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Bad Boy: A Memoir |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
 Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0064472884 |
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From Publishers Weekly
Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s, with an adult's benefit of hindsight, wrote PW. What emerges is a clear sense of how one young man's gifts separate him from his peers, causing him to stir up trouble in order to belong. Ages 13-up. (May) Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-This superb memoir begins simply with an account of Myers's family history and his boyhood. Vivid detail makes the Harlem of the '40s come alive, from the music and children's games to the everyday struggle for survival. As Myers grows older, however, his story also grows in complexity. Soon readers are caught up in his turbulent adolescence and his slow, painful development as a writer. Even... |
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Fallen Angels |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0590409433 |
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Book Review
A coming of age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, Fallen Angels is the story of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is there at all. Fallen Angels won the 1989 Coretta Scott King Award.
The New York Times Book Review
. . . as thought provoking as it is entertaining, touching and, on occasion, humorous.
See all... |
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Monster |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0064407314 |
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Book Review
"Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial. "They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can't kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the... |
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The Glory Field |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0590458981 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
Spanning nearly 250 years of African American history, this emotionally charged saga of the Lewis family traces an ongoing battle for freedom and equality. Beginning with young Muhammad Bilal's journey from Africa in 1753 and ending with a 1990s family reunion set on the plantation where Muhammad was a slave, this series of resonant stories shows how each generation comes of age by taking a stand against oppression. All through the Civil War, Great Depression and civil rights movement, the family's strength and determination continue unabated. In his typically taut, economic prose, Myers (Somewhere in the Darkness) illuminates shadowy corners of history and reveals the high cost-and the excruciatingly slow process-of justice. The obstacles facing the Lewis family will be remembered as clearly as their triumphs,... |
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Slam! |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Mass Market Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0590486683 |
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From Publishers Weekly
"Myers uses contemporary urban black locutions to relay his view of the mean streets of Harlem and to describe some heart-thumping hoop action in a novel that, like most good sports stories, is about more than just sports," said PW. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-"Basketball is my thing. I can hoop. Case closed." So begins Walter Dean Myers' novel (Scholastic, 1996) which lends itself perfectly to an audio presentation for young adults. Male reluctant readers as well as basketball fans will be captivated with this realistic story in which 17-year-old Greg Harris tells of the year in which he transfers to a magnet school for the arts, a more academically challenging, mostly white school. After being the hot... |
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Hoops |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Mass Market Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0440938848 |
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| Availability: |
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Book Description
All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro-basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance--but sold out.
As the Tournament nears, Lonnie learns that some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick away Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they eilling to blow the chance of a lifetime?
Card catalog description
A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who, after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal,... |
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Greatest: Muhammad Ali |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0590543431 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-An introduction to Ali's life from his childhood to the present day, focusing on his career and the controversies surrounding him. Both his talent in the boxing ring and his showmanship earned him international fame, while his refusal to accept the stereotypical role of a black athletic star in the 1960s and his membership in the Nation of Islam brought him notoriety. Myers interweaves fight sequences with the boxer's life story and the political events and issues of the day. He doesn't shy away from reporting on the brutality of the sport and documents the toll it has taken on its many stars. Ample black-and-white photographs of the subject in and out of the ring illustrate the book. Covering Ali is a daunting task, especially since dozens of books and hundreds of articles have been written about... |
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Scorpions |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0064406237 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From School Library Journal
Jamal, who is pressured to become leader of the Scorpions gang, worries about school, family, and the rough kids on the street. When a fellow gang member gives him a gun, Jamal suddenly gains a new level of respect from his enemies. A realistic look at a boy who wants to do the right thing but gets caught up in the culture of violence. A Newbery Honor selection. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
SLJ
"...readers have Myers to thank for giving them a greater understanding of the difficulty of life in today's inner city."
