Review of Miracle’s Boys
A. Book Information
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2000. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-399-23113-7.
B. Plot Summary
“Brother to brother to brother,” that is how Ty’ree, Charlie, and Lafayette vow to get through their challenges and struggles now that they are on their own. Years after a courageous rescue leaves their father dead, their mother dies suddenly of a diabetic complication. Each brother deals with the grief of having lost both of their parents in their own way. Ty’ree becomes the guardian, giving up plans of going to MIT to work and support the family. Charlie slips into a life of anger and alienation, and Lafayette, the youngest, blames himself and avoids friends and family. Only when these brothers come together, B to B to B, do things start looking up.
C. Critical Analysis
Jacqueline Woodson won the Coretta Scott King award for this remarkable book. This book is set in New York City and the characters are half African American and half Puerto Rican, although they seem to identify more with their African American heritage. Only Charlie, the middle brother tried to learn Spanish from their mother, Milagro, which means “miracle” in English.
We are introduced to Charlie and Lafayette as Charlie and a friend, Aaron are having a discussion about “who is the baddest.” Charlie states in the first line of the book, “Brothers is the baddest. Then comes Dominicans. Dominicans don’t mess around.” Cultural markers abound through out this book, including Charlie’s new found adolescent black “tough speak.” The brothers in this story often address each other by saying, “W’s up.”
The food in this book can also be seen as a cultural marker, fried chicken. Saying that black people like fried chicken and watermelon can be considered stereotypical or racist, but both are mentioned repeatedly in this book.
Woodson does a nice job in this book giving physical descriptions of the boys she gives positive affirmation to African American features. For example Aunt Cecile complemented young Lafayette and he checked himself in the mirror: “Ty’ree always said I looked like our daddy. He was dark and curly-headed with brown eyes. My eyes are more black than brown, and my hair’s more kinky than curly….Still, maybe Aunt Cecile was right. Maybe I was beautiful underneath it all.”
The characters of the story are African American, yet universal. The reader can identify with the young boys, as they find themselves and strength from each other.
D. Review Excerpts
From Publishers Weekly Seventh-grader Lafayette fears that he will become separated from his two brothers after the death of their mother. "Viewing household tensions through Lafayette's eyes, readers will come to realize each character's internal conflicts and recognize their desperate need to cling together as a family," said PW.
From Amazon.com Jacqueline Woodson writes with a sure hand and true understanding of the complexity and depth of young people's lives. Winner of many awards for her novels, including two Coretta Scott King Honors (for From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun and I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This), she tells a captivating, honest story. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Review accessed at:
http://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Boys-Jacqueline-Woodson/dp/0698119169
E. Connections
Other books for young people written by Cornelia Funke.
· IF YOU COME SOFTLY. ISBN 0142406015
· LENA. ISBN 0142406163
· THE HOUSE YOU PASS ON THE WAY. ISBN 0142501913
· FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF MELANIN SUN. ISBN 0590458817
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