Malcom X By Any Means Necessary

by Walter Dean Myers

Biography of Malcom X

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir, African American, Audiobook, Race

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

pseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson

Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.

After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.

Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.

In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fascinated me. I had not read much about Malcolm X before. I am impressed by his intelligence and passion. I found it so sad that his teacher crushed his dreams. When he was about 13 his teacher told him he would not be able to become a lawyer because he was black. That is one of the saddest things to read about. That moment changed his life. He realized that the world was not fair and that people treat him differently because of his skin. I am sure he understood that before, but it seemed like that moment was when it clicked for him.

I was happy that he found Islam as a way to bring some peace to his life and make such a positive impact on the world around him. It was tragic that he was killed. It makes you wonder what more he could have accomplished if he had lived longer.

After reading this book, I want to do more to combat racism and discrimination. I need to stick up for any group of people being oppressed. I feel like there should be more that I can do.

[Charles Mckinney]

Malcolm X book review


Walter Dean Myers’s , “ Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary”, is an autobiography of Malcolm's life. This book depicts Malcolm’s convictions, ambitions, transformations, growth, and views as he ages into a complete person. He explains how Malcolm’s home life was and the racial barriers that he delt with. It shows his actions in the community and how he demonstrated his beliefs and ideas to his people.

The authors purpose in writing this book was to relay information and to motivate young black women/men. The author, Walter Dean Myers, is a graduate of Empire State college and a winning nominee of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Malcolm, only six when his father died, started attending Pleasant Grove Elementary. He became class president and was a scholar in class. He was popular among his peers even though his peers were white and he was black. Malcolm in order to fit in made himself seem more white or caucasian like. Malcolm’s home situation on the other hand was totally different. Malcolm lived with poverty and despair.

Shorty after being told that he could never become a lawyer he drops out of middle school and moves to Boston. While in Boston Malcolm became accustomed to the streets and how to hustle to make a living. He moved in with his aunt and cousin when his mother had a mental brake down. While living in Boston he would wear the colorful zoot suits with the waste chain and over the top hat. Malcolm like many other children in the streets would get into the life of crime. Malcolm little on the street would come to be known as Detroit Red due to his red hair and flashy ways. His intelligence made him the right hand man of many street bosses and that eventually lead to him robbing people and being incarcerated.

While in prison Malcolm comes in contact with the muslim religion and the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and begins his next transformation. While in prison Malcolm would read the dictionary and practice the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm received a written letter from Elijah Muhammad and decided to complete the transformation. When released he would go to his brothers house to live for a moment and would be placed as the head of temple seven. After recruiting and building his temple he would be promoted to the national spokesperson of the Nation of Islam. For a time everything went smoothly till negative news of Elijah Muhammad and his children out of wedlock arose. This was one of the detrimental factors that lead to the Malcolm’s split with the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm, filling betrayed, decided to renew his beliefs and make a Hajj to Mecca. Though he would have to get approval before he could enter the country he was welcomed with open arms. Malcolm stated that he was surprised at the reaction of the people and how they practiced openly with white muslims. While participating in the Hajj he held conversations with many african leaders and discussed uniting all africans and establishing organizations. This was another turning point in Malcolm’s life and the final transformation he would make.

In conclusion once Malcolm returned to the U.S. he changed his name to El Hajj Malik Shabazz. He, at this time, announced that he would succeed from the Nation of Islam and stated that he would create the Muslim Mosque. Not soon after being established Malcolm was assassinated before he gave his speech.

[Chan Fry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I found this book on a store’s shelf among other biographies (in the not-children’s section), I assumed it would be just what I needed to learn about Malcolm X, of whom I was taught nothing in school (rural Texas, 1980s). Instead, it became quickly obvious as I read that this is an oversimplified children’s book, something that should have been clearly noted on the cover.

(I posted a longer review on my website.)

