Ali, age 15, lives in the Bed Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York with his mom and sister. His dad is an ex-con who his still working a "hustle" to support himself. Ali befriends two brothers who live in a nearby tenement. Noodles is toughened by a hard life, and his brother, Needles, deals with Tourette's. Ali tries to steer clear of the worst elements of his environment, and Ali's family try to support Noodles and Needles because they often don't have enough food to eat. Ali takes boxing lessons from an old Vet in exchange for cleaning up his place. One day the boys find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Ali has to use his boxing skills to keep them from being beaten up. As a result, some bad dudes are after all three of them. What can a basically good kid in a bad "hood" do?
This was Jason's Reynold's first book and his genius was already evident. His portrayal of life in the "hood" is authentic, and his characters are sympathetic. He doesn't sugar coat anything. For example, even though he never states it, it is clear the Noodles and Needle's mom is a sex worker. He lays out what the temptations and dangers are, and then tries to model how someone can successfully navigate them. He also deals with issues about friendship, and how far should you go for a friend. I am so grateful that a writer like Jason Reynolds exists. I can only imagine all the good he has done in the world. (256 p. 2014)
note: this book is squarely YA. There are some elements that aren't appropriate for middle grade.
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