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
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145th Street: Short Stories |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Mass Market Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0440229162 |
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Book Review
"That's what 145th Street is like. Something funny happens... and then something bad happens. It's almost as if the block is reminding itself that life is hard, and you have to take it seriously." Walter Dean Myers's book of interconnected short stories is a sweet and sour mix of the comedy and tragedy of the human condition, played out against the backdrop of the Harlem neighborhood that is centered around 145th Street. In this 'hood, teens will become acquainted with the mysterious 12-year-old Angela, whose sad dreams seem to predict the future for an unlucky few, and the fast-talking Jamie Farrell, a smooth basketball player who's praying that his streak of good luck doesn't end before he can ask out Celia Evora, "the finest chick in the school." They will chuckle at the affable Big Joe, who wants to enjoy his funeral... |
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Handbook for Boys |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0064409309 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
Returning to the setting for his 145th Street: Short Stories, Myers (Monster) constructs a penetrating profile of a community through the brief appearances of characters who file through Duke Wilson's barbershop. The author juxtaposes a sketch of 16-year-old narrator Jimmy Lynch's home life with nuggets of wisdom delivered by the barber with wit and tact. As the novel opens, Jimmy is about to be assigned to a youth facility for six months, until Duke offers to take him into his "community mentoring program." Initially Jimmy and Kevin, another teen whom Duke mentors, call the shop the "Torture Chamber." But as Jimmy shows up to the shop day after day at 3:30 p.m. to sweep, hang old photographs on the wall and polish spitoons, his anger and resistance erode and he begins to absorb Duke's advice. Organized into... |
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Scorpions |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0064470660 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Jamal, who is pressured to become leader of the Scorpions gang, worries about school, family, and the rough kids on the street. When a fellow gang member gives him a gun, Jamal suddenly gains a new level of respect from his enemies. A realistic look at a boy who wants to do the right thing but gets caught up in the culture of violence. A Newbery Honor selection. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.
SLJ
"...readers have Myers to thank for giving them a greater understanding of the difficulty of life in today's inner city."
See all Editorial Reviews
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Outside Shot |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Mass Market Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0440967848 |
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| Availability: |
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Book Description
When Lonnie Jackson leaves Harlem for a basketball scholarship to a midwestern college, he know he must keep his head straight and his record clean. That's the only way he'll have a chance of making it to the pros someday.
But his street smarts haven't prepared him for the pressures of tough classes, high-stakes college ball, and the temptation to fix games for local gamblers. Everyone plays by a whole new set of rules -- including Sherry, who's determined to be a track star. Her independence attracts Lonnie, but their on-again, off-again relationship is driving him crazy.
Lonnie has one year to learn how to make it as a "college man." It's his outside shot at a bright future. Does he have what it takes?
Card catalog description
Recruited... |
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Somewhere in the Darkness |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0439523567 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-- A poignant story of motherless, 14-year-old Jimmy Little, whose convict father takes him on a search for truth, identity, and family. Whisked away from the stability of a homelife with his devoted grandmother, Mama Jean, Jimmy confronts the harsh realities of his father's life on the run. Jailed for his involvement in an armed robbery and falsely accused of killing a man, Crab escapes from prison to convince his son of his innocence. What Jimmy discovers is a man desperate to establish a relationship with his son but unable to break free of a lifestyle of stealing and moving on that leaves little room for security. On their highway odyssey, Crab becomes increasingly sick with a kidney ailment. Following a climactic encounter with the man who accused him, Crab is again arrested and hospitalized.... |
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Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary |
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| Author: |
Walter Dean Myers |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0590481096 |
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| Availability: |
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From Publishers Weekly
In his preface, Newbery Honor book author Myers ( Scorpions ; Fallen Angels ) notes that Malcolm X's pivotal impact on the civil rights movement of the '60s was the result of his distinctive, dramatic approach: "It was Malcolm's anger, his biting wit, his dedication, that put the hard edge on the movement, that provided the other side of the sword, not the handle of acceptance and nonviolence, but the blade." Appropriately, it is with incisive, precise prose that the author chronicles the labyrinthine path of Malcolm's life, from his 1925 birth in Omaha to his assassination in Harlem 40 years later. Seamlessly fusing historical notes on the era with the activist's story, Myers tells of Malcolm's childhood, which was greatly influenced by his father, a disciple of Marcus Garvey; his life as a youth on the streets... |
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