Scorpions [Hardcover]

Walter Dean Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 1988

The story of twelve-year-old Jamal, whose life changes drastically when he acquires a gun. Though he survives the experience, it's not without sacrificing his innocence and possibly his relationship with his best friend.

1989 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1988 (ALA)
1988 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1989 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)
The USA Through Children's Books 1990 (ALA)
Young Adult Choices for 1990 (IRA)
1989 Judy Lopez Children's Books Award, Honorable Mention
Children's Books of 1988 (Library of Congress)
1989 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Jamal, who is pressured to become leader of the Scorpions gang, worries about school, family, and the rough kids on the street. When a fellow gang member gives him a gun, Jamal suddenly gains a new level of respect from his enemies. A realistic look at a boy who wants to do the right thing but gets caught up in the culture of violence. A Newbery Honor selection.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...readers have Myers to thank for giving them a greater understanding of the difficulty of life in today's inner city." -- SLJ

"A book honored for its honesty, realism, and vitality." -- 1989 Newbery Award Committee

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Amistad; 1st edition (June 20, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060243643
• ISBN-13: 978-0060243647
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,396,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scorpions - The stinging reality, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Scorpions (Newbery Honor Book) (Paperback)

Scorpions, a book about a gang. Very true to life. It really makes you think about the society today. Drive-by shootings, drugs, sexual harrassment, mostly by gangs. In this book, it really makes you think about these gangs and the dangers of being involved with them. That's what happened to Jamal, isn't it? This is a very sad story about a poor family who is just kind of having to eke out on the edge. Jamal's brother is in jail, and he wants Jamal to take over his gang. The problem is, the whole gang's whacko. This story is very well-written, and you can actually feel Jamal's fear and his sadness. This book is excellent, and I reccomend it to anyone who likes read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scorpions, March 13, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Scorpions (Newbery Honor Book) (Paperback)

"That ain't real," Dwayne said.
"Come on," Jamal said. There was a taste of blood in his mouth. "You gonna see it's real." Dwayne didn't move.
Jamal held the gun pointed at Dwayne's head... Jamal is a troubled teen that has more problems than average. His brother, Randy, is in Jail and the lawyers keep on increasing the prices for their services. Then Jamal meets a former gang member, Mack, who's trying to persuade Jamal to follow his brother's footsteps and join the gun toting, case catching, robbing, Scorpions. Jamal's mother doesn't want him to meet with Mack though. She thinks that Mack is bad news. Jamal and his best friend, Tito, are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can either join the Scorpions and get the money for his brother's appeal, or let his brother rot in jail.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breaking Away, May 28, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Scorpions (rack) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gangs, violence, guns, drugs, and poverty are just some of the topics that other sugar-coated books steer clear of. Walter Dean Myers, however, is a risk-taker and isn't afraid to expose the public to these subjects.
In the well-written book Scorpions, Myers breaks away from the everyday children's books. He writes about a young boy from Harlem, Jamal.
When Jamal's brother Randy goes to jail, Jamal has to take his place as the leader of the gang Scorpions. He thinks it is a bad idea. In my opinion, Myers successfully intertwined the worlds of violence and gangs. Jamal, the innocent bystander, and Indian, a fellow gang member, battle for position of head Scorpion. It is Indian's rough personality that Jamal is intimidated by.
I enjoyed this book a lot. The book reminds me of how people fight in my school and I could relate. As I was reading the book, I felt supportive of Jamal and the decisions he needed to make. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a refreshing change of perspectives. Anyone can relate to this book.