Author: Greg Neri
Website: www.gregneri.com/
Illustrated by: Randy DuBurke
Website: www.randyduburke.com/
Media Used: Black and white illustrations done in pencil and ink.
Summary: This graphic novel is based on the true story of eleven-year old Robert "Yummy" Sandifer who appeared on Time magazine in September 1994 after shooting a 14 year old girl and then being shot by members of his own gang.
Personal Reaction: Wow, this is the kind of sad heart wrenching type of story that could only come from a real life tragedy. Neri writes that after all the facts came out "there are no winners in this story, only losers." The narrator, a fictional character, struggles to make sense of everything that happened - comparing the thug Yummy to the child Robert. Yummy is like many at risk youths who come from a broken home, are in and out of the system, and are looking for a sense of belonging and control. Neri posts a copy of the original Time magazine article on his website. A short read (only took me 20 mins), this book is a great opening book to start a discussion about gangs, neighborhood violence, and what could have been done differently - by the government, by neighbors, by police, and by family - and what type of preventative programs need to be in place.
Non-Fiction in Graphic Novel Format
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