You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about Boys

by Sharon G. Flake

Overview

In 9 stories and 15 poems, Sharon G. Flake provides insight into the minds of a diverse group adolescent African American males.

here's Tow-Kaye, getting married at age 16 to love of his life, who's pregnant. He knows it's the right thing to do, but he's scared to death. James writes in his diary about his twin brother's terrible secret, which threatens to pull James down, too. Tyler explains what it's like to be a player with the ladies. In a letter to his uncle, La'Ron confesses that he's infected with HIV. Eric takes us on a tour of North Philly on the Fourth of July, when the heat could make a guy go crazy. Still, he loves his hood. These and other unforgettable characters come to life in this collection of urban male voices. Sharon's G. Flake's talent for telling it like it is will leave readers thinking differently, feeling deeply, and definitely wanting more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423100171
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	07/26/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	224,948
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.32(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sharon G. Flake has an international reputation as a top author for children and young adults. Her breakout novel, The Skin I'm In, established her as a must-read author among middle and high school students, parents, and educators. She has spoken to more than two hundred thousand young people, and hugged nearly as many. Flake has penned nine novels, numerous short stories, plays, and a picture book entitled You Are Not a Cat.

Her work has received numerous awards, such as the Coretta Scott King Honor award and the YWCA Racial Justice Award, and her books have been named to many prestigious lists, including Kirkus Review's Top Ten Books of the Year, Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, Top Ten Books for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library, Top Twenty Recommended Books to Read by the Texas Library Association, 100 Books Every Teenage Girl Should Read, and Booklist Editor's Choice, among others. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, go to sharonflake.com, or follow her on Twitter @sharonflake.

Editorial Reviews

Poetry and fiction come together as Flake examines the world through young African-American male voices. Tyler's tale of constant female attention segues into La'Ron's heartfelt letter to his uncle disclosing his HIV status. Harvey walks the streets with his obese father while Eric heads out into North Philadelphia in the brutal summer heat. Tow-Kaye is 17 and marrying his pregnant girlfriend, while Jeffery is 15 and being seduced by an older woman. Similar voices and unremarkable vignettes blend together into an afterschool special of sorts-a disappointment from such a powerful and moving author. Many of the poems have pop and James's diary record of suicide, emotional trauma and abuse has some resonance, but they can't support the weaker works. A very short resource list offers contact information for call lines regarding abuse, pregnancy, suicide and HIV. A rare letdown from an otherwise excellent author. (Short stories/poetry. YA)

Kirkus Reviews

Gr 8 Up—Ten portraits interspersed with poetry draw readers into the lives of a variety of African-American teens. In "Getting Even," a boy copes with his grandfather's death and the desire to find who killed him. Jeffery, 16, gets thrown out of his Auntie's house with nowhere to go. Eric goes against his dad's command to stay home with his siblings and instead finds a girl, some fun, and some trouble; Justin writes in his journal about death, suicide, and sexual abuse. La'Ron is too afraid to tell his father he is HIV positive, so he writes him a letter, and his father writes back. The concluding story, "Pretty Mothers Are a Problem," is a chilling portrait of 15-year-old Jeffrey, seduced by a neighbor, and the devastation faced by her daughter. These complex and thought-provoking stories won't disappoint.—Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Oakland, CA

School Library Journal