Neri, Greg, writer. Randy Duburke, illustrator. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. ISBN-10: 1584302674, ISBN-13: 9781584302674. Lew & Low Books. 2010.
Summary
"Yummy" is the nickname for an eleven year old boy, Robert Sandifer. In 1994, Yummy was responsible for the stray bullet that killed another kid, a 14-year old girl from the same Chicago Southside neighborhood. In the span of three days, we see Yummy running and hiding from the police and eventually his own gang. The narrator, Roger, gives a insight into who Yummy is and the system that, in the end, may have failed Yummy and many other children like him.
Critical Evaluation
In stark, black and white illustrations, Yummy is a graphic novel about the very short life of the real Robert Sandifer, aka Yummy. He was 11 years old when he shot and killed 14 year old Shavon Dean. The story is told through the eyes of a fictional classmate of Yummy's, Roger. And he is the voice that asks the questions about how Yummy turned out like he did: Was it the dangerous Roseland neighborhood? Was it the attraction of gang life to fill in where his family was absent? It's impossible to know what happened to Yummy, but readers can look at this graphic novel as a cautionary tale for their own futures.
Reader's Annotation
The Roseland neighborhood in Chicago's Southside is a dangerous place to grow up. Watch how a boy who loved sweets, dubbed Yummy, became an 11 year old murderer.
About the Author
Greg Neri is the author of several books for children and young adults, a producer of interactive media projects for clients like Reebok, Disney and Mercedes Benz, writer and director of three films and the winner of numerous awards. He currently lives in Florida, but graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz with a degree in theater arts which explains his wide range of projects. Yummy began as a movie project and after 12 years, it became a graphic novel.
Illustrator Randy Duburke was born in Georgia, lived in New York and now resides in Switzerland with his family. Over his 20 year career, he has worked on comic books, book cover art, children's picture books, and animation. Duburke was awarded the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for best new talent/illustration for his first children's book, Moon Ring, in 2003. Now he is committed to his time to work on illustrating children's books and graphics novels.
Genre
Graphic Novel
Biography
Violence
Boys/Men
Challenges
Violence
Curriculum Ties
Sociology: Chicago's Southside Roseland neighborhood
Sociology: Gangs as family
Current Events: Gang Violence
Booktalking Ideas
What were you thinking about when you were 11… shooting another kid to into a gang…
Awards
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2010
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2010
Booklist Best Books of 2010
School Library Journal's Fuse #8: 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2010 List
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+
Why I included this title...
I read the review in Booklist.
