Myers, Walter Dean. Autobiography of my dead brother.MYERS, Walter Dean. Autobiography autobiography: see biography. autobiography Biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Little autobiographical literature exists from antiquity and the Middle Ages; with a handful of exceptions, the form begins to appear only in the 15th century. of my dead brother. Art by Christopher Myers. HarperCollins. 212p. illus, c2005.0-06-058293-6. $5.99. JS To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, July 2005: This novel is framed by the legendary gospel classic, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," and the funerals of young, black teenagers gunned down on the streets of their own neighborhoods. When the novel opens it is clear that Jesse and Rise are growing up and growing apart. They were once blood brothers; now Jesse hardly recognizes Rise and finds it impossible to sketch sketch, a rapidly executed kind of pictorial note-taking. The sketch is not usually intended as an autonomous work of art, although many have been considered masterpieces in their own right. images of him. This is unfortunate because Jesse has agreed to write an autobiography of Rise's life. Though themes of violence, black-on-black crime, and the coming-of-age of urban black males are familiar in Myers's work, the slow transformation of an innocent social group known as the Counts into a gang thrust into a battle for territorial rights separates this book from others. Teens, some who may by struggling with similar issues, will be on edge while 15-year-old Jesse decides if he will allow his environment and peers to dictate the type of man he will become. The temptation to adopt a destructive mentality men·tal·i·ty n. The sum of a person's intellectual capabilities or endowment. is appealing when he feels the pressure to prove his dedication to Rise in order to keep up an anti-establishment facade facade (fəsäd`), exterior face or wall of a building. The term implies ordered placement of its openings and other features and thus seems inapplicable to a wall without design. . Those interested in graphic novels might find Christopher Myers' b/w illustrations appealing. Like his friend, CJ, who finds solace in playing the piano and the organ, it is art that sustains Jesse, something to which Rise does not have access. This premise is also found in other novels by Myers, such as the Michael L. Printz Award-winning Monster. In Autobiography of My Dead Brother, Jesse survives because he clings to what matters most, his ability to draw and write a comic strip comic strip, combination of cartoon with a story line, laid out in a series of pictorial panels across a page and concerning a continuous character or set of characters, whose thoughts and dialogues are indicated by means of "balloons" containing written speech. (titled Spodi Roti and Wise) not only about Rise, but also about himself and other black teenage boys seemingly seem·ing adj. Apparent; ostensible. n. Outward appearance; semblance. seem  ing·ly adv. forced into a way of life that can only lead to a premature death Premature Death occurs when a living thing dies of a cause other than old age. A premature death can be the result of injury, illness, violence, suicide, poor nutrition (often stemming from low income), starvation, dehydration, or other factors. . KaaVonia Hinton, Ph.D., Old Dominian Univ., VA J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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