[Kameel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was basically a complication of historical facts about Malcom X taken from his autobiography, the book his wife wrote in the late 1960s, a book writer by his daughter and other documented literary works. There wasn't any new information in this book that hasn't previously been discussed.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pretty much knew all of this but it was well written and interesting.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent book. Wow. This book went through Malcolm X's life and delved into his beliefs, the times, other major figures, and managed to do it in a way that presented a nuanced, thorough, and introspective account of this complicated man's life. It is for children, but it does not shy away from difficult topics. Rather, it approaches them in the quiet, rational-feeling way that some adult books seem to have forgotten how to do. I feel like every time I read an opinion piece, especially about something controversial, there's a lot of fire and brimstone to go around. This book laid it all out without a lot of judgment. It took the time to go into a lot of background and history in a way that few things tend to do these days, I think. It was a great introduction to Malcolm X, even if it was "written for children".

I've been wanting to read more about Malcolm X for several years. When I found this short audiobook while looking for books by Walter Dean Myers, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I've been teaching black history during black history month now for about three years. I started doing black history my third year when I switched books and, spurred on by a black father who brought to my attention many things about the portrayal of the black experience (and specifically how I needed better resources and knowledge), began actually delving into much of this history. It has been quite a learning experience. That first year, I realized how little I knew, but unfortunately didn't have time to fix these huge knowledge gaps I had. I've been working on it little by little since then, by trying to read a variety of black literature (particularly for children) and trying to educate myself about the black experience, black history, and current and topical black struggles. The thing that has always gnawed at me has been Malcolm X.

Malcolm X was a shadowy historical figure for me. If I had learned about him outright, I didn't remember it. Modern history usually got shafted (and still gets shafted) because when taking a survey of American history, teachers tend to get bogged down and are lucky to make it with depth to past WWII. Most barely go into such movements as the Civil Rights Movement, and then it's all about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., largely because he has been whitewashed into something comfortable for middle America. (Side note: I don't think MLK is unworthy of attention or praise, but I do think his legacy has been tarnished by only painting him in a single light and forgetting about him as a round, human person.) Malcolm X's picture was usually in the history textbook, usually with a quick caption about how he was MLK's opposite, not to mention the fact that the pictures they use are always the ones where he looks the angriest. As time has gone on, I've tried to learn more about Malcolm X, though it's been spotty at best until now. Now I at least have an introduction. And the introduction I do have is a revelation.

Malcolm X is one of the most interesting, misrepresented people I think I've ever had the pleasure to read about. What a life. I had known that he grew up hard and tough and on the streets, and that he had been in jail, but I knew so little about the specifics of his growing up. His father was a passionate minister, a religious man who held people in the sway of his convictions. For this, he was killed (left to die on trolley tracks) when Malcolm was young. His mother tried her best to raise her large family but eventually strained under the pressure and was institutionalized by white social workers who then split up the family. Malcolm was very smart, but went to mostly white schools and, though he excelled, was called nasty names and told he could never succeed. When he was a young teenager, he moved to Boston to live with his half-sister, Ella. He fell in with the wrong crowd and saw firsthand how he could make as much money as black men who had college degrees. At that time, he saw how black people were getting short-shafted economically, but decided the best way to circumvent this was through crime. This led to his imprisonment, where he decided that the best thing he could do for himself was educate himself.

When he got out, he channelled his knowledge and energy and charisma into the Nation of Islam, a religious organization for black Muslims that his brothers had become a part of. The Nation of Islam took many ideas of Marcus Garvey, who felt that blacks should help raise each other up and they only needed each others' help, and focused it into real, lived practices. They had schools where they educated young black children, they had restaurants and businesses where blacks served blacks with respect and decency, they instilled a sense of black pride. The ultimate message was that if black people continued to believe that the lie they had been told by white people to keep them down -- that they were racially inferior -- then they would never be able to rise up. And also that white people had a long, long list of ways to create self-hate in black people: drug addiction, poverty, etc. Thus, the message of the Nation of Islam was that black people should try to separate themselves from the mainstream white population. Trying to fit themselves into the white mainstream would not erase the feelings of racially-motivated self-hate that that white mainstream perpetuated, to their detriment. So the Nation of Islam was anti-integration. But when you say it like that, without any of that other background, it sounds kind of bad, doesn't it? When you say black people should remove themselves from a system that will never allow them any success, that sounds a lot better. It's all about how it sounds and this book did a great job of trying its best to remove "how it sounds" or to couch "how it sounds" in history and background and context.

