My Head Is Full of Books: No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row by Susan Kuklin

"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Saturday, July 25, 2009

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row by Susan Kuklin

A fast read. I purchased this book with funds set aside for reluctant readers. It has very disturbing themes: murder, incarceration, and what it is like to be on Death Row as a juvenile. It also outlines the lives of boys before they were arrested and sentenced. Without saying it, the author makes the point that the boys were all well on their way to a life behind bars before they committed the crime that landed them there. Kuklin interviews several boys and a defense attorney that works with them and uses direct quotes from them. I found myself wanting to correct grammar. Ugh, how critical is that of me?

I hope that I can find ways to get this book into the hands of students who might benefit from it, though I honestly don't think that I will find many readers for it. It is a very disturbing and uncomfortable topic. I think that readers of this book would benefit from reading it in a small group and discussing it as they make their way through it.

YA Non-fiction; My rating: 3