If I Grow Up
Feb 2009 · Simon and Schuster
4.6star
36 reviewsreport
Ebook
240
Pages
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About this ebook
"WHEN YOU GREW UP IN THE PROJECTS, THERE WERE NO CHOICES. NO GOOD ONES, AT LEAST."
In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis.
DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy fancy sneakers and big-screen TVs, DeShawn's family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry?
In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.
In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis.
DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy fancy sneakers and big-screen TVs, DeShawn's family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry?
In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.
Ratings and reviews
4.6
36 reviews
A Google user
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July 8, 2010
If I Grow Up is an intense, realistic fiction story about a boy named DeShawn who is growing up in the inner city projects. The story offers the reader a glimpse into his difficult life and how he has to struggle with gangs, guns, family and life in the projects. This novel is great for students in grades 7 and up. If you are looking for a book that will keep you interested from the first page to the last than check out If I Grow Up.
Pamela Carter
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August 4, 2016
I read this book only because it's on my child's summer reading list. It's not that it's a bad book, but I'd rather my child read things that are more uplifting and that he can take something away from. I feel this book is neither of these.
1 person found this review helpful
Marrissa Pressey (Rissa)
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October 16, 2013
Thiss Book Is Great ! It Made Me Cry In The Middle , But Its A Really Good Book . I Love It !! My Favorite Book Ever Since May Wen I Read It ! ♥
About the author
Todd Strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the award-winning Can’t Get There from Here, Give a Boy a Gun, Boot Camp, If I Grow Up, Famous, and How I Created My Perfect Prom Date, which became the Fox feature film Drive Me Crazy. Todd lives in a suburb of New York and speaks frequently at schools. Visit him at ToddStrasser.com.
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