If I Grow Up

The book I read is If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser. Todd Strasser has also written the book such as Give a Boy a Gun and Boot Camp. Most of Strasser books are realistic fiction about real situations some people face in life. The novel If I Grow Up is about a young boy named DeShawn. DeShawn lives in the Frederick Douglass Project where gang violence and crime happens every day. This book is about a life of a teenager struggling with living in the projects.

               

This novel gives reader an insight of living in the project. DeShawn is smart and wants to get out of the project and he knows the only way is to stay in school and keep away from gangs. But since most of his friends are in gangs they have drug money to buy nice things. DeShawn wants nice things to but has no other way to get them which leaves him with a big choice to make.

               

I would recommend this book to anyone to read. It gives readers who have a lot in their life what it is like to have nothing to open their eyes and see not everyone has the best life. It is a great realistic fiction book to teach people to cherish what they have in life. 

Book Review by Selena S.