You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys

by Sharon G. Flake

In 9 stories and 15 poems, Sharon G. Flake provides insight into the minds of a diverse group adolescent African American males.here's Tow-Kaye, getting married at age 16 to love of his life, who's pregnant. He knows it's the right thing to do, but he's scared to death. James writes in his diary about his twin brother's terrible secret, which threatens to pull James down, too. Tyler explains what it's like to be a player with the ladies. In a letter to his uncle, La'Ron confesses that he's infected with HIV. Eric takes us on a tour of North Philly on the Fourth of July, when the heat could make a guy go crazy. Still, he loves his hood. These and other unforgettable characters come to life in this collection of urban male voices. Sharon's G. Flake's talent for telling it like it is will leave readers thinking differently, feeling deeply, and definitely wanting more.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Short Stories, Realistic Fiction, Teen, African American, Fiction

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2010

About the author

Sharon G. Flake is the author of five books, The Skin I'm In (1998), Money Hungry (2002), Begging for Change (2003), Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Boys and the Girls in Their Lives (2004), Bang! (Sept. 2005), and her latest novel The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street (2007).

Her work is used in public and private schools around the nation, from elementary to high school, and is often required reading in colleges for students in education, child development, children's literature and English writing programs. Beyond that, her work is also a favorite among adults and adult book club readers.

Flake and her work have won numerous awards and recognitions including: Best Books for Young Adult Readers; Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; the New York Public Library Top Ten Books for the Teen Age; 2005 featured author in the Ninth Book of Junior Authors & Illustrators; 2005 Capitol Choices; Noteworthy Books for Children; 2004 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Book; 2004 Texas Lone Star Award for Top Ten Books; 2002, 2004 Coretta Scott King Honor Award; Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Grant; 2004 Bank Street Best of the Year; 2004 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book; 2004 CCBC Choices; Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Book; 2004 Booklist Top Ten Romance Novels for Youth; 2004 Booklist Editor's Choice Award; 2003 Detroit Free LIbrary Author of the Year; 1999 YWCA Racial Justice Award; 1999 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award and more.

Flake's work appears on the Anti-Defamation League's website which stresses the use of children's literature to help educators address the problem of bullying in schools.

Flake was born in Philadelphia, PA, but has resided in Pittsburgh, PA with her daughter for many years. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English. For several years she was a youth counselor for a foster care agency, after which she spent 18 years working at the University of Pittsburgh in public relations. She has written numerous articles for national publications. Prior to having her first book published, she wrote for approximately 15 years.

Reviews

[Shadai Acosta-Oviedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a great narrative way to tell stories and poems about boys. She focuses on the issues that teenage boys go through or could be exposed to like AIDS, heartbreak, pregnancy and family break-ups. She talks about how they handle it and how they feel when things like that happen. Guys have it tough just as much as girls do.

I loved the book because of the way she worded everything but I did not like the fact that she is a woman writing a book about boys as if she knew what a guy really thinks or feels. I feel like since she's not a guy she shouldn't have tried to put the book in the point of view of a guy. She should have gotten a guys point of view instead of translating it into something that it could/couldn't be.

[Joshbyrnes]

This book was overall a very good book, but I did get a bit confused when it came to changing from story to story. I was liking the first story but then once it got into the middle of the book I got lost. My favorite part in this book was when La'Ron had to tell his uncle about his HIV. The story got in so deep once it hit this point. You could feel La'Rons pain and his feelings when he talked about this.. Overall i like the book and suggest others to read as well.

[Alex Boettcher]

Personal Response:
I think that You Don’t Even Know Me by Sharon G. Flake is an okay book. I do not really like how the book does not finish any of the short stories or have another chapter about them in the end. I do enjoy how a short poem that relates to the upcoming story is put in before each chapter.

Plot Summary:
A bunch of different stories are put into one book with some poems. They tell about a different boy’s struggle; what they are doing and how they are getting through it.

One story that stands out to me in this book is the second to last one titled “My Hood.” A boy who lives in North Philly with his stepdad and sisters is supposed to watch his siblings on a very hot day while his stepdad goes to work. One of his sisters says that he can go out for a few hours instead of being stuck in the hot house watching them. He goes out with his friend, meets up with some girls, and ends up staying out a little later than he originally thought. When he comes back home, there are a bunch of officers standing around his house. His stepdad comes up to him and yells at him for leaving his siblings home alone.

