This book was a totally different read than Blink! I enjoyed it and was impressed with the plight of these young men. I felt the writing here, whether Draper's or the doctors', is simple and accessible and there is plenty of action for reluctant readers. I hadn't realized it earlier, but this book is adaptation of an adult autobiography titled The Pact. More advanced readers may want to read this title.
I felt this book spoke directly to young people growing up in similar circumstances, but that is not to say that even the students in our suburban high school wouldn't be inspired by their message. I think one of the concepts that resonated with me is the idea that surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals and ideals is an important way to stay focused, and out of trouble. I wish more students heeded this message.
I also thought the fact that the boys don't live "choir boy" lives makes the story even more believable. Hunt even gets in trouble while in medical school. Students need to see that there are options, and even if you do screw up, it is not the end.
I think this book has a niche with reluctant readers, it is an easy read, and moves fast. I could see this having applications in the classroom. Much of the literature we teach deals with people overcoming adversity...this would be a good title to use in conjunction with such books. Using it in a literature circle might also work, perhaps grouped with other true stories of survival, especially stories from people in other cultures. I think we tend to see only our narrow world, and this would help to expand our students' global perspective. The fact that these doctors have a nonprofit foundation (http://www.threedoctorsfoundation.org) might be something we could explore in connection to the book?
Anxious to see what you all thought.
I thought that this book was great. It was easy to read, the chapters were short and would hold the interest of young adults.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked how personalized the book became when the each of the doctors commented on their actions/behaviors at the conclusion of each chapter. I thought that this really helped get the message across to the reader.
I also liked how the book had a positive spin. It described the poverty and crime of the inner city but showed the reader that there was a way to overcome it. It is very seldom that we see a true "happy ending" in stories. I feel that this book could truly show students that there are ways to beat the odds and that they too can be successful.
I must say that I too liked the book. I sat down and read for 4 hours until I finished it. I knew that it was for the studetns I teach when Rameck described throwing the pens to the ceiling to see if they would stick. Having had students do that I know that they could relate. This book is good for the boys that I teach. Even though they are not from the inner city, I know thay can relate to impetuous actions that land them in trouble. I would hope that by the end they can see that there is a good future for those that work hard.
ReplyDeleteRameck's actions really bothered me. There is a saying that you can take the boy from the farm but not the farm from the boy. How do we counteract the influence of the environment on students? Rameck was in Med School and he still acted out of what the streets had taught him.
These 3 men were given an opportunity that most of the inner city kids do not get. They went to a better schooland they that got a full ride to college. How do we improve the education in the regular schools so that those students can see a future? I thought it interesting that as a student in school Sampson felt he had to hide his intelligence to be accepted. I see that in some of my students as well. In New York City there is an elementary school that took the lessons of gang membership and started a gang in school. Membership involved good behavior, good grades and helping others. This school has made a difference.
I went on line to the foundation and there is a quote they use" Our children can not aspire to what they can not see." As educators we need to open the horizons for students. It is a fact that many special education students are unemployed after graduation. This is an area of great concern. Just as inner city students need mentors and role models so do my students. They need to see that they too can have good jobs.
These 3 doctors have made a great contribution to our society. They are respected doctors, written 3 books, do public speaking, have a cartoon the PAct Power Kids and head a foundation to help better the lives of children. I would love to know if this book is used in Rochester and /or how many cities use it.
At the end of the book in the thank you section I was suprised to see thanks to 2 of the fathers. I remember mothers and grandmothers and a run away father mentioned in the story. I will read The Pact to see of they are mentioned in there.
Using this book in the classroom would be easy. The question of affirmative action comes up in US and Governemt. This book could be used to support an arguement for affirmative action. In socilogy and Pychology this book could also be used.
I knew to expect a more enthusiastic response to _Streets_ than _Blink_ but I must admit that I’m disappointed. In my opinion, this was less a piece of inspirational non-fiction than an indulgent, stereotypical description of urban plight mired in poorly constructed dialogue. At the heart of it is a story that may or may not be worth reading in _The Pact_ (I am scarcely interested in finding out) but which has been transformed into a completely incredible afternoon special that will bore and possibly anger those of our students who have experienced any authentic dilemmas related to poverty or race. To the others, we have a responsibility to help them sort out fact from fiction, especially when it is chief among our goals to expose them to a lifestyle other than their own for the purpose of greater human understanding.
