Cry Ohana by Larry and Rosemary Mild

Hank Pualoa leaped in the air and spiked the volleyball into a waiting two-hand block. He watched it spin out of bounds toward the picnic tables.

"Side out! Over here, hon!" Hank called from the makeshift court staked out with towels and sneakers in the grass.

Malia stopped the ball with her bare foot, and her husband loped over to retrieve it. But as he reached for it, she pressed down harder to get his attention. He snatched the ball out from under her foot and defiantly stood eye to eye with her, his craggy face brick-red from playing hard under the afternoon sun. She scowled. "Hank, we gotta go."

"Your timing's lousy, Malia." He tucked the ball under one arm. "We're only behind by one point." 
"It's never a good time for you. If you're not winning big you're desperate to get even. Believe me, it's time to quit."

Cry Ohana by Larry and Rosemary Mild

Hank Pualoa's wife dies in an accident, which is result of Hank's drunk driving. His two kids survive but Hank is so ashamed that he leaves his children with their grand mother and disappears from their lives. His brother Big John has always taken care of the kids. Now his son Kekoa is 12 and daughter Leilani is 16. 

Big John's partner, Red Murphy has been stealing from the company and Big John has just discovered the loss.  When Big John confronts Red, Red murders Big John. Kekoa is a witness. Red Murphy has seen him so Kekoa runs away from from home to escape Red. He finds work doing odd jobs and longs to see his sister and grand mother. Meanwhile their grandmother too dies and Leilani is sent to live with another family where Read Murphy can keep an eye on her.

Survival of Kekoa depends on his wit. The story is action packed and the reader is kept guessing about Hank' whereabouts in all this. I like the way the authors dealt with Hawaiian customs and dialects. We might not approve of Hank's running away but Kekoa more than makes up for it. He is smart and outwits Red Murphy at every step.