Rush Hour: Bad Boys - Softcover

Michael Cart is a Grolier Award–winning librarian, author, critic, Booklist columnist, and former president of YALSA. He lives in San Diego, CA.

Grade 8 Up–Like the characters featured in this journal's second volume, the stories vary widely. There are tales about teens trying to be "bad" (E. R. Frank's "Cousins"), boys who have made poor choices (Eugenie Doyle's "T"), and young men who are truly evil, whether by choice (Jacqueline Woodson's "Poe-Raven," an excerpt from her unpublished novel Grail, NY) or by nature (Edward Averett's "Joaquin Years"). While the authors are confident, skilled writers, not all of the selections here have wide teen appeal. Some pieces (those listed above, plus others by David Lubar, Michael Simmons, and Ron Koertge) shine and will be sought by readers who have enjoyed other well-crafted, thought-provoking collections such as Donald Gallo's Destination Unexpected (Candlewick, 2003) or On the Fringe (Dial, 2001). Unfortunately, the one play (Julia Jarcho's "Nursery") may prove somewhat confusing. Of the nonfiction pieces, the introduction by Jack Gantos and the essay by Robert Lipsyte are smooth and might help readers reassess some preconceived stereotypical notions about people, but the excerpt from Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan's upcoming novel about Andy Warhol is written for a slightly younger audience. The few black-and-white illustrations are likely to be overlooked by most readers. Overall, this is an interesting concept, but it's hard to figure out the best audience. This collection is best sampled than read straight through and is likely to require hand-selling to make it move.–Karyn N. Silverman, LREI–Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City
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