RGG: Kind of drawn out, somewhat dated story about Myer's experience growing up in 1950's Harlem and struggling to find himself as a bright, intellectual outcast.

I feel honored to have once met Walter Dean Myers, and I truly admire his writing, his worldview, his understanding of people. Schoolkids should have his books pushed their way. Especially good for a better understanding of "the world of Harlem," as he puts it in this book. ( )

This autobiography focuses on the childhood and adolescence of Walter Dean Myers, born Walter Milton Myers. His mother died when he was a young boy, leaving his father with seven children, two of which were half siblings. The mother of these two half-sisters, Florence Dean, and her husband, Herbert Dean, adopted Walter when they reclaimed Geraldine and Viola, eventually resulting in his name as it is known today. Myers grew up in Harlem and struggled in school, even though he was a bright student. He had a speech impediment, and this difficulty in communicating with words led Myers to communicate with his fists and other physical actions. However, with the guidance of teacher, Myers discovered he had great power in writing.
Though Myers had a number of supportive individuals in his life, he ultimately didn't graduate from his prestigious high school and enlisted in the army on his 17th birthday. Throughout his life, he returned to the advice of a high school English teacher to "never stop writing." The author of over 100 books, Myers clearly took that advice to heart. ( )

Summary: This book is a memoir about the childhood of Walter Dean Myers. He describes his family and friends. He gets into a ton of trouble but comes out a good and successful person on the other side.
Opinion: I like this book, although I had never heard of Walter Dean Myers in my life previously. He is a good writer and uses some humor in his story which I like. I think this book would be great for any “bad kid” to read. ( )

I’m not familiar with Walter Dean Myers’ work but after reading this biography I think I’ll have to check out some of his books. This book was surprisingly relatable to me on certain levels. Clearly the experiences of a child raised in Harlem won’t reflect those of a child raised in Tucson, but I was able to relate to Myers’ teenage problems. Myers’ problems with identity and angst as a young man are universal with any young man that is trying to understand who he is. ( )