Drive-By - Hardcover

Grade 5-8?Jimmy was always joking around. That's what Tito thought he was doing that night in front of the library. But when the gang car sped away and Jimmy lays motionless on the ground, Tito realizes that his brother is dead. He later learns that Jimmy had been skimming money from his "deliveries" and hiding it from his gang and now that he is gone, the gang members begin a destructive search of Tito's house for the stolen cash. After being bullied, badgered, and threatened with death, Tito knows what he has to do. This novel explores the aftermath of a gang-related shooting in a first-person narrative style. While realistic actions and language propel readers through it, character development is minimal; thus, there is no sense of emotional involvement toward Tito and his family. The story encourages readers to do the right thing, but the overall effect is one of helplessness and lack of control. S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (Viking, 1967) and Walter Dean Myers's Scorpions (HarperCollins, 1988) are far better explorations of gang life.?Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL
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