Characterization:
This book has very different characters facing different challenges in their lives.

In the second to last chapter titled “My Hood,” the main character who is not named, is in charge of watching his siblings when his parents are gone at work. At the beginning of the chapter, he is a responsible boy, does not go out with his friends, and has to stay inside the house every single day. He then decides one day that he is going to go out for a few hours and be a 14 year old boy again. He goes out and gets to have fun for once, but he gets in trouble when he comes back home. He is supposed to watch his siblings even though his sister could watch them. He goes from being a responsible boy to a carefree boy, back to a responsible boy again.

Setting:
The setting in this book takes place in many different areas, but there is a common theme of crowded city living. The setting impacts the book by having issues that most city children would have. The time period that it takes place in is present because it has modern-day items in it such as technology. The time period impacts the book by having the reader be able to relate to some of the characters because it is in the present time period.

One particular chapter, “My Hood,” takes place in North Philly on a hot summer day. This chapter takes place in the present time because the stepdad is gone for work and needs the son to watch the other children at home. The kids in the book are relatable to what today’s kids would be doing in real life.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to any gender who enjoys poetry. I think that high schoolers would be more interested in this book because there are situations that middle schoolers typically would not have to deal with like unplanned pregnancy, relationship issues, and babysitting. It is an easy read that does not have large words that would be hard to understand.

[maysri??? · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't get it.

[Xemilyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Flake has great narrative voice. No question. But what makes her books so significant is the subject matter. She's just plain writing about stuff no one else is writing about. Like wanting to hook up with an older woman or trying to help out a 9-year-old who knows more about the streets than you do.

Sharon Flake definitely writes about issues--AIDS, suicide, sex abuse, and gangs in this volume alone. But she's never preachy, and I'm trying to figure out how she does it. But there's no one way. For example, in one story, she shows us what it's like to have a caretaker who's obese. It takes an hour and a half to walk a few blocks to the shoe store. You live on disability checks. You think everyone's staring even when they're not. I'm thinking the story is about how hard it is to live in a situation like that, but it turns out the story is about how good the boy has it--and he knows it.

Flake always keeps you guessing. Some stories end well and other's don't, so you genuinely wonder if the main character is going to do the right thing, and that keeps the tension high. Sometimes, like in the first story, you wonder what the "right thing" is. Should Tow-Kaye marry his girl? She's pregnant. He loves her. He loves her family. But he's 16. So's she. In other stories, Flake makes the "wrong thing" seem inevitable, like in "Girls Make You Weak," where the narrator begins with: "It was passed down to me. Just like my uncles' blue eyes, my grandfather's flat feet, and my dad's big nose ... The men call it the cheating gene."

And often, she keeps the tension high by threatening some kind of violence: "Gettin' Even" starts with a guy chasing the narrator with a knife. "Fakin' It" starts with crazy, 63-year-old Aunt Philomena trying to wrestle her nephew out of bed ... and just about getting punched in the face for it. Maybe that's all it is: Flake makes it real. She writes about issues, but the stories don't seem fake, like vehicles for the issues, because they're so immediate and full of detail. I guess any story could be an issue story. We just notice it when someone writes a story about an issue that doesn't often appear in YA literature.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Hansen, LS 538. Flake, S. G. (2010). You don't even know me: Stories and poems about boys. New York: Jump at the Sun. Genre: Short Stories. Print book. Selected from Books and Authors database. Highly recommend.

From a female perspective, it's hard to say whether this (also female) author accurately captures the male point-of-view, but I can definitively say that Sharon Flake presents characters who have heart. "You Don't Even Know Me" is a collection of short stories about various African-American teenage boys who live in urban settings. In each story, the central character is living through a challenging situation. Some have struggles of large magnitude-- like dealing with suicide and depression, gangs, and contracting HIV; and there are those who face other kinds of troubles, such as one boy whose morbidly obese father is valiantly trying to walk through the mall to buy his son new sneakers. And it is worth noting that in most cases, the boys are also doing what many teenage boys do; searching for girlfriends.

