Themes: Hi-Lo, High school, neighborhoods, family, loyalty, friendship, urban teen fiction, family dysfunction, sibling relationships, parental bullying. Written for young adults, the Urban Underground series confronts issues that are of great importance to teens, such as friendship, loyalty, drugs, gangs, abuse, urban blight, bullies, and self-esteem to name a few. More than entertainment, these books can be a powerful learning and coping tool when a struggling reader connects with credible characters and a compelling storyline. The highly readable style and mature topics will appeal to young adult readers of both sexes and encourage them to finish each novel. Cesar Chavez HS Series-- The split in the Martinez family is real and painful. Expelled from the family, the two eldest make their own way. Felix Martinez is a hard man to love. But Naomi is determined to heal her family. And she decides to take matters into her own hands to bring together two volatile personalities.