In the memoir Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers, Walter recalls the most important events of his life year by year. His story is about living with racism and being called a “bad boy” when really he was not. The main idea or message from Bad Boy is no matter what your surroundings and society may be you can always be greater. Growing up in a poor family in Harlem meant that his hope for a successful future weakened as he realized the class and racial struggles that surrounded him. He began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, which meant attending school less, and turning to the streets to play basketball or books for comfort. Walter Dean Myers wants readers to understand the hardships of being black and having a “bad boy” reputation in school. I enjoyed this book because it showed the importance of balancing your education and social life, but still having fun. On page 92, he says, “By this time there were two very distinct voices going on in my head and I moved easily between them. One had to do with sports, street life, and establishing myself as a male…. The other voice, the one I hid from my street friends and teammates, was increasingly dealing with the vocabulary of literature”. This is similar to another book of Myers’, called Monster, which is also about a young boy given a false title. The similarity comes in that both show the real hardships of being a teen and wanting to have fun and others in society see you as bad or think that what you’re doing is not good enough. I also enjoyed this book because a lot of his flashbacks and quotes were meaningful to me such. A quote that I really liked was, “Each of us is born with a history already in place”. Also, he uses the dialogue in a flashback to show society when he states that his doctor asked, “Do you like being black”. Different literary elements were used to create a mood in the book like, “Buried in a potter’s field” (81). I would recommend this book to a classmate because I think it is a must read for all young teens.
This book is a memoir about a boy named Walter. The story starts off by talking about his family and how different it is from most. His biological mother died so his father re-married. After that happened his father had 2 other girls with her. Her family, however, didn't like that she was married to an African American, she was forced to leave him. When she took her daughters, she also took Walter in. This is hard for him at times. The book then goes on to tell about his life and going through school in a white community. He ends up going to high school 2 years earlier than most kids would, and finds himself getting into a lot of trouble. When he's about ready to finish high school he makes a decision to go into the army at age 16. Of course, he has to lie and say his parents are dead though. He goes through a depressing time and he wants to quit writing until one day he writes a poem and it gets published. Then he goes on the rest of his life being an author. His writing style is more personal than anything. He writes his story from his point of view on his life. He doesn't care what people think about him being black, or him being and excelled students. He just wants to live his life. I like him for that reason. His style of writing in the beginning was good way to pull the reader in as well. The theme of the book was about perseverance and what it takes to get through life sometimes. You shouldn't give up on what you want because if you keep pushing you can make it through a lot. You shouldn't worry about what people think or say about you because the only opinion that matters is the people close to you, and more importantly you. I like the beginning and end of this story a lot, but I think the middle dragged on a lot. I like the characters thoughts though on life. I recommend reading this if you like this stuff.
What do You think about Bad Boy: A Memoir (2002)?
"Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers, was the book i read. What initially made me grab the book and start reading it was just by the title and cover of the book. The title name just sounds intersting for me since i think i know what's a bad boy, but i wondered if the book would have a similar definition. In the story there are many parts of how Walter, the main character, is supposly a bad boy in school and at home with the family. Walter is not really a bad boy as other people see him, but as the story goes on he realizes that he is a writer and that is his gift from life. He struggles throughout his life and his family is no ecxeption. His family makes it hard for Walter because he has little connection with them. This book is intended for people that like to learn about someones life as a story. In my opinion i think the part that was succesful was that Walter used words and details for me to imagine what was going on the story. I knew what was going on because i understood the way Walter wrote it. Walter made it sound real and presice such as the things happened. Walter could have used different word choice for the ending, he could have explained it alittle more because i didnt really understand it. Overall the book was interesting and i enjoyed it which is good for me.
—Ranulfo C
Walter Dean Myers presents his story of a child consumed by books, but continually was an under achieving student. He kept getting in trouble in spite of being one of the brightest students at his school. His quick temper caused him to get into fights and he often missed school because he was either expelled or he spent the day reading in the park. Once he missed so many days that he didn't know the term had ended. The book had a refreshing honesty about his family situation. It would provide material for middle school students to both discuss and learn that a person can change direction in spite of many obstacles.
—Iva
Walter Dean Myers is one of my literary heroes, and as I read his autobiography, my appreciation of him has grown. He shares so much of his Harlem boyhood, and I loved experiencing Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Lewis, the Dodgers and Morningside and 125th Street with him. Myers shared so much about himself - how he didn't like English until he, as a 13 year old, experienced Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnets, his dad's advice on race "The white man won't give you anything, and the black man oesn't have anything to give you. If you want anything out of life, you have to get it for yourself.", and how literature supported him through his struggle to discover where he as a black boy fit in. My gut feel is that this is a harder read for most middle school students (because of their inability to relate to life in a poor city neighborhood and the 1950s), but there are many excerpts that would provide teachable moments. As a teacher, I found his reading list fascinating. This is the book to share with intelligent students who are struggling to understand where they fit in.
—Sidney