While this collection is largely made up of short stories, it is punctuated by brief, insightful poems. The poem "You Don't Even Know Me" inspired the book's title, and these lines in particular illustrate the collection's theme: "I've been wondering lately,/ Trying to figure out just how it could be/ That you can see me so often/ And still don't know a thing about me." These lines allude to how society portrays young, Black males. The media frequently depicts this demographic group in one (often unflattering) way, but these stories characterize individuals that don't fall in line with this notion. This book is a powerful and touching reminder that people usually don't fall into neat stereotypes or categories, and that there is always more to human beings than meets the eye.

[Rhayna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a book that combines poems and stories of different African american boys. I didn't really enjoy this book much but I only read some stories and finished it anyways but read the poems. I only enjoyed Two-Kaye's story. It was about him getting married at seventeen years old and his girlfriend was pregnant also. A lot of thoughts raced through his mind because he did not know if what he was doing was okay. He knew he had to do something because he had a child on its way and he had to help her with the baby also. She was also the love of his life as well and that's why he thought it was the best thing to do but he was really nervous and scared. He ran when they asked the question because he was scared and he wanted the wedding off but he still married her. HE still never gave up on both of them after everything and took care of them both. A lesson in this story would be basically to be careful of what you do and make smart decisions because if you don't you will suffer greatly at the end. I could relate many stories to the real world that were written in this book because many boys i know personally go through things like this daily. Many of the stories here and poems were very touching and powerful. My favorite poem was you don't know a thing about me. It expresses a story about a boy getting a bad grade in class and how he thinks he's fly and cool. There was also racism in the poem and i thought that was very powerful. i would recomend this book to people who witness these things and like poems that are inspirational.

[Trevor Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely different. Although I couldn't really relate to the stories, the book made me think of how it would be to live in those boys' shoes. I didn't really enjoy the poems because they were forgettable and didn't leave as much of an impact on me as the stories did. I felt like I was in confession corner reading the poems but the stories seemed to have meaning to them. There is a story in the book, where a kid gets his girlfriend pregnant at age 16 and marries her, and the story is so realistic because it goes over the thought process of the boy and girl. There is another story where a kid gets AIDS and has to write a letter to his uncle and tell him about it and that story really makes you think what it would be like to be in his shoes. This book was a lot better than I thought it would be and I would recommend it basically to anyone who has hit puberty because you need to start experiencing the "problems" of teenagers or have some experience already.

[Stephanie Butzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book! I would recommend it to any middle or high school boy. Girls will like it, but I feel guys would get a better understanding from this book. It is written in a man’s perspective; it connects with a boy reader. The poems in this story consist of problems in everyday life. Tow-Kaye is getting married at the age of sixteen because his girlfriend is pregnant. Tyler explains what it is like to be a player and use girls. La’Ron tells the readers, he is infected with HIV. Eric takes the readers on a tour. The characters have a goofy personality and makes the book hard to put down.

[Imani ♥ ☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty okay. Very reminiscent of some of Flake's other books like "Who would I be without him" and others. The only thing was, like in the other book I mentioned, i kinda wanted some kind of action in there. I hate to say this, but I kinda wanted some kind of tragedy to happen in at least one of the stories just to make me feel something. I liked the story about suicide( :| ), the poem about the suburbs(represent), and the last story the best and even though I am a girl, I could relate. :)

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was easy to get through with a mix of poetry/rhyme and short stories about African American boys. She covers everything from unplanned pregnancy and teen weddings (because of the unplanned pregnancy), race lines, obesity, foster care, suicide, and the last story, and most interesting, about older women and younger "men".

Boys would feel accomplished reading this, with a poems after each short story or find something interesting to discuss or use for a class. And, as a way to express themselves using these poems and stories as an example.

[danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for boys. Flake writes about black boys with a strong voice. When I did this as a read-aloud in my class, they were highly engaged.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a compilation of poems and short stories addressing issues in the urban African-American community.

Teenager Tow-Kaye has just gotten married to his pregnant girlfriend. He's having second thoughts, but wants to do the right thing.

A boy's grandfather was murdered and robbed in his store. Two younger boys hang around him as they discuss the bad neighborhood, closing the store, and who killed his grandfather.

Jeffrey is being kicked out of his aunt's house. While he packs, he wonders why she wants to live in a "white" neighborhood.

A boy deals with the embarrassment of his overweight father.

