I think this book would appeal to teens because it deals with issues that are wide-spread and common, no matter where you live. People have always dealt with racism, orphanage, family connections, etc. The reality of the book was appealing to me. So much so, that I was disappointed the book wasn’t longer. I wanted to know more about Laf, Charlie, and Ty’ree.
The book deals with the following developmental aspects: familial love and responsibility, growing up and being independent, forgiveness and repentance, overcoming emotional conflicts and memories.
I thought the characters were incredibly believable and realistic. I think that the author, Jacqueline Woodson, did a nice job of depicting the reality of their situation. The dialogue between the characters smacked of authenticity; I could visualize their life and their reality just by the way they spoke with one another. I could hear them speak with one another and they came to life for me. I was amazed at their “centeredness” and the smart decisions the boys made on their own, when placed in their situation, though. It certainly made me want to see them succeed later in life.
I think this book could easily be promoted alongside other books/stories on similar topics: West Side Story, Jellicoe Road, or The Outsiders. The message and moral of this story could cross over into many different races and groups of people. I would probably speak of this one in conjunction with other similar novels.
4Q, 4P, M/J/H
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