Customer Reviews

A Hero Ain't Nothin' But A Sandwich

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Childress does an excellent job of putting the perspectives of all the characters associated with Benjie or to his problem in this novel. Point of view is a defining characteristic of this novel. Within the twenty-three first person narratives, the reader hears the dialect, different knowledge levels, and thinking processes of all the character's, from the local drug pusher to Benjie's high school teachers. This made the plot a bit harder to follow at first, but had it been written any other way it would have lost a definite sense of authenticity.

Powerfully and courageously honest about the lives of the young, African-American heroin addict Benjie and those around him ... There are no easy answers in this book. I think it's a story people need to hear, whether we want to or not. I couldn't put it down; I will never forget it; I only hope I learned from it. Moving and amazing.

I read this book a couple times, why I read it more than once was because the First Time I read it I was too young to grasp anything from it. Now I notcie how serious the book and though there is so much fowl languge in the book it seems theres a reason for it. Also when I read the book at times the character Benji made me mad, and sometimes dissappointed at him, because his point of view on Society, but now I realize he's an angry crack head in denial trying to hide what he knows he is...A Pot Head...

I thought this was written in an unusual, which is a good change. Instead of one narrator, each chapter had a different one. Some spoke more than once, and some only once. This book gave the perspective of many different people, but all about one topic: heroin. A 15 year old boy, Benjie, has a heroin problem and this shows how it affected his mother, "step-father," grandmother, teachers, friends, and even the dealers. This book deals with death, addiction, and overcoming addiction. I think it is a great read for someone in early high school.

The novel "A Hero Ain't Nothin But A Sandwich" is a great novel.I enjoyed reading it. This novel is about a young boy name Benjie who is growing up in a gang bang niegborhood. Benjie has been introduced to alot of bad things like drugs(herion). Benjie is trying to deal with school related activites and the temptations of doing drugs. Beening the age that Benjie is, he has alot of people influencing him to do things he knows that he should not do. This novel is so interesting in many differnet ways because it tells the book from different points of views, like his mom, grandma, best friend, and other people. You get to find out their thoughts on life and on Benjie. To find out if Benjie gets hooked on drugs of does the right thing ,you should read this novel.

Hi im 13 years old and im from the ghetto but i loved this book this book was good and got my atendtion all my teachers were shock i go to horce mann middle school and this book relate to how i am around that and trying to make and i would become a lawyer so this is the best book i ever read and keep reading this book.

I read this book because my son had to read it and I wanted to be able to discuss it with him. Due to the urban idioms, at first I found it difficult to understand the dialogue. Once I figured it out I found the book rather interesting. A 13 year old boy, Benjie, from Harlem is faced with several disturbing choices. Eventually he puts himself in a situation that he is not mature enough to handle and makes a bad choice, which is to try heroin. Once he makes that choice he struggles with the acceptance of being a heroin addict and repeatedly denies it. Yet, all the signs of an addict exist. Ms. Childress uses other characters to explain the ripple effect that occurs in the boy's life and how it has affected the other lives. I recommend the book, however, it is a tough read for young people.

A Review by David

Benjie Johnson is a thirteen year ld boy who's family gets addicted to heroin and he is not wanting to take the same path...

This book is great, the last time I read a good book was.... Probably about... 8th grade. This book is well written and really makes you want to keep reading. I really like this book I am not just saying that. And this book all leads up to a great climax

This book I would recommend to someone who can handle adult words... this book is definitely for a mature reader. This book is a fun to read book and very addicting... I would have to say that you would have to be somewhat of a skilled reader to read this book. All in all... if you want a fun exiting grate climax book.... This is for you.

THANK YOU FOR SHIPPING THIS BOOK VERY QUICKLY!
This was a reading assignment for a school project, after reading the content of the book, I decided against allowing my child to read it.
HOWEVER, the book was in good condition and was shipped the next day.

"A Hero Ain't Nothin But a Sandwich" isn't really about "Benjy", the book's advertised protagonist. It's really about the different people in an inner-city neighborhood, and how they view life. The characters include his passive mother, his hardworking stepfather, his narcissistic grandmother, his caring, yet frustrated white teacher, his black teacher who's obsessed with Black Power, his best friend (with whom he's become estranged), the local pimp/pusher, etc.

Each of these characters speaks in a short monologue. Their talk revolves around 13-year-old Benjy, but they end up talking about life in general. Their neighborhood has crumbled, their municipal (and religious) leaders are mired in corruption, and business has stagnated. Life seems hopeless, but I find that the only one who tries to keep his head up is the stepfather. He's the smartest one in the book. He desperately wants to send his stepson to live on a farm, away from all the bad influences of the city.

The end of the book has a tirade from the stepfather that I think is a must-read for kids. A White social worker says that the boy needs some good heroes to look up to. The stepfather says "what about me, I'm supporting three people plus Uncle Sam on my paycheck, and I can't claim any of them as dependents, so why can't I be seen as the hero?"