No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

Title:  No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

Author:  Susan Kuklin

ISBN:  978-0-805-07950-0

Recommended Grade Level of Reader:  10th and Up

Publisher:  Henry Holt and Company

Media Type:  Book

Copyright:  2008

Genre:  Non-Fiction

Reader's Annotation:  Despite being adolescents when sentenced to prison, these young offenders prove that hard crime is punished with hard time.  

 

Plot Summary:  No Choirboy examines the lives of four young men who were imprisoned for crimes committed before the age of eighteen.  Of the two sentenced to death row, each was convicted of murder.  The four young men, who were fourteen to seventeen years of age when arrested, come from different backgrounds and their diversity shows that not all prisoners come from poor or disadvantaged upbringings.  While Kuklin provides narration, much of the book is dedicated to commentary given directly by the various inmates as well as two families whose lives were affected by teen violence.

Evaluation:  (B)  The author does an effective job at highlighting her position on the death penalty.  Readers will glean that this non-fiction account is anti-death penalty and anti-imprisonment for juvenile offenders.  Kuklin presents a one-sided view, however.  While the inmates’ commentary is emotional and effective in showcasing their plight, No Choirboy could have been more relevant by offering both sides to the controversial issue. 

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• Gangs and Violence

Scorpions

Title: Scorpions

Author: Walter Dean Myers

ISBN: 0-06-447066-0

Recommended Grade Level of Reader: 7th and Up

Publisher: HarperTrophy

Media Type: Book

Copyright: 1988

Genre: Fiction

Reader's Annotation: Jamal’s brother has made a lot of bad choices and is now serving jail time. Will Jamal decide to follow in his big brother’s footsteps by joining the Scorpions?

Plot Summary: Scorpions is a novel about a street gang by the same name. Jamal, the twelve year old male protagonist, is being pressured into not only joining the gang, but also becoming the leader. His brother, the former leader of the gang, has been sentenced to jail for committing a violent crime. Jamal is uncomfortable with the idea of becoming a gang member, but is given a gun anyways by his brother’s friend. Eventually, a bully’s actions at school persuades Jamal into declaring himself a member of the Scorpions. While feeling powerful for a while, Jamal and his best friend Tito find that gang life and using weapons is cause for trouble.

Evaluation: (C) This would be a good book for reluctant readers. It is a short read and the writing is simplistic with the exception of a lot of slang language. Some teenagers may be able to identify with this, however. The plot and content of Scorpions highlight the importance of making good decisions. The reader will see many characters throughout the course of the novel, such as Jamal’s brother Randy, paying the consequence for making poor choices. With this, Scorpions may also be a good pick for freshman as teenagers at this stage of their lives will be faced with many difficult decisions throughout high school and beyond.

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• Urban Teen Fiction
• Gangs and Violence
• Discussion Questions