I started off quite excited by this book: A Newbery I hadn't yet read by an author I didn't know! What's not to get excited about? But the more I got into it, the more I just wanted to put it down and crawl away. Yes, crawl, that's the feeling I want to express. But I did finish it. Here's my conflict:

The book's style is well-crafted, consistent and carefully implemented. I can't understate the craftsmanship here, [a:Walter Dean Myers|13291|Walter Dean Myers|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1230178601p2/13291.jpg] does a great job expressing the swing between the hopelessness of the streets and the hope that the maternal figures cling to. Myers writes well.

But it's that hopelessness that made me want to crawl away from this book. The mother, the friends' mothers/grandmothers and the school authority figures all have a frustrated hope that tries to overpower the dull ache that the streets, the gangs, the fistfights and the constant struggle to put food on the table bring into their homes and school. And Myers does an excellent job showing how strong the hopelessness is and how all involved are simply a single decision away from ending their life or losing their freedom.

So, ordinarily this book would merit two stars from me, but Myers' mastery of taking letters and making them into words, stringing words into sentences and crafting those sentences into paragraphs and chapters and doing it all with the same artful strokes and consistent colors, voices, theme and story—for that, I rate this book four stars. In some sense, I'm rating the author and his art, not the book. Think of it that way. ( )

12-year-old Jamal is facing stressful situations on all sides: he's having trouble at school. which is exacerbated by the casual racism of his principal; his older brother is in jail for killing a man during a robbery; he feels a low-grade constant worry for his mother, who works too hard out of necessity and is herself worried sick over her oldest son; and he is now facing pressure from his brother's old gang not only to join them, but also to take his brother's place as their leader. When the neighborhood gang lord gives him a gun to help solidify his new position, Jamal at first balks, but then becomes dependent on the gun for a feeling of security, forming a love/hate relationship with the weapon. The gun, of course, leads to nothing but trouble, and Jamal's only constant - his sweet and kind and loving best friend, Tito - gets caught up in the consequences.
This one feels pretty heavy for a Newbery Honor Book, but then again, if there are middle grade kids getting pulled into such a violent life, then there should be middle grade books out there tackling the subject. There's no happy ending here, but it's an important read, nonetheless. Jamal feels very real, and his emotions and reactions to the situations he finds himself in are believable, which is not an easy writing goal to accomplish. Overall, recommended. ( )

This is an interesting book based in the mid-1900’s. The main character, Jamal, must deal with everything from school trouble to gangs. On top of all this, his brother is in jail. for allegedly killing a man during a robbery. While at home, his family (mother, sister, Jamal) must cope with poverty. To make matters worse, he is not doing well in school because he has been inducted into his brothers gang. This is a very accurate, and interesting, account of what life was like back then in Brookland.
In my opinion, this is a very good book. I enjoyed reading about Jamal’s life It told me about what it really was like without that much money back then. Also, the author tells about what could happen if you were black during that time period. Discrimination also plays a part in Jamal’s life, and helps move the story along. Overall, I think that is a great book, and very well written, also.

I listened to this book on audio tape. Challenging story that touches upon many complicated issues - violence, guns, prison, etc.

Scorpions is a realistic view into the lives of two 12year old African American boys growing up in a harsh, inner-city neighborhood in Harlem, NY that's filled with violence, drugs, and gangs. Jamal, the protagonist, lives with mom and sister because his dad abandoned him. His friend, Tito, lives with his grandma. Jamal is trying to get enough money to get his brother Randy out of jail. He's motivated by his love for his mother. He sees his mother's difficulties and stresses of raising children as a single parent. So, he tries to become the leader of his brother's old gang, the Scorpions, to get some money to get his brother out of jail. When a fellow gang member gives him a gun, he earns a new respect from his enemies. The plot centers around his experiences with the gang members and his struggles to help his family.

This is a realistic look at a boy who wants to do the right thing, but gets caught up in a world of violence. The protagonist, Jamal, shows a lot of growth and development through the story. The plot is filled with ups and downs. It leaves the reader happy and sad at times; a lot of intense moments. It has an exciting climax with a sad ending. The story gives a good insight into the lives of teens growing up in tough circumstances while dealing with the issues of racism and prejudice. High school students could easily relate to these characters and the struggles of growing up in a bad neighborhood with no father and no money. A good book for reluctant readers.

Grades: 8-12 ( )