A boy writes in his diary about wanting to commit suicide after his twin brother already committed suicide over inappropriate advances by a teacher.

Through letters, La'Ron informs his uncle that he contracted HIV through unprotected sex.

Tyler is a ladies man, viewing girls as a conquest.

Eric describes a sweltering day in his Philadelphia neighborhood.

While helping a teenage girl and her mother move into their new apartment, Malik tries to woo the mother.

These stories are largely unforgettable and depressing. I know the goal is to shed light on the reality of life for urban kids, but I just didn't find much hope. What's the point of a story devoted to a boy who would love to get in bed with an older woman? I would have liked a turning point for each of these characters, a better path forward. As written, the book appears to validate the characters' thoughts and actions rather than lament the sadness of it all. I can not recommend. There are much better authors writing about the African-American experience. Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, and Sharon M. Draper.

[Kelsy Lohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Flake captures the lives of several young African American boys. Many of them are facing incredible challenges in their lives: suicide and depression, HIV, gangs, etc. Despite these challenges, the boys are still boys and the stories and poems center around their quest for girlfriends and love. Flake’s writing feels very raw and authentic. I wondered how a novel about boys written from a female perspective would play out, but I found myself not being able to put this one down.

The novel was also my first verse-novel, which contributes to the appeal and novelty that I found in reading Flake’s work. I spent a great deal of time reflecting on whether I would have enjoyed this as an adolescent myself, though, and I came to the conclusion that I would have read the novel in its entirety, but I would have struggled to really get it. The portrayal of black males in the novel is something that I certainly know more about than I did when I was 15-17, but even still, it’s not always the easiest task to force myself into the perspective of the boys telling their stories in the novel. I think novels like this are important for our students to read because of that, though.

I would like to incorporate this novel into a unit for my students, regardless of the demographic that I am teaching. The poems are powerful and touching, and the short stories are reminders of who we are and where we come from and what we must do to show ourselves to the world, because the world isn’t easily broken down into stereotypes the way the media would like to paint it.

[C.J. Wills]

A collection of short stories and poems that dives into the mindset of adolescent, African American boys. The blend of short stories and poetey used here is wonderful. So many real situations are discussed through these stories.

This is a book about African American teenage males but has something to offer for literally everyone. Subjects such as HIV, unexpected teen pregnancy, and many others.

Although I enjoyed the blend of poetry and short stories at times it seemed to leave the reader hanging at times. Maybe this was the intent of the author but at times it seemed confusing.

The book was very realistic at the same time the fact that it was written from the perspectives of young males but written by a female was another drawback to me. However, I do feel the author did her best job putting herself in these positions and writing from that viewpoint.

I definitely think this is a book worthy of reading regardless of age or sex. Many important subject matters are covered here. I only had a few issues with the way at times it was confusing or I felt like things went unanswered.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was walking through the library, I came across some of Sharon G. Flake's books in the young adult section. I had already read and enjoyed two of her previous works 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘪𝘮? and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘐𝘯, so I decided to give this book a chance. In terms of the poetry, while there were a few lines that may have resonated with me, I felt that most of the poems were repetitive or too simple. In other words, I felt like the author held herself back by writing down to her audience rather than demonstrating her full capabilities as a writer. When it came to her stories, there were a few that were page turners: "DON'T READ THIS," "Girls Make You Weak," "Infected," and "Pretty Mothers Are a Problem," stories that I liked: "Scared to Death," "Fakin' It," and "Fat Man Walking," and stories I just didn't enjoy that much: "Gettin' Even" and "My Hood." Overall, I would say I like this book, but not as much as her previous stories I mentioned above. Hopefully by reading this book, it will encourage me to start reading again.

[Michelle]

Very authentic read. A little of the content is a bit mature, but it is all information that is relevant to their lives. My students loved it and went searching for more novels by Sharon Flake. This book has many different characters and stories that really touch on subjects that very few authors write about and write well. Each story is unique in its own way; There was not one story or character that I disliked. You have to approach each story with an open mind and be open to listen to the story being told. This is a great read for young teenagers but adults as well. Even though all of the stories are told from a male prospective that does not mean females should be opposed to reading it. I promise that you won't find any other book written like this. This is a must read.

