Deshawn Days [Hardcover]

Tony Medina (Author), R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2001 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

In this uplifting story told in verse, a young boy living n the inner city projects tells about his hopes, fears, and dreams.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Medina (Love to Mam : A Tribute to Mothers) attributes the first-person poems in his prosaic collection to 10-year-old DeShawn Williams, who invites readers to "come see who I live with / who I love!" Poet Medina doesn't stint on details, convincingly melding the warmth of family life with the stark realities of the streets. DeShawn answers the question "What is life like in the 'hood/ People walking everywhere/ broken bottles in the stairs/ / and dog mess smell in the air." But home is a safe place where the boy can tell his grandmother "anything/ she never tells my secrets," where his Uncle Richie consoles him when he has a bad dream, and where he lies "under the table/ listening to the grown-ups/ telling stories and the kitchen/ is warm and the windows wet/ with the smell of cornbread/ and baked chicken." Because Medina's portrait of the hard-working family is so positive, Christie's (The Palm of My Heart) bleak and sophisticated paintings seem misplaced; sharp angles and corners doorways, beams of light, people's heads and bodies dominate the compositions. In two standout spreads, words and artwork are completely in sync: when DeShawn's grandmother dies, and when his mother comforts him. Here a mood of sorrow and joy remembered create a perfect balance. Ultimately, however, the starkness of Christie's illustrations belie the life-affirming joy apparent in Medina's sweet-natured and imaginative hero. Ages 6-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-"I'm DeShawn Williams/I'm ten years old/come see who I live with-/who I love!" Told in verse and segmented into descriptive passages each illustrated on double-page spreads, Medina's story introduces readers to the world of an African-American boy who lives in the projects. Happy, sad, or scary, the experiences DeShawn shares are vivid, thought-provoking, and insightful. "What Is Life Like in the 'Hood": "You don't just hear music/you hear sirens too/cop cars and ambulances/screaming all the time/real loud at you." Other segments describe his household, the news on TV ("When I watch the news it's always/about somebody dying and there's/ always mothers and kids crying/because somebody got shot or/two countries are fighting"), his friends, and rap. Though many of the verses deal with the harsh reality of living in a turbulent environment, the optimism of this child is evident and convincing. Christie's acrylic paintings are bold, vibrant, and childlike, adding to the moods created by Medina's poetry. A wonderful book to read aloud and a possible springboard for teachers to use in creative-writing and art classes.
Patti Gonzales, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (May 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584300221
• ISBN-13: 978-1584300229
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,657,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tony Medina is the author and editor of sixteen books for adults and young readers, including DeShawn Days (Lee & Low Books, 2001), Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam (Random House/Three Rivers Press, 2001), Love to Langston (Lee & Low Books, 2002), Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature & Art (Third World Press, 2002), Committed to Breathing (Third World Press, 2003), and Follow-up Letters to Santa from Kids Who Never Got a Response (Just Us Books, 2003). Featured in the documentaries Nuyorc 1999; A Weigh with Words: An Inside Look At How Words Create Conflict or Compassion; and Furious Flower II: Regenerating the Black Poetic Tradition: Roots & First Fruits/Cross-Pollination in the Diaspora/Blooming in the Whirlwind, Medina's poetry, fiction, and essays appear in over eighty publications and two CD compilations. An advisory editor for Hip Hop Speaks to Children, edited by Nikki Giovanni, his most recent work is featured in the anthologies Poets Against the Killing Field; Family Pictures: Poems and Photographs Celebrating Our Loved Ones; Fingernails Across a Chalkboard: A Literary and Artistic View of HIV/AIDS Affecting People of Color, Full Moon on K Street; Let Loose on the World: Celebrating Amiri Baraka at 75; and Spaces Between Us: Poetry, Prose and Art on HIV/AIDS (Third World Press, 2010). Medina has taught English at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus and Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, and has earned an MA and PhD in English from Binghamton University, SUNY. Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University in Washington, DC, Medina's latest books are I and I, Bob Marley (Lee & Low Books, 2009), My Old Man Was Always on the Lam (NYQ Books, 2010) and Broke on Ice (Willow Books/Aquarius Press, 2011). Medina was most recently featured in interview on thebrownbookshelf.com's Black History Month 28 Days Campaign. His fiction and poetry are most recently featured in the anthologies 44 on 44: Forty-four African American Writers on the Election of Barack Obama 44th President of the United States (Third World Press, 2011), edited by Lita Hooper, Sonia Sanchez and Michael Simanga and the 2010 NAACP Award winner in Poetry, The 100 Best African American Poems (Sourcebooks, 2010), edited by Nikki Giovanni. Medina's books The President Looks Like Me (Just Us Books, 2011) and An Onion of Wars (Third World Press, 2011) are forthcoming this fall.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DeShawn Days, May 3, 2001

By 

Mimi Chapra (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deshawn Days (Hardcover)

Tony Medina shares his inner city neighborhood with lively verse, a sense of humor and a tender heart. Reaching out to his young audience, Medina's story inspires joy and compassion without being the least bit didactic.

R. Gregory Christie's energetic paintings celebrate De Shawn's world with sensitivity and passion. Bravo, this book is a gem.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this Book, April 25, 2006

By 

TeeDiva "Tiff" (Washington,DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deshawn Days (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book. It gave a look at a young boy not living in a conventional household. It doesn't give into stereotypes regarding children from split homes. I like the fact that the story focuses on the important aspects of DeShawn's life. He tends to notice the little things rather than on the big picture. I like the way it is something that many kids are able to relate to. It isn't just for one group, one gender, or one race. Certain aspects of the story are relatable to anyone who reads the book. DeShawn is also a very relatable character. The reader feel drawn into the story and cannot wait to turn to the next page to see what will happen. The illustrations are also so tied into the story that a reader need not read the story, they could figure out what was going on through the pictures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any child would enjoy and learn from this book!, November 17, 2001

By 

Michellie from Harlem (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deshawn Days (Hardcover)

Mr. Medina's "DeShawn Days" captures what life looks like from the view of a child growing up in an urban and distinctly ethnic area. DeShawn is an African-American child, but this is only by coincidence. He describes his world from a universal perspective-- he sees and experiences both love, friendship, play, and family bond like any other kid would, except these experiences are juxtaposed against what can sometimes be a harsh and unforgiving landscape. Mr. Medina somehow presents just the right balance between both the difficult realities as well as the, yes, believe it or not, joys, both of which actually do exist in what some folks like to call "the ghetto." It's reading that I think kids like DeShawn will relate to, and other kids will learn, understand, and yes, enjoy.