Harlem Summer
by Walter Dean Myers
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Book Summary Information
Author: Walter Dean MyersIllustrator: Walter Dean Myers
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03-01
ISBN: 043936843X
Number of pages: 165
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Book Reviews of Harlem Summer
Book Review: Bright or Shady Side
Summary: 5 Stars
It's 1925 in Harlem, New York when readers are transported into the life of Mark, the main character of HARLEM SUMMER. Told from his point of view, this coming-of-age story features Harlem Renaissance figures such as Langston Hughes, Jesse Fauset, and Fats Waller.
As the book opens, summer has arrived, Mark, an aspiring sax player who wants to make it big. He gets an opportunity to work for Fats Waller, an already established and widely sought after musician, hauling crates. Though the job with Fats is a one day thing, it has a lasting impact on Mark's summer and introduces him to a number of unsavory characters and exposes him to life on the "shady side of the street." Around the same time, Mark lands a job at The Crisis magazine (the NAACP publication). He would be working under the supervision of Jesse Fauset as more or less an errand boy. At the magazine office, Mark learns about the "New Negro" for the first time, meets a virtual who's who of that movement, and experiences what life on the "sunny side of the street" was like. Mark is at a crossroads in his life, trying to figure out what he wants to be and how to live. The experiences with Fats, The Crisis, and the ensuing dramas force Mark to make decisions about how he wants to live his life.
HARLEM SUMMER is a wonderful book that pairs historical fiction with the day-to-day struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in life. Mark's character has a universal appeal, and his voice is genuine and humorous. At the end of the book there are brief biographical sketches and photos of many of the famous people who find their way in the story. Walter Dean Myers has written a funny and engaging tale that reminds us that all of our decisions have consequences and that life on the shady side of the street isn't always what it is cracked up to be.
Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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