Likewise, this book took a good, hard look at MLK. It analyzed the reasons for his rise, why he became a counterpoint to Malcolm X, how they were similar, how Malcolm X felt about MLK and the non-violent movement. It makes so much more sense when articulated this way. History classes, to me, always seemed to make Malcolm X out to be this violent, white-hating zealot, on par with terrorists and angry mobs. He was so much more than that, and to reduce him to such violent and hateful terms is untrue and, I feel after reading this book, slanderous. Yes, he said some intense things, but that does not mean that his movement was hateful. Intensity and conviction does not automatically invalidate their ideas, like history has so often attempted to paint those it doesn't like. And I don't think history really likes Malcolm X.

He had yet another change when he ended up breaking with the Nation of Islam shortly before his death. He created a new organization and even went on a hajj to Mecca. On his journeys, he grew yet again and became a different person. He began opening the door wider and wider to people of all colors and realizing that he was reducing people, and that there were good people in the world to work with in order to achieve progress. This never gets mentioned. It never gets mentioned that he was a diverse, multi-faceted man who continued to evolve and grow throughout his whole life.

However, I think the thing that struck me the most was his death. I knew he had been assassinated, and had been so before MLK. I did not know the exact circumstances of his death. I did not know that he died, essentially, in a firefight. I did not know that his wife was there, nor his many daughters. I did not know she was pregnant with twin daughters. I did not know that he lay there in front of them, shot to death and bleeding on a stage, with an audience in attendance. That struck me to my core. That is truly despicable and I cannot fathom the pain and suffering that must have caused his family. And for what? He often said himself that men who have strong convictions die young, and that he did not think, because of his ideas and his willingness to spread them, that he would live to be old. He was right, and I think that is an injustice.

This book, I think, is especially important right now. I think there is a lot of confusion over why many black people in this country are upset. Many people say things like, "but slavery was so long ago" and "what's so bad for them right now anyways" and a book like this goes into so much history that sheds light on the circumstances and events of today. This book really informs why movements like Black Lives Matter are important, crucially so, and are still relevant and required today. This is still a struggle that exists and goes on, and I can see the struggle between the ideas of Malcolm X and the ideas of Marcus Garvey and the ideas of MLK and the ideas of W.E.B. DuBois. This book provides a little more illumination and should be read.

If not this book, then others. Go read about the black experience, especially if you are not black. Go read about black history, especially if you are not black. Take the time to understand the concerns of the people of your country today. Take the time to look through their eyes and see their histories and read books about this struggle. It's important if we ever want to move forward.

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t mention boot straps when you’ve barely allowed us to get the boot. FOH!!!

IMAGINE.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the most life changing book that is have read followed by Black Boy (Richard Wright) & Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison). They remind me of what America was like & to be forever grateful that I was not around during those times. Furthermore, it is imperative that we know our history, not to dwell on it but to recognize it at every turn to make more informed decisions as to not regress neither repeat them. I vividly remember someone calling Malcolm a bigot; clearly they knew what it looked like but failed to properly diagnose what brother Malcolm had successfully lived through. Having love for my race doesn’t mean hate for yours. This is something that many people within many races haven’t yet quite grasped; perhaps, they never will & so I leave you with the thought that knowing half the story is just THAT, 0.5. And just because you don’t understand someone doesn’t give you carte blanche to label them as you see fit.

Educate yaself.

Leave us completely the hell out of it.

And be well.✌🏿

[Karly Grice · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent companion—in whole or part—for Christopher Paul Curtis’s texts (especially Watson and Mighty Miss Malone) or Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer. My favorite parts were the intro and conclusion for how Myers frames how all people come from context.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...in looking at Malcolm's life, we see a blending of the four Malcolms into one dynamic personality that is distinctively American in its character."

This book was my first intimate introduction to El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz. I purchased it at a book fair in the sixth grade and it was how I learned,in-depth about him. This book was written by the great YA novelist of the 1980s and 1990s, Walter Dean Myers. Because Myers generally wrote for younger audiences, he was perfect for taking the dynamic and complicated nuances of Shabazz's life and put it in a very plain basic language that would not confuse or put off some one who is young. The pictures i the book are also very well presented and provide a good visual to go along with the major stages of his life.

