Bad Boy
A Memoir
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Into a memoir that is gripping, funny, heartbreaking, and unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers richly weaves the details of his Harlem childhood in the 1940s and 1950s: a loving home life with his adopted parents, Bible school, street games, and the vitality of his neighborhood. Although Walter spent much of his time either getting into trouble or on the basketball court, secretly he was a voracious reader and an aspiring writer. But as his prospects for a successful future diminished, the values he had been taught at home, in school, and in his community seemed worthless, and he turned to the streets and his books for comfort. Here in his own words is the story of one of the strongest voices in children's and young adult literature today.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
Teen Features:
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Awards for Bad Boy |
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Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Masterlist (Vermont)
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ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
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National Book Award Finalist
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Parents' Choice Gold Award
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Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
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Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Masterlist (Vermont)
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National Book Award Finalist
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ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Parents' Choice Gold Award
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Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
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Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
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New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
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Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
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National Book Award Finalist
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ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Parents' Choice Gold Award
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Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
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Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
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New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
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Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
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Critical Praise for
Bad Boy
“[A] superb memoir. Young writers will find inspiration here.”
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School Library Journal
“Many teens will see themselves in Myers’account.”
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ALA Booklist (boxed review)
“Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s.”
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Publishers Weekly
“[From] one of the most important writers of children’s books [comes a] glimpse into his own childhood [that] is wonderfully valuable, fascinating…inspiring.”
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Kirkus Reviews
“Many of the individual scenes have power…and the author’s voice and heart are consistently heard and felt throughout.”
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The Horn Book
“A powerful read. Will make the reader laugh out loud & sigh with satisfaction.”
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Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“A thoughtful, cautionary and inspiring tale.”
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Chicago Tribune
“This memoir joins the ranks of stellar literary autobiographies, such as Fleischman’s Abracadabra Kid and Zindel’s Pigman and Me.”
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Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Myers was a great reader from an early age, and escaped into books to assuage some of his anxieties and feed his interest in writing. Titles remain fresh in his mind: “Bad Boy” catalogs many, perhaps inviting today’s young readers to look at them.”
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The New York Times Book Review
“His description of his narrow escape from a criminal path is harrowing. Most compelling of all is the revelation of his struggle as a black teen to imagine a future that involved books when nearly all the adults in his life worked at menial jobs.”
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Buffalo News
“Teen readers... will identify with the pain in his coming-of-age story... an excellent model for young people attempting to write pieces of a memoir”
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Houston Chronicle
“Intricately juxtaposing, with wit and candor... Walter Dean Myers, in his familiar, charming voice, has crafted yet another insightful read.”
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Ruminator Review
“This memoir from a well-regarded and popular author is intriguing, surprising, funny, and almost tragic before we get to the end and discover that this “bad boy” we have been reading about really does turn out to be Walter Dean Myers.”
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Riverbank Review
“There’s a lot for teens to relate to and identify with in this funny, poignant memoir that reads like fiction.”
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Wiregrass Times
“Beautifully written, inspiring and as riveting as any of Myers’ fiction, ‘Bad Boy’ is... a vibrant memoir of the Harlem 60 years ago.”
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Detroit Free Press
“Although it might be regarded as an inspirational account of the power of books to change lives, Myers’s memoir is also a graphic account of one person’s struggle to become who he needs to be.”
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Riverbank Review
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