Handcuff Blues: Helping Teens Stay Out of Trouble with the Law [Paperback]

Toni Johnson (Author), Daerick, Sr. Gross (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 1999

Compelling true-life stories that encourage teens to stay out of trouble.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Twelve scenarios, based on real people and circumstances, address such issues as drunk driving, vandalism, shoplifting, and drive-by shooting. A criminal defense attorney, the author hopes that this compendium of "true stories" will help teen readers understand how various actions may have legal implications and what criminal proceedings they may face if they engage in the same activities. In each story, the title character's lifestyle, home life, and personality are summarized. Then, the illegal activity is described and its criminal-justice resolution is recounted. The situations are credible and the details are realistic. The young people involved come from a variety of backgrounds and display varying degrees of intellectual acumen and emotional maturity. However, the author fails to breathe life into the set pieces, making them better as discussion starters than as research prospects or for casual reading. Flat, black-and-white illustrations accompany the scenarios. Each story has a list of related legal infractions and a few discussion questions. Older teens will find the stories and illustrations so hokey as to be immediately discounted but younger students may be open to discussing them.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Goofy Foot Press; 1st edition (January 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885535430
• ISBN-13: 978-1885535436
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,278,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handcuff Blues, October 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Handcuff Blues: Helping Teens Stay Out of Trouble with the Law (Paperback)

Our Gov't. class just finshed the book Handcuff Blues & it was one of the best book that I have hered. The story in the book are about different people geting in trouble w\ the law & it is a cool book to read. We want more books like that because it tell about different laws in different stats.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Troubled Youth Loved This Book, June 30, 2001

By 

x-teacher (Alamo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handcuff Blues: Helping Teens Stay Out of Trouble with the Law (Paperback)

As a volunteer working with boys in the juvenile justice system, I was able to read this book to some troubled youths at a residential treatment center. They thought the book was terrific--not only did they identify with the cases described, but the legal afternotes provoked much discussion about the consequences of their own actions. It is written at a level that even the boys with limited verbal skills could understand it.