[Brian Dansby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Dansby
Block: 6/14/13

“You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys”

Sharon Flake’s book “You Don’t Even Know Me” demonstrates some of the quick thinking and responsible decisions that teen males have to make while they are struggling with identity. The short stories and poems written in this book put teens in very tough situations that they need to find their way out of without making bad decisions which is everyday life. Other stories help them to understand how to make responsible decisions and know who they are. One important thing that teens can learn from this book is that if you set goals for yourself and strive to achieve them by making responsible decisions then you will have something to be proud of and others will give you the respect that you need. It’s hard, but it can be done. The bottom line is that your life and what you make of it is all up to you.

In high school, teens changing into young adults need to know that they are being respected as adults and believe that older adults could never know more than them. This is because they believe that being an adult means having more knowledge than anyone, quick thinking (even if the thought is wrong), no patience, and not being corrected. They think that people should just know who they are because they are now young adults. But Sharon Flake’s first poem called “You Don’t Even Know Me” shows that none of what the teens believe about being an adult is true. It shows that sometimes people never really know you, only by your name. An example of this would be the speaking about being in the classroom and all the statements that come from the teacher about a student, but “ I’ve been wondering lately, trying to figure out just how it could be that you are around that you’re around me so often and still don’t know a thing about me.” (Flake, pg 7-8). People can be around you everyday and still not know who you are as a person. Another example is what goes on everyday, “The news anchor warning that I’m someone you should dread, the police say I’m a menace, the mayor says I’m a threat, psychologist say I’m depressed, I’ve been wondering lately, trying to figure out just how it could be that you are around me everyday and still don’t know a thing about me.” (Flake, pg 8). This goes to show that just because people know your name, style of clothes, manner of walking, does not mean they know you. People can learn who you are, but they do not know you unless you make responsible decisions and then that’s what they can talk about.

Another short story in “You Don’t Even Know Me” in making a quick and responsible decision is called “Getting Even”. This story involved a teen visiting his relatives that owned a store. One of his relatives were robbed and killed. In this instance, a lot of teens would have wanted to get revenge which he also wanted, but instead took the time to think. If he had listened to his friends, the situation probably would have taken a turn for the worst. But instead, he took the time to remember what his relative said which was “That’s a stupid way to live”. (Flake, pg 28) This same teen did a good thing when he took the weapon he had received from his friend and gave it to his father and said “Kareem, gave me this”, (Flake, pg 29) instead of shooting someone as his friend wanted him to. This kid was more responsible than most teens would have been. He used patience and thought instead of action and thought about how he would mess up his life and hurt his relatives more than they already were. This was a very good lesson about making a responsible decision and achieving.

Some teens believe that if they do something positive, that they will not be a part of the world. This is because they are influenced by their friends. This is a person that is trying too hard to be grown up and listening to the wrong people. A person must be willing to listen and learn, especially from the elders who know more in order to be positive. They must have positive goals and strive to meet them in order to be successful. One poem that demonstrates this belief is Sharon Flake’s “People Might Not Understand”. It is understood that in order to help everyone, you have to have power in the world, so this poem starts off with “When I’m president of the world” (Flake, pg 29). This person is thinking that in order to have success, you can’t start small. That’s a good way to think. Another example of success is “Babies won’t ever go hungry” (Flake, pg 29), and “And houses in the hood would look like the ones on HGTV” (Flake, pg 29). These are positive words and to put them to work would make the world a much stronger and better place, not just for teens, but for all. This poem does not show selfishness anywhere. This would be a very strong thinking teen and take a lot of work.

The bottom line is that you are who you want to be. If you can think for yourself, then no one can force you to be a bad person. The best way to think positive is to set goals for yourself, strive to meet them, and do not get mixed up with bad thinking people. When you find that a person is thinking of trouble, leave them where they are and go your way. Just like President Obama, all it takes is for you to take the thoughts of what others might say or might think, and strive to go forward towards your dream. This is where patience comes in for teens because when you are striving to be positive, it doesn’t always happen overnight, but it will happen. You have to keep that positive frame of mind in order to be a successful and upstanding adult. I am a fan of Sharon Flake’s and I am glad that I read this book.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me, this book reads like a female adult wrote stories about male youth. I can't hear male youth voices in the dialogue, I don't feel the words ring authentic. Now, I am a white middle-aged woman, so maybe these words ARE authentic. Maybe this is actually what goes on in the minds and hearts of young African-American men. Maybe these words to accurately reflect the narrative in their heads.

