Saturday, April 16, 2011

You Don't Even Know Me by Sharon Flake

“I sit in your class, I play by your rules. I’m young, I’m fly, I’m Black. So, of course I think I’m cool…”



This companion to Who Am I Without Him: Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives will challenge all who read it to consider if they really do know boys after all. Through short stories and poems, Flake introduces readers to a wide range of boys. One sixteen-year-old is set to married his pregnant girlfriend while another is desperate to find the person responsible for killing his beloved grandfather. There’s also a boy who is seduced by his neighbor and one who is scared to tell his uncle he’s HIV positive so he writes a touching letter instead. Flake also takes on other heavy topics such as suicide, obesity and gangs. Each story and poem is written the way teens speak, making it easily accessible to them without being too preachy. I really enjoyed this book and I think many teens will too.

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