Another thing to like is that it is not overtly biased. While Malcolm X is aptly praised for his more positive contributions it is not at the expense of other civil rights leaders like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who's views and relationship to Malcolm X are fairly looked at. This book, though it is written for pre-teen to early teen, does not shy away from looking at aspects of Shabazz's life and does not miss very much in detail. Of course, once you read this book it is only right to read the man in his own words via The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I will give m own views about Malcolm X when I review that book.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea that this was a book for “young adults” (really I would recommend this for early middle schoolers). I wish that would have been advertised better, and that I had read more reviews first. The book has interesting details of Malcom X’s life, but if you’re looking for a book geared towards adults it’s best that you just read his autobiography. This book pulls a lot of content from that anyway. It is extremely repetitive and occasionally attempts to stylize the writing in a way that doesn’t fit with the rest of the text. I was also frustrated by the lack of any mention of other groups of color during the Civil Rights Movement. I realize the book focuses on Malcom, but if there’s several pages discussing Black Americans roles in every US war (when he never served) it can also be mentioned as an aside that Indigenous Americans, Latinx Americans, and Asian Americans were also fighting against the same oppressions albeit in very different ways.

I would recommend this to a middle schooler reader who was mature enough to want the information.

[Drew Vandervest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal response:
I really liked the book, because it made me feel motivated. The book contained great quotes from Malcolm X. My favorite part of the book is when Malcolm went to jail, because that is when he changed his whole life around. This book taught me the way to succeed, that is by self empowerment. This book taught me about second chances. Before Malcolm was incarcerated, he was on the wrong path. Malcolm sold drugs gambled and robbed people. Malcolm lived a life full of sin, then ended up a holy man. This book also taught me to never judge, because Malcolm sold drugs and robbed people so he can have money to live off of. It’s sad to see people resort to sinful behavior, but Malcolm had a reason for the things he did. I couldn't imagine the life of an African American in the segregation era. It was hard for minorities to find work, that is the reason why most minorities resorted to criminal behavior. I liked how Malcolm was a great leader, he set a great example of himself so people can follow him. I didn’t like Malcolm thought process, he said “white people are blue eyed devils”. I’m be honest that hurt me, in my opinion everybody is equal to each other at the end of the day we’re all human. In conclusion, I rate this book five out of five stars.

Plot:
The book is a biography about Malcolm X. Malcolm grew up with his father and mother then later he had been separated from them. Malcolm grew up poor and dealt with racism. Malcolm served a seven year prison sentence for an armed robbery. The author talked about Malcolm’s legacy. The author talked about speeches Malcolm performed. The author talked about the assassination of Malcolm.

Characterization:
When Malcolm was young his father was murdered and his mother was sent to a mental hospital. Malcolm spent his teenage years in foster care until he had gotten older then he moved to Boston with his older sister. Malcolm was a troubled teen he was in a gang, where he sold dope and robbed people. Malcolm was a minority, so his only option was to resort to the street life. Malcolm ended up in prison where he changed his life around, he quit Atheistism then converted to Islam. When Malcolm was in prison, he had got in contact with Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam. Elijah Muhammad told Malcolm to stay away from drugs and sinful behavior. Elijah Muhammad was a mentor towards Malcolm. Malcolm was later freed on parole. Malcolm went straight to the mosque where he practiced Islamic rituals. Malcolm dedicated his life to the Islamic religion, then began to lead his own mosque. Malcolm set a great example for the inner city African Americans. Malcolm quit drugs and taught others to stand up for racial equality. Malcolm was the protagonist of the story. Malcolm fought against the 1940’s-1960’s society norms.

Setting:
The setting of this book takes place all over the globe. Malcolm grew up in different locations. Malcolm grew up in Nebraska. Malcolm later moved to Wisconsin. Malcolm's mother lost guardianship of her kids. Malcolm and his siblings ended up in a orphanage, in Michigan. Malcolm was a teenager when he moved to Boston with his sister. Malcolm had been incarcerated for an armed robbery. Six years later Malcolm was released from prison. Malcolm moved back to Michigan then two years later became a minister in New York. Malcolm went to Egypt and visited the Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This book takes place from 1890 to 1965.



