Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by Greg Neri Illustrated by Randy DuBurke B SANDIFER

Robert “Yummy” Sandifer was a killer and killed all by the age of 11. Roger was his classmate and is trying to make sense of how it all happened. Yummy was always angry and violent, but he was also sweet and loving too. Was Yummy a monster like they say? Was he a victim? Was he both?

This is a powerful graphic novel. It is a story of ruined and wasted youth and the pain and questions that violence leaves behind. The use of only black and white with no shades of grey is a wonderful storytelling choice and is also very visually effecting. The story itself is not told with a black and white morality. It allows readers to draw their own conclusions about Yummy and his life. This is a great read for fans of Walter Dean Myers (YP FIC MYERS), Benjamin Zephania (YP FIC ZEPHANIA), and other books about kids that get caught up in violence young.

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