![]() Miracle’s Boys is a well-written tribute to the love of brothers and the difficulty they face when losing their mother and father. On her website, Woodson says about writing Miracle’s Boys, “I also wanted to write about how hard it is to lose someone you love—in this case, both parents—and how that pain starts shaping itself into other things sometimes like anger and isolation. Most of all, I wanted to write about three brothers who are funny, handsome, searching, and caring of one another. Woodson accomplishes her goal in this novel. The reader sees the struggles each of the brothers face and how they cope with the loss of their mother specifically. At 22 years old, Ty’ree is faced with becoming the bread winner of his family and the caretaker of his brothers. He foregoes his college acceptance at MIT to stay home and keep his family together. Charlie, who is 15 and the middle brother, struggles with making poor choices and acting out in anger. The book concludes with some hope as far as Charlie’s future is concerned. The reader gets the idea that perhaps Charlie has learned his lesson and wants to make better choices. Lafayette, the youngest brother at 12, yearns for his mother and feels somewhat isolated from his brothers. Woodson’s voice in this novel is authentic. The characters are not stereotypical or tokens. They are strong young Black men who have to learn to persevere and achieve despite the misfortunes they encounter. The reader sees the boys have emotions and feel these emotions which is something that is not always encouraged in young men, young Black men especially. Lafayette also goes to a psychologist to discuss his feelings and get help which offers a good role model for students. The reader is left with the feeling that we all need help sometimes and it is okay to reach out for assistance when we need it. I believe students would be able to relate to the characters in this book. The relationship the brothers share is not an easy one. The reader sees their struggles with each other; it is not an oversimplified relationship; it is an authentic one. This is something that students would be able to relate to and understand as relationships with siblings and families are often complex. Students could also relate to the characters and the choices they make. Each of the boys encounters situations in which they have to make decisions on what to do or how to react to one another. Making difficult choices and living with the consequences is something we all face and something students will understand and be able to relate to. It is an authentic problem. I think middle school boys would particularly enjoy reading this novel. It is short and not overly difficult as far as vocabulary, but it is deep in storyline and character development. Being an adolescent is difficult and often time students feel alone in their feelings; I think they would be able to readily relate to Lafayette and the struggles he has throughout the book. The reader is shown different facets of each of the characters which makes them realistic and not one-sided. Despite the difficulties the boys face, they are able to keep going by loving and supporting each other “brother to brother” even though it is often a struggle. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book but it does deal with death, delinquency, and gangs in some scenes; however, the emphasis of the book is the love and strength of the brothers. Approximate Reading Level - 6th-8th
0 Comments
|
Archives
August 2022
Categories
All
|