THEMATIC CONNECTION:
The theme of this book is leadership. When Malcolm went to prison, he improved his life. Malcolm read books, quit drugs and put his faith in the Islamic religion. Malcolm led a mosque where he taught people to stay away from sinful behavior. Malcolm led by example and followed the rules of the Quran. Malcolm gave a voice for inner city minorities. Malcolm turned around his poor choices into a heroic legacy. Malcolm gave inner city minorities confidence to fight for their rights.

Recommended:
I recommend this book for the open minded. I recommend this book to the revolutionary type people. I recommend this book to high schoolers because high school is the time to start preparing for the future. I recommend this book to unmotivated people, because this book motivated me. I recommend this book to both genders, because everyone should be able to learn about Malcolm X. I recommend this book to people who are going through a rough patch in their life, this book might help motivate them to do great things.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest son recently received his Ph. D. in English from UCLA. His dissertation is titled: "Writing Lives: Matters of Life during the American Age of Slavery." I have read several classic books that he recommended that did not factor into his writing but that he felt would give me a deeper appreciation for what has happened. This short biography was not one of them but it could not be more appropriate than right now as the country careens from one nightmare to another under the leadership of THE GUTTER RAT. Born Malcolm Little, and better known as Malcolm X he was, to put it mildly, a complex individual. Best known as an American Muslim minister and human rights activist he was a popular figure during the civil rights movement and for his staunch and controversial black racial advocacy, and for his time spent as a vocal spokesman for the Nation of Islam. One has to wonder how different things would be, today if he had not been assassinated at age 39. He was gradually realizing that being more inclusive in his efforts to advance the cause for racial equality would accomplish more, hence renounced his support of the Nation of Islam feeling there more militant approach would not be successful. We will never know. And I am not sure anyone knows where the current nightmare is going and how it will end. I do think not electing Trump to a second term and pressing multiple charges for "white-collar crime" and putting the entire family in prison is a good place to start. We shall see. It is less than 150 days.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read Malcolm X's autobiography many, many years ago, so when I saw this biography penned by Walter Dean Myers, I immediately pounced.  It was so informatie, and helped remind me of many things I'd forgotten!  I remembered many of the important things, but I had forgotten that he spent much of his time in Boston when he was younger, and I didn't know that he had changed his name once more later in life!  

I appreciated the fact that Myers quoted directly from Malcolm X's autobiography, and provided his readers with a timeline in the back as well.  Not only that, but he included pictures, explanations of what certain things were (like lye), and made Malcolm's struggles and successes accessible.  

Overall, this was a great biography that made the content easily relatable for both his readers and the time period, and provided me with so much new and remembered information!  Definitely worth the read, especially if you want to know more about the Civil Rights Movement.

Review cross-listed here!

[Vijaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malcom X's story is often overshadowed by another civil rights leader that lived during this time because his movement toward equality was not as palatable to the masses. However, let's remember that Malcom X didn't actually incite violence he simply did not beg for rights that were his to begin with. He was unapologetically himself, even as he learned and grew. The man he is often compared to had a plethora of flaws everyone chooses to overlook, none of which Malcom X suffered from. He was a man who saw injustice before him, did what he could to push back against that injustice, and then, sadly, paid the ultimate price for it.

Walter Dean Myers is a great author so I expected more intricate storytelling within this biography but I got, instead, a play by play rehashing of Malcom X's life. It's not terrible, but it's not great either.

[Joe Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because I knew way too little about this historical figure. It was only when I was half way through it that I realized that this was the 3rd straight book I had read by this author (other 2 were historical fiction of Vietnam and Iraq wars). I bought them for the titles, not the author. In reading them I have come to greatly appreciate the writing style of Myers. Very clear, descriptive, complete without being wordy. I learned a great deal about Malcolm X; especially how he was much more complex than what I remember from media coverage back then. I also realize that one needs to read Malcolm X's autobiography by Alex Haley to get a full understanding of this person.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very educational. Like many, I grew up hearing of Malcolm X only in contrast to Martin Luther King Jr., but didn't know much about him as an individual. This biography, written for young audiences, was a great overview of the life and influence of Malcolm X. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to know more about the civil rights era but who may be intimidated by dense nonfiction.

