Reluctant father-to-be and avid jogger Howard Capelton, looks to stop running from his past by joining 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. The organization assigns him to mentor and ultimately save the life of 9 year-old David Troy. David is an angry third grader struggling with his damaged and beautiful mother among the rougher, desolate streets of West Grove, Howard's proud and forgotten hometown in Miami, Florida. Will Howard be able to outrun his own trauma and selfishness to realize everything the boy, his mother and West Grove have to teach him?

A study guide to helping classes understand and enjoy the novel North of the Grove. This is designed to improve vocabulary, reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. It also helps to engage an urban audience that tends to feel that their struggles and triumphs are generally left out of literature read in high schools.