Rip and Red
2 primary works • 4 total works
Book 1
Rip and Red are best friends whose fifth-grade year is nothing like what they expected. They have a crazy new teacher named Mr. Acevedo who doesn t believe in tests or homework and likes off-the-wall projects, the more "off" the better. They also find themselves with a new basketball coach: Mr. Acevedo! Now Rip is knocked completely out of his comfort zone, and for Red, who has autism, the changes are even more of a struggle. But the boys are a great team who know how to help each other and find ways to make a difference in the classroom and on the court.
Book 2
Just when they think they've got the hang of things, Rip and Red find that fifth grade continues to challenge them in head-spinning ways. Tiki, a new girl whose Egyptian dad is an animal-rights activist, has just joined their class. She's charismatic, funny and she's got game! Rip has his world turned upside down as Tiki proves to be tough competition on the Clifton United basketball teamand leads a rebellion against the lousy new food service in the school cafeteria. Red a kid on the autism spectrum is struggling with the upheavals as well. But as these two funky and funny best friends discover, sometimes radical change is the right move, on the court and off.
It's fifth-grade graduation time for Rip and Red, and as part of the celebration, Hoops Machine, the Harlem Globetrotters-like basketball team, is paying a visit. Rip has been chosen to perform with them, but before this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the boys need to finish their schoolwork-including taking their middle-school placement tests. However, when the students of Room 208 begin to question the assessments, a mini opt-out movement gains momentum. All of a sudden, Hoops Machine, middle-school basketball tryouts, and walking at graduation are all in jeopardy, along with Mr. Acevedo's job. But luckily for Rip, Red, their classmates, and their teacher, sometimes when you stand up for what you truly believe in, the people you've touched along the way rally to your corner.
It s spring of their fifth-grade year and Rip and Red have a thrilling opportunity to participate in a weekend basketball tournament with a few other members of Clifton United. While the tournament is only a short bus ride away, both boys will travel outside their comfort zones. Ultra-competitive Rip must play on a team with kids he doesn t like. But he faces an even bigger hurdle when someone from his past returns, someone he hasn t seen in years, someone who just may derail the entire weekend. As for Red, because of his autism spectrum disorder, he s never traveled anywhere without his mother. Will he muster the courage to take the trip? Fortunately for both boys, also on the team is an unlikely addition, a source of inspiration who helps everyone discover the true meaning of the word champion.