Gangs and Your Neighborhood (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gangs Violence) [Hardcover]

Stanley Tookie Williams (Author), Barbara C. Becnel (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Tookie Speaks Out Against Gangs Violence

Argues against joining gangs because such groups hurt people and neighborhoods.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up--Before he landed in prison, Tookie Williams was an active gang leader in South Central L.A. and was seriously wounded by gunfire. In this series, he encourages readers to learn from his mistakes and his experiences in gang life. In simple, straightforward language, the young man describes why and how he became involved, what his life was like as a gang member, and how it led him further and further from the likelihood of a productive future. Each double-page spread features large print on glossy paper with lots of white space and a full-page color photograph. The pictures are generally of good to excellent quality. A good deal of background information is repeated from book to book and students may be turned off by the didactic, second-person treatment. Still, these titles have an important message and probably an audience--perhaps intermediate students, particularly reluctant readers, who have a need for a dose of reality on this topic.

Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Tookie learned the hard way that belonging to a gang is not smart. I salute him for his courage and determination to overcome his circumstances. --Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: PowerKids Press; 1st edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823923479
• ISBN-13: 978-0823923472
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,251,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students love these books!, November 29, 2005

By 

D. Boswell (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gangs and Your Neighborhood (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence) (Paperback)

I do not have to ask my students to read these books, they ask me IF I will let them read them! I have seven of this series, as well as his autobiographical "Life in Prison". We have been reading the books and looking up current information on the internet. The students are learning much from Tookie's mistakes and are pledging to not follow in his footsteps. I am hopeful that this is a lesson they will carry with them throughout life.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Garbage!, October 16, 2007

By 

Gabriel Espinosa "Gabriel Espinosa" (NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gangs and Your Neighborhood (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence) (Paperback)

My students have more elevating literature to read. This particular piece of "literature" belongs rolled around on that little cardboard roll which one finds at the middle of a toilet tissue roll. Nice name - "Tookie." It figures this book is raved about by every neo-socialist NY Times reading liberal out there!

6 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A real inner city folk hero...., December 15, 2005

By 

James P. Mock "jpmock" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gangs and Your Neighborhood (Tookie Speaks Out Against Gangs Violence) (Hardcover)

I find it interesting that the author would make such a wonderful effort to help children, after having murdered parents. I wonder if he sent autographed free copies to the children of the people he murdered.

I also find it interesting, that in over 20 years on death row, he was only able to write a handful of "children's books".

That these books would find their way into our public school systems, where this man takes on the role of Martyr and Folk Hero, speaks volumes about our schools.

The book is as shallow as the man who wrote it.