Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph

Jamal Joseph, at 16, was the youngest member of the Panther 21 to be arrested in New York City in 1969 and his memoir, Panther Baby, opens with a gripping scene of Panther weapons training.  Just the thing to draw in readers who may be a bit younger and stand to benefit the most from his look back on his life experiences thus far, including his political participation in the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army, through his six year bid at Leavenworth and into the present. Joseph displays a rare lighthearted humor, inviting the reader to laugh with him at some of the choices he made as a young man and with hard-won deep insight into some of those choices.  Highly recommended for independent readers interested in history, American history, “real life stories,” and Black history.  Teachers may be interested to know that the author uses adult language to authentically capture voices throughout his tale.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Click here to register to download a free teaching activity on the Panthers' Ten Point Program from the Zinn Education project.

Joseph, Jamal.  Panther Baby.  New York: Algonquin Books, 2012.

The 411 on Bullying, Gangs, Drugs and Jail: The Formula for Staying in School and Out of Jail by Warden Howard Robertson

This slim volume may be worth taking extra steps to get into the hands of young men facing a hard road when early death or a lifetime of incarceration look like the inevitable possibilities.  Striking a wizened, knowing, tone, retired Warden Robertson has written the missing self-help book for developing readers who are urban tween and teen boys.  Like Williams’ Life in Prison, The 411 seeks to de-mystify and de-glamorize the end results of “selling drugs, banging, gambling and hustling”  and dropping out.  While phrases like “That’s a fact, Jack.” may not immediately endear young readers to the sometimes avuncular narrative, pictures of the inside of jails on Rikers’, along with images of the author and his family in front of fancy cars will draw curious readers to the author’s words.  The images are grainy, and the cover design and layout feel amateurish.  However, the production value lends this book a visible air of street cred.  Between the covers, Howard quickly establishes his own claims to insight and insider status:  20 years of service and leadership on Rikers, an older brother in and out of they system, and another older brother dead of a drug overdose at 16.  Counselors may find the frank discussion of goals, social groups and gangs a useful starting point for group conversations.  Students may just hang on to this book for independent reading. Reading specialists will want to keep several copies on hand.  —Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Robertson, Warden Howard.  The 411 on Bullying, Gangs, Drugs and Jail:  The Formula for Staying in School and Out of Jail.  Denver: Outskirts Press, 2013.  Print.

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

What does a typical day look like for the hundreds of teens awaiting sentencing on Rikers Island? What happens behind all that barbed wire and security? Our students are understandably curious, and this book, while fictional, paints a picture of one teen’s experience. The main character is Martin Stokes, a seventeen year-old who has never before been in any real trouble, and he has recently been arrested for a “bubblegum charge” -- he was taken in by an undercover police officer for “steering” him to buy drugs in the neighborhood. While on Rikers, Martin witnesses and is the victim of extreme violence, is forced to attend school, and tries his best in the midst of all this to figure out a plan to survive the system and get released. Luckily, Martin has a strong head on his shoulders, clear vision, and a supportive family at home.

Our students are certainly able to relate to Martin’s feelings of just trying to get through the day, of being frustrated with the justice system, and of being homesick. They are huge fans of many of Paul Volponi’s books, and in the last couple of weeks, two of our high school classes have been reading Rikers High in preparation for a Skype meeting with the author. --Anja Kennedy