Gangs and Wanting to Belong

School Library Journal

Gr 4 UpBefore 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 audienceperhaps 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