108A TE Fall 2011 discussion

Like Veronica, I had a difficult time identifying whether Yummy was the suspect or the victim. The book didn't help with my opinion either. The novel was great in that it painted very clear portraits of the “Jekyll and Hyde” characteristics that Yummy possessed. There were some moments where I was so set on Yummy being the antagonist of the story. The fact that an innocent girl got caught in the middle of a battle of the egos pisses me off and makes me want to hate Yummy for his senseless actions. But then the author and the illustrations also portray Yummy as a vulnerable and insecure child. This made me angry as well. Not at Yummy, but at the conditions that he was raised in. It made me want to get involved in his life and care for him the way that every child should be taken care of. Overall I was very conflicted and I didn’t really make up my mind about Yummy until the end of the story where he finally met his fate.

The scary thing about this story is that it was based on a real live news event. What’s even scarier is that this story isn’t an isolated event that happens once in a blue moon. In some neighborhoods and cities, this is everyday life. Yummy reflects a whole generation of failures in government, school systems, and parental involvement. It’s even safe to say that I have met some “Yummys” in my day. What can we do as teachers to try an offset some of these destructive behaviors? Better yet, is there anything we can do? I’m curious to find out and eager to discuss with you guys about some possible solutions.