This article examines the "Track Series", a compilation of four works of contemporary realistic young adult fiction that reflect the diverse experiences of four middle school, African-American elite track runners whose names correspond with the title of each novel: "Ghost" (Reynolds, 2016), "Patina" (Reynolds, 2018a), "Sunny" (Reynolds, 2018b), and "Lu" (Reynolds, 2019). The research questions that guide this examination are: (1) What does the "Track Series" convey about who African-American athletes are and the diversity of the African-American experience? (2) What are the lived experiences of the Defenders that support their understanding of themselves and perspectives of their teammates? (3) What messages does the Track Series convey about prejudice reduction? (4) What messages are conveyed in each story for bullying reduction? and (5) What is the nature of a coach's role in mentoring urban youth toward bullying reduction?