I believe that young men to feel and wish to express vulnerability. That part I liked, and this concept is well-reflected in the work. That said, how difficult would it be to actually have young men of color write this? Are these the stories that actually matter to them? I am left feeling skeptical.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and poetry that belongs in every HS classroom library, a book about boys, for boys and for the girls who want to know b=more about boys and how they think. The stories are very different and will appeal to different readers. The topic are diverse: suicide, teen marriage, a grandfather who was shot, pretty mothers, HIV. Some are written in different formats. i.e., diary entries letters. There are also poem, but, other than the title poem, I was not impressed by the writing of the poems.

[Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am baffled this has such high ratings. All this book did was perpetuate the worst black stereotypes Flake could find. Two poems began to tackle legitimate issues but nothing else did. Any issues that were vaguely raised in the novel were not actually explored, and god forbid she talk about how race might cause or impact the issues boys face in a book specifically about black teenage boys. There were a few good bits but overall this was a flop. My professor had to look up the author because this book so poorly represented black people that he couldn’t believe it had a black author.

[JL Salty · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: pg-13+ for pregnant teens, drug use, light profanity
recommend: short story & poetry, realistic fiction, African-American MCs throughout

Covers the gammit of teenage boy situations. the good, the bad, the ugly. the boys sinking lower into the worst kind of story, the boys working hard to overcome. the ones who want to do better but can't seem to... all with the purpose of reminding us that every human has their own story, their own journey, and we are all worth knowing. stop and ask, don't assume. let them say their own words.

[addie˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don’t read poetry often, so i thought that it would be nice to give it a go. im going to be honest, some of the poems weren’t very good, but a lot of the short stories were.

my personal favorite was the last one, about a young boy getting seduced by an older woman.

i do wish that the stories had a follow up chapter, or
maybe a more clear ending, but i guess the interpretation is all up to the reader.

[Jett Sharp]

This book focuses on real life issues that many people have to go through. You don't even know me widened my perspective. And that all problems are temporary and it made me think about people that might be going through these problems and If I would give them any advice I would advise them to read this. This book brings a lot of emotion and chaos to the table to look at and say to yourself "It is never going to get better." But they pull through and endure and that's what life is about.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't quite up to what I was expecting, but it was a solid read nonetheless. It's full of different short stories and poems about the kind of situations young people of color have to deal with growing up in cities. It's a solid read in terms of the diversity it attempts to bring in as far as subject matter and some of the real situations kids have to deal with. However, I found it somewhat lacking in terms of character development and authenticity. Maybe if the stories were longer and had more time to develop the characters they feature, it would seem more real. As it was, I felt like the characters were very base level without much depth. But given that there is a noticeable lack of solid reading material for young people of color compared to most of what is marketed to young people, I'm glad this is out there to provide some variety. But we still seriously need more..... like SO. MUCH. MORE.

[Written Melodies · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars--I struggled to finish this short book. I read it off and on for the past two months. I liked the short stories more than I did the poems because they liked depth to me. If it had not been for the short stories, I would've abandoned this book. I do plan to use two or three short stories in a unit plan I'm developing.

[Jack Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book with a strong meaning and background to it. It was amazing to see the different point of view from someone who is different from. Learning from the struggles that people have or are facing because of prejudice. At the beginning the poem drew me in and is what kept me reading thinking about the possible meaning of the first poem.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because it seemed like it would be good for us to do with our youth prison book club. I can see how each of these open ended stories and each of these poems could make for a really great discussion with the boys. The title says you don’t even know me, but Using stories like this as a catalyst for discussion will hopefully make that not true by the end.

[Seth Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did think a lot of the stories and poems didn't match the overall book, but there were 2-3 good stories or poems that I enjoyed that I would like or could see becoming a book alone. It was a very slow read compared to the last book I read the reason being it never could grab my attention considering it would move on to something completely new in each chapter.

[Rayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful stories of boys growing up and learning how to make their way as men in this world. Sharon Flake does such a great job of bringing this world that is so near my own and yet so very different to life in a way that makes me yearn to reach out and hug them as I do my own son.