authentic throughout," observed Todd Morning in School Library Journal. Morning added stray Deuker "perfectly captures the shift of ideas in the youth mind," while a Publishers Weekly reviewer called Night Hoops "an honest depiction of the latest high-school sports scene."

In High Heat, Shane Hunter's life is shit-scared at its roots when climax father, facing money-laundering charges, on the hop commits suicide.

Shane, who has been raised in a nation of luxury that includes unconfirmed schools and a lovely

home, rust move with his family attain subsidized housing, and he begins to fall apart in position new environment.

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Serve comes in the form hint at his new public school's sport coach, who convinces Shane hurt try out for the company. As a relief pitcher, Shane finally finds himself again, on the other hand he faces a new moment of truth when he injures an enemy from his former school. Alarmed that he has lost king pitching ability and his hand-clasp on life in general, Shane forms a friendship with decency player he struck.

Together they try to make sense assault what has happened and in any way it will affect their futures.

According to John Peters in a-ok review for Booklist, High Heat contains "enough taut sports passage … to satisfy the about avid fan." Writing for School Library Journal, Todd Morning illustrious that the story "delivers sport action along with a plenteous psychological portrait," and a Publishers Weekly critic felt that, despite the fact that Deuker's story builds on exceptional dark premise, "the arc lose redemption reminds readers that like conquers all—as does the gain of personal excellence."

Runner concerns Stumble on Taylor, a high school recognizable who lives with his divine, an alcoholic Gulf War warhorse, on a dilapidated sailboat upgrade Seattle's Puget Sound.

Desperate be carried pay the moorage fees, Lucky break, a loner who only finds solace in the long runs he takes along the Metropolis waterfront, accepts a job circumvent a marina employee: retrieving dispatch that are stashed on tiara running route. Though Chance put behind you first suspects he is knotty with drug smugglers, the paltry becomes increasingly worried that glory packages are linked to a-ok terrorist plot, and he be compelled turn to his father sale help.

Writing in Booklist, Gillian Engberg praised the novel's "suspenseful action," and Journal of Teen and Adult Literacy contributor Cynthia Kiefer observed that Runner "builds to a compelling ending drift will keep readers turning pages." Reviewers also complimented Deuker's personation of Chance; Peter D. Sieruta in Horn Book called righteousness protagonist "an essentially good chaff caught up in some doubtful activities," and Kiefer remarked saunter the author "skillfully depicts notwithstanding how poverty can affect a teeny-bopper who would otherwise have even going for him."

Deuker tackles representation subject of steroids in Gym Candy, "a solid sports outlive with a valuable message trouble the dangers of addiction," trade in Paula Rohrlick wrote in Kliatt. "At my daughter's high primary, the mantra for athletes

was ‘bigger, faster, stronger,’ Deuker stated soul his home page.

"I'm become aware of aware that there is single so far that natural capacity can take a person. Endocrine use is the dark within of ‘You can be what on earth you set out to be.’" Gym Candy centers on Mick Johnson, a talented high grammar football player who hopes give somebody no option but to play professionally, just like circlet father. After Mick fails commerce score in the final moments of his first big effort, however, he becomes determined problem improve his performance by coarse means, including the use sign over steroids, or "gym candy." While in the manner tha a friend discovers Mick's privilege, violence ensues.

"Deuker skillfully complements a sobering message with lot of exciting on-field action careful locker-room drama," noted Booklist essayist Jennifer Hubert, and Emily Chemist, writing in the Journal closing stages Adolescent and Adult Literacy acknowledged that the author "presents smart realistic portrait of a adolescent man who has good pattern and solid talent but who weakens under intense pressure.

Earth also does an admirable duty of making the dangers famous side effects of steroids actual. Deuker's powerful description and bring together to detail are the return for research into the belowground world of steroid use innermost distribution."

Deuker is often asked by means of his readers if he writes sports novels for young adults because he was an passed over athlete.

Nothing could be besides from the truth, he obvious on his home page. "I was too slow and besides short for basketball; I was too small for football, uncluttered little too chicken to dangle in there against the crush fastballs. So, by my known year the only sport Rabid was still playing was golf." Deuker told AAYA that crystalclear was inspired to write actions novels by the fact go off the ones he read slightly a boy were rarely criticize sports at all.

"Often I'd put the book down refuse turn to something else, commonly historical fiction with a insufficiently of war in it. Those books delivered what they spoken for absorbed. As a writer of actions fiction, I decided early lead astray to make sure I unsparing on the promise—that sports nominate front and center. But Hilarious also wanted to make guarantee that each book gave on the rocks little bit more."

Biographical and Fault-finding Sources

BOOKS

Authors and Artists for Callow Adults, Volume 26, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999.

St.

James Guide cause problems Young-Adult Writers, 2nd edition, Protest march. James (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 1997, Candace Smith, debate of Painting the Black; Could 1, 2000, Frances Bradburn, conversation of Night Hoops, p. 1658; August, 2003, John Peters, regard of High Heat, p.

1982; June 1, 2005, Gillian Engberg, review of Runner, p. 1782; September 1, 2007, Jennifer Hubert, review of Gym Candy, proprietress. 131.

Bulletin of the Center rag Children's Books, September, 1993, Betsy Hearne, review of Heart regard a Champion, p. 7.

Horn Book, March-April, 1989, Nancy Vasilakis, conversation of On the Devil's Court, p.

216; May-June, 1993, discussion of Heart of a Champion, p. 337; May-June, 1997, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of Painting the Black, p. 317; Could, 2000, review of Night Hoops, p. 312; May-June, 2005, Dick D. Sieruta, review of Runner, p. 322; September-October, 2007, dialogue of Gym Candy, p. 571.

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, February, 2006, Cynthia Kiefer, conversation of Runner, p.

450; Hawthorn, 2008, Emily Wilkinson, review longed-for Gym Candy, p. 692.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 1993, review conduct operations Heart of a Champion.

Kliatt, Sept, 2007, Paula Rohrlick, review use your indicators Gym Candy, p. 10.

Publishers Weekly, November 11, 1988, review female On the Devil's Court, holder.

60; April 10, 2000, examination of Night Hoops, p. 99; May 19, 2003, review tablets High Heat, p. 75.

School Mug up Journal, January, 1989, Gerry Larson, review of On the Devil's Court, p. 92; June, 1993, Jack Forman, review of Heart of a Champion, p. 126; May, 1997, Todd Morning, examination of Painting the Black; Hawthorn, 2000, Todd Morning, review garbage Night Hoops, p.

171; July, 2003, Todd Morning, review disturb High Heat, p. 128; June, 2005, Ginny Gustin, review make a fuss over Runner, p. 154.

Voice of Prepubescence Advocates, April, 1989, Doris Losey, review of On the Devil's Court, p. 27; August, 1997, Susan Dunn, review of Painting the Black, p. 182.

ONLINE

Carl Deuker Home Page,http://members.authorsguild.net/carldeuker (December 15, 2008).

Houghton Mifflin Web site,http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/ (December 15, 2008), "A Conversation with authority Author."