Chameleon [Hardcover]

Charles R. Smith Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2008

In his first novel, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner evokes the bittersweet summer of transition for an L.A. teen.

Shooting the breeze with his boys. Tightening his D on the court. Doing a color check — making sure nobody's wearing blue or red, which some Crip or Piru carrying a cut-down golf club would see as disrespect. Then back to Auntie's, hoping she isn't passed out from whiskey at the end of the day. Now that Shawn is headed for high school, he wonders if he'd be better off at the school in Mama's neighborhood, where he'd be free of Compton's hassles. But then he wouldn't be with his fellas — cracking jokes, covering each other's backs — or the fine Marisol, who's been making star appearances in his dreams. Dad says he needs to make his own decision, but what does Shawn want, freedom or friendship? With teasing, spot-on dialogue and an eye to the realities of inner-city life, CHAMELEON takes on the shifting moods of a teenager coming of age.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–8—It's a typical summer for 14-year-old Shawn. He's hanging out with his friends and avoiding confrontations with the roving gangs of Crips and Pirus, who think they own the streets of Compton, where his aunt lives and where he goes to school. But as he gets older and life on the L.A. streets starts to get more dangerous, Shawn begins to think that he'd fare better in the suburb where his parents live, even though he'd be a latchkey kid. And after a particularly vicious fight with a group of older gang members and some embarrassing scenes with drunken Aunt Gertie, Shawn's parents agree that he should attend his local high school in the fall. Is Shawn willing to trade his friendships with his loyal boys, not to mention a budding relationship with Marisol, in exchange for calm and stability in a new school where he knows no one? This episodic tale moves at the pace of the longest, hottest days of summer–slow, slow, slow. Despite the gritty and realistically drawn inner-city setting, most readers won't be able to maintain their interest through endless descriptions of minor incidents that never seem to build to anything substantive. Even the story's climactic fight fails to spark any real movement in the plot. Smith does a commendable job evoking the sights and sounds of street life, but without strong plotting, this meandering novel doesn't satisfy.—Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The summer before high school, Shawn, 14, hangs out with his boys in their Los Angeles inner-city neighborhood, playing ball, exchanging hilarious insults (“Ya mama . . .”), watching kung-fu flicks, and trying to stay out of the turf of the violent rival street gangs. He dreams about his beautiful Mexican classmate, Marisol, who seems to like him. His divorced parents still get along, and he spends fun time with his dad, shooting hoops and talking frankly (even about wet dreams). Both parents encourage him to read, especially books by black writers, and he is really into The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Smith, whose biography Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali (2007) was a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, is sometimes heavy with his messages in his first YA novel, but he offers no slick resolution. Kids will grab this for the immediacy in the contemporary scenes, the brutal standoffs, the fast talk on the ball court and at the barbershop, and, especially, the elemental conflicts of coming-of-age. Grades 7-10. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763630853
• ISBN-13: 978-0763630850
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,200,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Male Readers!, August 7, 2010

By 

Edith A. Campbell "crazyquilter" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chameleon (Paperback)

I couldn't have picked up a better book to read as my summer winds down to lasting only a matter of hours. Shawn is in his summer before high school and Smith uses Shawn's keen awareness to the world around him take us on that voyage into manhood. Vivid colors are everywhere infecting Shawn's imaginings with splashes from the clear blue sky, fresh ripened fruits, Marisol's pants, water at the beach and the red and blue clothes he must never wear to remain safe while playing.

The cover is kind of a metaphor for the story, with the title hiding as a Chameleon in the red and blue of the story. It has a nice affect, but I think it led to the book missing its market. Not many books are written by PoC males for PoC YA males, so publishers probably haven't decided how to design an identifiable cover for this market. They didn't get it with the hardcover, but I think the paperback comes closer.

Shawn's days are pretty much filled with playing basketball with his friends. His aunt is supposed to watch him while his mom works but she's fighting her own demons. Shawn tries to understand her battles, and in doing so he's trying to grow up. After a particular incident occurs, Shawn has to decide where he's going to high school. His parents realize he's not a child anymore and I think they realize he's more aware of what he has to navigate than they are.

The language and musical references of the book place the story somewhere in the 70s but, the story is really timeless. A young boy growing up looks to older brothers, uncles and fathers for guidance. In Chameleon, Shawn has male characters who are often there to give a word of advice in ways that guys would give it: it's crude from the big brother and tough as nails from Pops. The book has the feel of being a slice of life, a comfortable book you can just sit back and enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 30, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chameleon (Hardcover)

"The Crips and Pirus are black just like me, but they might as well be white and I might as well be living in the segregated South, because as far as I'm concerned if you can't wear what you want or go where you want, when you want, then you ain't free."

Charles R. Smith's CHAMELEON is a coming-of-age story that takes us into the heart of Los Angeles and the challenges that the main character, Shawn, is facing.

Throughout this book we see how basketball, gangs, girls, and friends make an impact on Shawn's summer and future. The descriptive account of Shawn facing his fears and developing into a teenager from a boy makes the story a good read for urban youth.

While Shawn improves his D on the court and falls in love with the "fine" Marisol, he is faced with the tough decision of whether to go to a school that is safe and free of gangs, or with his friends where he will fear the Crips and Pirus and have to see his alcoholic auntie every day.

The story is told with abrupt honesty and humor. Shawn's relationship with his father was my favorite section of the book. They set a great example for young men because Shawn trusts his dad and talks to him about serious life-changing events in his life.

Many males will be able to relate to Shawn's life and fears about his future, and that is why this book is one I would recommend to young men.

Reviewed by: LaLeesha Haynes

5.0 out of 5 stars I am enjoying reading it!, August 7, 2009

By 

Delbert L. Zeiger "Del Zeiger" (Woodland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chameleon (Hardcover)

Very interesting and touching to me. I also grew up in Compton and attended Roosevelt JHS as did Mr. Smith. In fact my mom's whole family attended Roosevelt and their last name just happened to be Smith. We are a upper middle class anglo family but shared many of the experiences and feelings described by Mr. Smith in this book!
Mr Smith is a gifted writer!
Del Zeiger,
Woodland, CA
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