Bad Boy
A Memoir
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In his own words...As a boy, Walter Dean Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously-he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer. But growing up in a poor family in Harlem, his hope for a successful future diminished as he came to realize fully the class and racial struggles that surrounded him. He began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and his books for comfort. In a memoir that is gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. Here is the story of one of the strongest voices in young people's literature today.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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Awards for Bad Boy |
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Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
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Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
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Parents' Choice Gold Award
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New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
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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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Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
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New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
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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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Parents' Choice Gold Award
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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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New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
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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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Parents' Choice Gold Award
-
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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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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