ReplyDeleteThis book is classified as non-fiction but has been so dumbed down that I cannot imagine even the remotest resemblance to the truth of its real-life characters’ journeys. A case in point, every chapter dealing with Rameck is identical to the next: “You need to quit hangin’ with those thugs you run with,” “But Moms, those are my boys,” commence with his next irredeemable assault on another human being followed by an inexplicable twist of fate where the victim forgives him. Perhaps young readers are being spared some gruesome details in these instances but, if the _Million Little Pieces_ scandal taught us anything about how important a marketing label can be, people believe what you tell them and begrudge artistic license when something is packaged as anything other than fiction. Dealing with underclassmen and struggling readers—since I hope we agree that this is inappropriately simple for our older and stronger students—there will certainly be some dependence upon us to sort out the one from the other and I’m just not sure this is the best piece for us to use in that endeavor.
I hate to be the cynic of the bunch. Those of you who know me can vouch that I'm a big crybaby when it comes to triumphs of the human spirit. I was terrifically heartened to learn about the successes of these three men and I admire their drive to improve the neighborhoods from which they came whether through the practice of medicine or by sharing their stories. This book just failed to provide credible testimony and as such I struggle to recommend its use as an example of non-fiction literature in our classrooms.
The book is geared to a 4th grade reading level. I believe that they are trying to influence students at an early age. If you hear the same theme over again it is to drive the point home. I can not compare this to Million Pieces where the information was fictional.
ReplyDeleteI watched the documentary tonight. Sampson's mother talked about how he was arrested for theft. Sampson explained that if he had been 6 months older he would have gone in the system.
Much of the documentary was about the Three Doctors being celebrities and they acknkowledge that. However, that is how they an get their message across. I saw then talking to different groups and those people could see that a change was needed. The three doctors are committed to beibg the role model for these students.
Rameck's sister dropped out of school at 15,and lost custody of her child. Rameck helped her with 3 conditions 1 get a high school diploma,2 get a driver's license and 3 get a job. One scene descibed how she failed the drivers test several times and Rameck tells the difference between taking a test and really studying for it.
You talk about how Rameck's story didn't sound true. The "But Mom's those are my boys" rang true to me. So many inner city kids are being raised by mothers and grandmothers. It is typical not to listen to what your mother says. Their peers are much stronger role models. You become what you see around you. In the documentary they say only 6% of med school students are Black,and 53% of Balck students drop put of High School in 9th grade. Those are not good statistics. If these 3 men become the role models they have set out to be then I am all for it. I would love to see their posters on the walls of kids' bedrooms.
They took one student in the documentary and he said he wanted to go to Harvard. He had college pennants on his wall and a picture signed by the 3 doctors.
One of my questions was answered.Ramecks's father had been in jail but he visited him. At the time of the documentary he had been drug free for 7 years and wanted his son to be proud of him.
I intend to read The Pact and The Bond also written by them. I hope that these books will be good for all students who come from a deprived background and need someone to tell them they can do it.
I loved this book and believe that my 15:1 seniors would enjoy it. There were lots of lessons of life that they could benefit from. Peer pressure being an important factor in the success of an individual was one. Keeping focused and having a goal was another. I loved Carla as well. She was an important component in their support system. The supports that the 3 doctors had made a hugh difference in their lives. They were very fortunate to have these. Unfortunately, many of our students do not have parents, true friends, adult mentors, counselors, a person like Carla and a belief in God that they can turn to when the going gets rough. Sam, George and Rameck had all of these and were aware of how lucky they were. Another important factor was that they were very smart and school was not difficult for them. Even though they had to overcome all the street violence, they still had a lot going for them. Seeing the various ways that they worked out conflicts would benefit my students. Affirmative action was mentionned as a factor contributing to their success. This is a controversial issue that is often discussed in my senior government classes. Applying this to the 3 doctors would inspire good conversations and debates. Another issue brought up in this book is the racial stereotyping. There are numerous activities that could be developed around this book.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments. I would just like to add that, knowing Sharon Draper, the author who collaborated on this book with the three doctors, and knowing the caliber of her writing and research, I feel confident saying that this is an accurate rendition of conditions and language, and would not be insulting to urban readers, or the target audience of this work. Sharon Draper is a popular, award winning author specializing in urban fiction and African history- she knows her audience. Her books fly off our shelves. This simple and easy-to-read style is extremely popular with students. Perhaps this book would not work for the higher level student, but keep in mind the audience…this book is targeted for a younger audience, or for reluctant/struggling older readers.
ReplyDeleteWhile I like a lot of the messages this book gives off, I can't see students finding any truth in the style and presentation. I have to agree with Dawn there.
