Who am I without him? : short stories about girls and the boys in their lives / Sharon G. Flake.
Author: Flake, Sharon.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: New York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, c2004.
ISBN: 0786806931
9780786806935
Description: 168 p. ; 22 cm.
Subject: Children's stories, American.
African Americans Fiction.
Interpersonal relations Fiction.
Dating (Social customs) Fiction.
Short stories.
Children's stories, American.
Short stories, American Juvenile fiction.
Young adult fiction, American.
Juvenile materials.
Short stories. gsafd
Notes: Coretta Scott King Honor, author, 2005.
Contents: So I ain't no good girl -- The ugly one -- Wanted: a thug -- I know a stupid boy when I see one -- Mookie in love -- Don't be disrespecting me -- I like white boys -- Jacobs's rules -- Hunting for boys -- A letter to my daughter.
Summary: Short stories about teenage love and angst. Written in the vernacular of urban African-American teens, which Flake captures flawlessly, these 10 stories have universal themes and situations. Some are funny and uplifting; others, disturbing and sad. In "So I Ain't No Good Girl," a teen wants to be with a good-looking popular boy, so much so that she tolerates his disrespect and abuse. In "Wanted: A Thug," Melody writes to a columnist for advice on how to steal a friend's boyfriend, unaware that the friend is the columnist's younger sister. Two of the stories are told from a boy's point of view. The concluding story, "A Letter to My Daughter," in which an absent father gives his daughter his advice about boys and men is sad, poignant, and loving. Flake has a way of teaching a lesson without seeming to do so. Addressing issues and situations that many girls face in today's often complex society, this book is provocative and thought-provoking.
