Bad Boy

May 1, 2001
Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s, with an adult's benefit of hindsight. His previous 145th Street: Short Stories conveys a more vivid sense of day-to-day life on Harlem's streets, and readers learn little here of the effects of global events (such as WWII). What they will come away with is a sense of how a gifted young man, both intellectually and athletically, feels trapped in his own mind as he tries to find a place for himself in the world. Some insightful teachers make a huge difference in his life: a fifth-grade teacher who avails Walter of her classroom library; his sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Lasher, who recognizes the boy's leadership qualities; and a high school English teacher who spots him outside the guidance counselor's office and says, "Whatever happens, don't stop writing." Perhaps the most poignant and carefully crafted chapter involves the 16-year-old's thought process in response to his guidance counselor's question, "Do you like being black?" Throughout the volume, Myers candidly examines the complexities of being black in America, from his first exposure to slavery in a seventh grade American history class, to the painful realization in adolescence that his blond, blue-eyed best friend is invited to parties where Walter is not welcome. Other chapters sometimes feel haphazard (a foreshadowing of Walter's discovery that his father is illiterate, for example, undercuts a powerful later scene that explores this more fully). What emerges is a clear sense of how one young man's gifts separate him from his peers, causing him to stir up trouble in order to belong. Fortunately, this bad boy turned out to be a fine writer. Ages 12-up.

July 9, 2001
Myers provides a sincere, friendly and unscripted introduction to this chronicle of his life, quickly engaging listeners. But Myers's vocal presence is too short-lived. Though Morton enthusiastically takes the baton and gives a competent reading, he can't match the obvious tone of familiarity the author has for his subject; the actor remains one step removed from the heartfelt revelations and introspective nature of the text. Myers's fans will likely overlook this shortcoming, happy to hear more about his childhood in 1940s and '50s Harlem. Myers describes his "coming up" as a series of scrapes and fights with neighborhood kids, teachers and gang toughs that earned him the bad boy title. A gifted student with advanced reading skills and a speech impediment, Myers early on turned to literature (and comic books) as an enlightening and stabilizing force in his life. He often found it difficult to adhere to the structure and discipline of the public school system and was continuously noted for poor conduct. His speech troubles encouraged teasing, making matters worse. By high school he rarely showed up for class, though kept on reading great books recommended by teachers and never gave up his aspirations to write. In the end, this warts-and-all story of a dream realized makes for an entertaining listen. Ages 12-up. (May)FYI:Simultaneously released with the HarperCollins hardcover.

Starred review from May 6, 2002
"Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s, with an adult's benefit of hindsight," wrote PW. "What emerges is a clear sense of how one young man's gifts separate him from his peers, causing him to stir up trouble in order to belong." Ages 13-up.