[Whitlaw Tanyanyiwa Mugwiji · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, simple and straightforward biography of Malcom X. A thought leader and revolutionary who was taken just when he had become ripe the cause of black people everywhere and the pan Africanist agenda.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed to find out more about Malcolm X. I’ve seen movies and watched some documentaries. This bio helped me understand a little better what motivated him and put him on such a direct and fervent path. I happen to love Walter Dean Myers and sought out this bio for that reason.

[Sameeha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good quick biography of Malcolm X from his origin story, to life and after. I started this thinking it is the companion audiobook to the speeches compilation book of the same name I'm currently reading, but this was a different book altogether.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a great job of exploring the different parts of Malcolm X's life. I wish more was known or said about his death and his legacy. That part of the book felt very brief.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard about Malcolm X all my life but did not know a lot about him. This book was so accessible and engaging, it has made me want to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great companion to Alex Hailey's autobiography. This book shed more light on Malcolm Little, the boy.

[Yaneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible audiobook listen, so many powerful quotes

[Yeva Y]

Informative and insightful biography about Malcolm X, it’s a very easy read as well.

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I stared reading this book by chance as it was the only book in my Costa Rican hostel which wasn’t in German. The book provides a good basic understanding of Malcom X’s life and legacy as well as including vital historical and social context. Ideal for a quick overview but lacks a lot of detail and analysis. Easy to read with black and white photos as well as copies of relevant documents.

[Christy Weatherholtz-Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written condensed version of Malcolm X, El Haijj Malik el Shabazz.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, not only due to the fact that I agree with what Malcolm was fighting for, but also because of his transformation from simple begging to becoming a world known political image. I do not agree, though, in how he wanted to completely break off from the white people but, later, I do agree with his more balanced approach to all people working together. I thought this book was a great read and also a great learning experience.

Malcolm X by Any Means Necessary, is a book that shows the rise and fall of one of America's best civil rights activists. This book illustrates the small challenges that Malcolm had to deal with. From the switch of Malcolm Little to Malcolm X within the Muslim religion, all the way through his assassination as one of the biggest names in the black rights movement by the very people that gave him his fame. Malcolm went from busing tables on trains to sitting in the highest of seats in debates with some of the nation’s top scholars. Malcolm truly left his mark on the world and I think this book did a really great job at showing that.

The characters in this book are people that made an impact of Malcolm's life. People, such as Elijah Muhammad, gave Malcolm the gift of confidence and a cause. His family played a role in his later life due to the fact that he had to protect them from people trying to hurt Malcolm. Malcolm himself changes much as the book goes on. Malcolm starts out as a child with ambition and transitions to a young adult destined for a life of thievery and injustice. He later becomes a well-educated man with a cause that he had passion for.

This story takes place in a wide amount of cities from Chicago all the way to the religious city of Mecca,
Saudi Arabia. It took place in the 1960’s, a time when people had to fight tooth and nail for their rights, and the government became a shadow of repression. This setting impacted his life greatly, because he had to overcome racism and make a voice for himself and everyone else who deserved equal rights. Also, in this time, tensions were high between people. This led to somebody assassinating him because of the things he spoke.

I feel the audience that would most like this book would be intellectuals. People who think for themselves will get much more out of the book. For example, why Malcolm did what he did, and why the people against him stood against him. I would also recommend this book to people who are looking for inspiration. This book is also aimed at a younger audience. In all, this book is a story of a boy who was told he could not do anything because of his skin and defies all odds and rises to the top.

[Dartaijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life stories can go badly, or go well, depending on who is telling it. When you read Malcolm X ; By Any Means Necessary, you will get an OK description of his life. The book is not bad, nor is it great, it’s just ok. Directly in the middle. Overall, the book gives you great information , wonderful details on the events in his life.

Malcolm X; By Any Means Necessary biography had many strengths. Such as, the way it flowed and was sequenced. It was sequenced from his childhood to his adulthood, where he was civil rights leader. It went from the day he was born growing up living in NYC, to the day he was buried, and everyone paid their respect to him. Another well done thing was that every topic brought up was elaborated on very well. Myers had detail after detail supporting his information in the book. Also, another strength Myers had in this biography book was the fact that he incorporated primary documents from Malcolm’s life to help the reader visualize what really went on then. Such as, he included the article of his father’s death “Man Run over by street car”. This example makes me realize how bad racism was back then. These are just a few of the strengths that Myers has in his book.

