by Chris Paul
First published 2023
Young Chris Paul has big dreams of playing professional basketball. He knows talent alone won't get him there. He needs something more. Chris finds his guide in Papa Chilly, his grandfather who owns the first Black service station in North Carolina. Papa Chilly teaches Chris about respect and faith. He shows him the value of kindness and generosity. Most importantly, he demonstrates the determination needed to succeed against long odds. Papa Chilly built his business when few would give a Black man that chance. Now he passes those same principles to his grandson. Chris discovers that the qualities that made Papa Chilly a successful businessman are exactly what he needs on the basketball court and beyond. The lessons from his grandfather shape not just Chris's athletic ambitions but the person he will become.
Genres: african-american, coming-of-age, biography-memoir, basketball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mentor-mentee
Setting: North Carolina
Period: 20th-century
32 pages · Hardcover · Roaring Brook Press