Review of Bad Boy: A Memoir

Bibliography
Myers, W. (2001). Bad boy: A memoir. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 206 pp.

Genre
Autobiography

Synopsis
Walter Dean Myers recounts his time growing up in Depression-era Harlem to the early 1950's. His tales are loaded with run-ins with current and future celebrities of the times and his more vibrant memories of trying to stay in school and out of trouble. He mostly emphasizes his voracious appetite for literature and how he propelled himself into the writer he is today.

Evaluation
Myers' vivid descriptions of Harlem after its blossoming renaissance makes the local seem picturesque and exotic. In fact, it is his observant eye to detail that seems to make the 125th street local come to life. Inclusion of characters like Langston Hughes (who Myers saw interviewed on the street), Wilt Chamberlain (who Myers played basketball with), and Joe Lewis (who Myers would see occasionally walk to the grocer) makes his Harlem seem incredibly surreal for the awestruck.

Myers' tales about growing up amidst poverty and growing unease in the streets, brings the reader back down to earth. I question whether or not he wants the reader to sympathize with his plight because he frequently, and in a very detailed manner, recounts his humorous attempts to behave well. He is honest enough with the reader to admit that he had a very difficult time controlling his temper and that when he became old enough, he quickly graduated from simple acts of rebellion to full-blown street fights. Also worth mentioning is Myers' quick intelligence and the role that education played in his future. He rarely went to school and was frequently in trouble for truancy.

Although many of Myers' family members are mentioned and play roles in his personal play, none is more fully sketched than his mother. Through the retelling of his childhood, Myers paints a picture of his stepmother as a loving and caring woman who tried the best she could given what she had. He doesn't glorify her as a patron to wayward children, but depicts her as a woman with faults, bad habits, and misjudgements in parenting. She also becomes the mitigating factor in his future interests and career.

Myers' draw on racism and its effect on his childhood is also peppered throughout his memoir. His perception of race relations and his position in it initially causes inner turmoil and questioning of himself and the American culture. His understanding of race relations in America at the time are laid bare to the reader; exposed in self-truth and misunderstanding. These passages of the memoir tend to show both progress and stagnation of the American culture as a whole.

Classroom Use

This would definitely be fun (and funny) to use as a read-aloud, but could also be used as a: whole-class novel, individual choice, or a small-group novel.

Appropriate Age
I believe that this memoir would work best for 13-17 year-olds.

Personal Reactions
I really enjoyed reading through Myers' past and found myself identifying with some of his childhood wants and needs. I felt that his descriptions were accurate and and incredibly detailed, but that he panned out at just the right moments to give the reader a sensory break. I was surprised by how self-conscious he was about his love of literature and how it spurred him to write. I couldn't believe that I was so engaged when he described his writing process. I kept turning the pages, hoping that he would impart some nugget of writer's knowledge. However, it seems to be a raw talent that's been polished to perfection.