Though there were lots of strengths, there were areas that Myers could improve. A few of those are, one, the vocabulary used could have been more sophisticated to emphasize/elaborate on the meaning or feeling of what’s being said. For an example, instead of him saying, “it hurt so bad,” he could have used “excruciating pain.” Also, an area that Myers could have improved on is giving more information and less pictures, unless the pictures are directly about Malcolm. So the pages that had the pictures on them that were not Malcolm or his family could’ve left room to talk more about his position as a civil rights leader. That leads me to my next weakness for Myers book. He should have talked less about his childhood and more about his position as a civil rights leader. Despite all the weak areas in the book, it was overall an OK book.


To sum up, through the strengths and can-be-improveds, this book was high-quality and very interesting. If you are researching Malcolm X and want know about his childhood and NOT so much his position as a civil rights leader, then Malcolm X; By Any Means Necessary is the book you should look into reading!

[Trevor Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response
The book Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary was a great book written by Walter Dean Myers. The author did a great job on this book, because it has good history and talked about a man that lived during the time. This book was very informational on how America was in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. It was a cruel place for African Americans. I hope you like this book as much as I did. It was a very good, informational book and interesting to read.

Plot
The book dealt with the time that racism was still going around bad. There was a group called "Nation of Islam" that Malcolm was a part of. It was a community of African American people that studied Islamic beliefs. The nation was originated in Detroit Michigan but they moved around to bigger cities to such as New York. He was arrested in New York for stealing a watch from a pawnshop. He was there for about five years, and when he got out he went back to Detroit. He got his life together and became clean from drugs, alcohol, and stealing.

Characterization
The main character's name was Malcolm X. He was an African American that tried to change the rights for blacks. He teamed up with Martin Luther King Jr. and was with him for his speeches. He grew up in Michigan and lived there for most of his life. His father was killed by a gang. His whole family was ripped apart and his brothers, sisters, and himself were put into orphanages. He was picked up by another African American family and was raised by them for part of his life.

Settings
The settings of the story was mainly in Detroit. It was in the more peaceful parts of Detroit Michigan. The went to a church a lot for their group meetings and their everyday prayer. They were very religious so they prayed about three times a day. When Malcolm went to jail, he went to jail in New York. He stuck around New York and eventually came back after a couple of months before he went to jail. When he went back to Detroit he became clean.

Recommendation
This book would be great for highschoolers that like some kind of history. I would recommend it for sophomores and/or juniors who are interested on people lifestyle in the 1950s era from both white people and African American people perspective.

[Martez Mayo]

Malcolm X



The book Malcolm X was very adventurous and drumatic. Malcolm x was jumping around from place to place before he found his place in the Life of The Nation of Islam . Malcolm as a young man lost his father at a young age . In a segregated killing by a group of white men , Because they had a Biracial family . So a lot of people targeted his family because around the Mid-sixties white really didn't like blacks and whites together . But after Malcolm lost his father that's when the tables turned on his mom they started getting to her mentally . And they started getting to her and it started getting bad to the point , that she started shutting down on everybody even her children Malcolm and his 5 other siblings to the point that Malcolm and his siblings were put in a Foster Home and thats when Malcolm was in the the 8th grade when his foster brother told him even with his education he would never be anything . But Malcolm was born in Nebraska ..But when he was told that he would never be anything is when he moved to Detroit and got Introduced to the street life . But don't get me wrong Malcolm was very educated and athletic. But he was introduced to the street life and started wearing Zoot suits and robbing and that's when he got locked up and was sentenced to 10 years to prison. But he was let out in 7 years on good behavior but in jail that's when he was introduced to the Nation of Islam . Malcolm became very powerful and to powerful to the point that the head person of the Nation of Islam Elijah Muhammad got very scared and suspicious and Malcolm was informed of this when he went to the grains and roots of the Religion of Muslim and found out that Elijah Muhammad was preaching the wrong things and that's when Malcolm Announced that he was breaking from the Nation of Islam . I really recommend that people read this book because it can show you a lot and the book has a lot of meaning to it . And how Malcolm started from nothing and became something after losing his father to death and his mother to a mental home and going to jail for 7 years . I would relate this story to a regular life of a Black African American .