Bad Boy: A Memoir

by Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

A classic memoir that's gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable from the bestselling former National Ambassador of Books for Young People. A strong choice for summer reading--an engaging and powerful autobiographical exploration of growing up a so-called "bad boy" in Harlem in the 1940s.

As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously--he...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064472884
• ISBN13: 9780064472883
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

bad boy

When i first read this book i realy injoyed it i would like to tell other kids that after you read this book you will see your life in another way . When Walther wrote this book he wasn't only thinking about him but about kids who are living the same or almost the same as his life was when he was young. Many of the things that happened to him they kind of remind me of me . I would realy like that all of the schools could injoy what i've injoy in these pass weeks!!!

Bad Boy!

I personally think that Bay Boy is a great story and Myers is a very strong person. He went through so much in life and he still accomplished many goals in life. He went through a bad childhood growing up like fightin alot with peers. he struggled alot because he had a sppech impairment that made him mess up alll the time when he would talk.he grew in up the city of Harlem, New york. He endures so much pain through life that it's crazy to believe that it didn't have a big breakdown.He faced racial iisues in life, which i'm sure caused great pain because i know how it feels. He loved to read and that was a good thing and he had a dream of becoming a writer for children's books which he is now. he has a great heart and is a very strong human being. His life story can touch all hearts both cold and warm.

My "Bad Boy" Review

I think the book "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers, was a wonderful book . It was about Walter Myers himself, who was growing up in a world that didn't quiet accept him for who he was. As a kid he was one of those boys who wasn't really out there and friendly to everyone. He'd get very angry towards people who upset him and turned violent toward them. There was something special though about young Myers. It was that he enjoyed reading books and writing down his thoughts and ideas. No matter what happened throughout his lifetime he'd always be constantly reading and writing. He never gave up on it either; it was like his dream ever since he was a little boy. In the end he does become a children's writer just like we all can see the many great books he has written. I personally enjoyed reading this book because it showed that no matter how hard life gets you should always keep your head up and follow your dream. Your dream will get you somewhere one day as long as you believe in yourself and you encourage yourself to do so. Not even Myer's parents accepted his idea of reading and writing but he didn't really care since he was so into it and kept doing it every night. I find it really amazing that he stuck to his own beliefs and encouraged himself to keep reading and writing. If he hadn't of encouraged himself in the way beginning he wouldn't of come all this way and accomplished what he's done till this day. He's published many books that are enjoyed by many people all over the world.

A good book for teens.

The book Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers is a memoir of the author's life. Set mostly in Harlem, the book follows Myers' troublesome childhood and the challenges he faced with his family life, his adoption, and his behavior. Though a bright child, he had a quick temper and a speech problem. This got him into many bad situations and unfortunately partly led to his "downfall" in school. In Bad Boy, I loved how the setting of the book is in Harlem, where I have visited many times. I am familiar with many of the places he "relaxed" in and feel connected to him somehow. The book is wonderfully written and shows that in the end, even a "troubled" boy can succeed. The author was adopted by Herbert and Florence Myers and many times talks about his and biological and natural families in the book. He gets the Dean in his name from his biological father and the Myers in his name from his adoptive father. The book shows the world of poverty, something that I am not acquainted with at all. It showed me that everyone does not have the things that us "middle class" kids have. All in all, he was raised in a bad situation, but turned out good in the end. In a teenager's view, parents are wrong. Period. In reality, they are only wrong sometimes, not all the time, or, just don't understand. In the end of the book on page 205, his father says, "You wrote stories when you were a boy. You're a man, now." This shows that his father didn't understand his passion for writing, and thought that writing was not "man's work". I believe there were many small themes in the book. Bad Boy highlighted racism, teenage hood, and poverty just to name a few. As an African American teenager, I have experienced some, but not all of the things he has. I think that the main theme of the book is misunderstanding. When he spent all his time reading and writing his mother didn't understand him. When he skipped school, no one really understood him and he was sent to a social worker. Racism is product of misunderstanding. Even now, I don't understand why he skipped school, but then again, I haven't been adopted, or live in Harlem, or have a passion for reading. I have not walked in his shoes. That is one of the reasons I read this book, so that I could see what his life was like. So that I could enter an unfortunate teenager's life and realize that I am truly blessed.All in all, this book is one of the best books I have read. I would recommend it too anyone in the hallway at school, or passers by on the sidewalk. His writings are geared toward children and teenagers, so it is a more appealing book to that group than to adults, but adults should read this too. Maybe they can venture into the life of a teenager, or a child in poverty. Maybe they can remember their childhood and how the world was so different then.A lot can be learned from this book, but I think that the most important thing is the acceptance of ideas and others.

A child's life in 1940's Harlem

This is a straightforward and workmanlike autobiography by a prolific writer of works for young readers, and is probably best for kids as young as eight through young teens. Myers' voice is calm and reflective. He has looked back on the vanished world of his 1940's and 50's Harlem childhood and adolescence with a deceptive calmness, and a pleasing recall of detail. School, friends, teachers, family life, community life, and (not insignificantly to Myers, a voracious reader) the covers and contents of pulp novels and magazines, as seen through a child's eyes - are all here. Some of the more disturbing facts of his young life are reported on in a deadpan manner that at first seems almost flat. In one emblematic incident, a well-meaning teacher asks him his career plans, and upon hearing that Myers hopes to become a lawyer, flat-out tells him he can't, since he has a speech defect.Myers made trouble, and he matter-of-factly tells why. Kids will appreciate his thoughtful explanations and self-understanding. But Myers was also a reader - not just for escape, but for the love of literature- and he lets us in that that process (and its consequences to his social life), too. The chapters "Bad Boy," "I Am Not the Center of the Universe," and "Stuyvesant High" are particularly useful for their descriptions of important and formative experiences. This is a story that is told humbly. It lacks melodrama not because Myers' early life was dull, but because Myers is a quiet writer; he trusts himself and his legions of young readers. He invites them in this quiet memoir to enter his quite remarkable experiences - and to form their own opinions. I enjoyed this sensitive (but not humorless) story very much, and came away with renewed interest and respect for its author.Completely worthwhile.