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Handbook for Boys cover art

Handbook for Boys

Written by: Walter Dean Myers
Narrated by: Peter Francis James
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Publisher's Summary

In the groundbreaking tradition of his award-winning Monster and Bad Boy: A Memoir, Walter Dean Myers fashions a highly listenable, powerful novel about the rules for success for young men, especially those navigating coming of age while Black.

Share this book in the classroom, in a father-son group, or as a summer listening (or anytime) choice that's likely to spark conversation and be a favorite.

"When the proprietor of a Harlem barbershop takes over as the court-appointed mentor for two troubled teenagers, he conveys the message that the future is built not only on hard work but on sustaining dreams as well." (Smithsonian magazine).

In his introduction to Handbook for Boys, Walter Dean Myers wrote: "I know as a troubled teenager I would have loved to have a neighborhood barbershop to sit in and a group of worldly and knowledgeable men to counsel me. Thinking about this was my motivation in writing this book, hoping it will be, in the least, a jumping-off point for many interesting conversations about success."

©2002 Walter Dean Myers (P)2002 HarperAudio

What the critics say

"Peter Francis James' narration captures the low-income neighborhood perfectly, with characters that range from preachy old men to drug addicts and slick ex-cons." (AudioFile)

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