Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
Middle school life is on display in ten interconnected short stories set in a single neighborhood, on a single day, and zeroing in on the individual lives of young African American adolescents. Each story is set on a different block in the neighborhood, and the kids and their lives are compelling, varied, and vivid; sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, often both. Although the kids are all particular and distinctive, their thoughts and interactions will ring true with most American teens whose lives are mainly focused on themselves and their peers, even as they reflect broader truths about friendship and family and community, and struggles and triumphs small and large. Although each story can stand alone, taken as a whole readers will find recurring themes, images, and characters that also create a cohesive whole in this neighborhood of stories to relish and devour. ©2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 10-14
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Short Stories
Subjects:
African Americans
Community
Families
Friendship
Humor
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Atheneum, Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publish Year: 2019
Pages: 188
ISBN: 9781481438285
CCBC Location: Fiction, Reynolds