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue is comical- "Yo dawg, let's go roll with my homies and take some drugs." "No way man, that's not my style."- and even though that shouldn't be a huge issue, I think lots of students will see through it. I also agree with Dawn's thought that some of the near escapes from death or jail seem a little too perfect and easy. It's like magic. For that reason, I don't see high schoolers giving this a chance.
Middle school students, however, seem like the perfect audience. Hopefully most of them will be somewhat shocked by the events and it will rattle them enough to think. The reading level is pretty low so they will be able to get into it without working too hard. A few of the recurring ideas in the book would be so right on for that age group. The idea that it's not cool to be smart is one that has already been mentioned, and that stood out to me while reading. It's so sad how many kids hide their ability, when in most cases they would earn more respect from peers for showcasing it. Those very same people who seem to poo-poo intelligence and academic success would probably applaud it if it surrounded them. Poor parenting and selfishness would unfortunately also ring true for some of these kids. But on top of all that is another recurring message that there are a lot of adults out there pulling for you. It's up to you to take advantage of their help and let them build strong relationships with you. All 3 of these men had several adults help them at various stages. They wanted to help them because the boys appreciated it and did something with it. Lastly, the idea that positive peer pressure and strong friendships can really change your life rings true in the book, which is a welcome change from a lot of the cliched teen lit that only focuses on saying no to negative peer pressure.
That quote from Cathy that kids can't aspire to what they can't see is awesome. The college visit was the seed that grew into the tree for those boys. We are pretty lucky to have a lot of great opportunities for our students to at least see what's out there. It's up to us to continue to inform them of this stuff (visits from colleges, WeMoCo, scholarships, work experience, and several electives that are real-world geared) and to understand it ourselves.
First off, let me say you can tell there are special ed teachers and regular ed teachers on this blog! It was interesting to read the comments. I definitely think this book could be an inspiration to some of our 15:1 students. My Juniors were reading at 4th and 5th grade reading levels this year and this would be a great book for that type of student. A Junior in Dawn or Andy's class would definitely find the language and message a bit elementary. I agree that the dialogue was very comical and I thought it took away from the message of the book. I had a hard time relating to the book and sometimes felt like it was fictional, especially with the dialogue. However, in our world of negativity I think this could give some of our students an incentive to hang with the right crowd, go to college, and make a good life for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree wit Kim, this book would be very inspirational to some of the 15:1 students. I thought it was a good and quick read. The message was easy to understand, it may be too easy for some juniors, however it may be something the students would read and enjoy. I also agree that showing students the opportunities available, whether college visits or WeMoCo, can open new doors. I think the reflections from the doctors after each chapter was a good way to bridge the story and the doctor's own words.
ReplyDeleteI work with a variety of students who struggle with reading and I don't think I would have any of them read this book. I really did not find this book to be relateable to students at all. First of all, as many of you mentioned it is written at a lower reading level and it is very repetitive. That is good for struggling readers to drive the point home, but the book isn't actually about students who had a hard time in school. These kids were bright and often mentioned how much they enjoyed going to school. I guess that was my biggest issue with the book, I just don't think my students could connect to these characters.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think high school kids like to be preached at, especially after every chapter of the book they are reading. This book tries to give students positive messages and instruct them on how to be successful in life, however, much of what led these men to success seems to be luck. They were lucky to not be sent to prison, they were lucky not to be kicked out of school, they were lucky the principal saw them in the hall and made them go to the meeting about going to college for free. I think students will be put off by that as much as they will be put off by the cheesey dialogue.
I'm not saying I don't think anyone should read this book. I agree with Andy, maybe a younger audience would be better. Regardless, I think the message I took out of this book is that we (teachers) really need to be there as role models and as cheerleaders for our students. We need to be the people who give them the encouragement to reach their potential whether it is to become a doctor or to work at the grocery store.
The cheesy dialogue really takes away from the book. I also agree that it does seem like preaching. Good points Tricia.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first began reading this, I had to put it down because I just plain didn't like it. However, having a son who is entering 4th grade and a bit above the 4th grade reading level, I decided to try it with him (my poor children are often asked to help mom and dad out for school purposes) :) After a 1/4 of the book, he begged me to seek another book for our summer reading.
ReplyDeleteI just think even for younger kids this may not be the book that the suburban, middle class kids can relate to. The dialogue put me over the edge, but I tried to get past that and read more into the messages; It just didn't happen for me. I have to be honest, I didn't even take four hours to try to finish this. I cut out early. I'm sorry to be so quick and negative here...I will do my best to get into the next one and give much more feedback.