Review #4

Voices from the Streets: Young Former Gang Members Tell Their Stories

Citation: Atkin Beth S. Voices from the Streets: Young Former Gang Members Tell Their Stories. Canada: Little, Brown & Company (Canada) Limited 1996

Genre: Nonfiction, Multicultural, Realistic/Edgy, Memoir

Annotation

A powerful book which is written in first person narrative gives voice to former gang members. The reader will see the inside life of gangs and how some are able to leave.

Justification for nomination

In this first person narrative, Beth Atkin takes us with her on a two year journey documenting why young people join gangs and how they leave them to reenter society. The youth who are interviewed are male and female, different ethnicity's and from different regions. The black and white pictures let the reader see each person clearly, making their stories more real. Each chapter is dedication to one person, and Atkin does not change the voice of the one who is speaking.  Poems and journal entries are included in each chapter to further help the reader see each person.  Each chapter gives a different perspective on why someone would join a gang: cultural identity; racial attacks; escape physical abuse; anger about broken homes. 

Gangs are a fact of life for children growing up in tough neighborhoods in America,"I've known gangs since I was little because I never lived in a good neighborhood (Elena Rojas pg 34). One thing that should not be forgotten is every one of these former gang members started their journey into gang life when they were children.  All of them looked to gang life to fulfil something that was missing in their life for example, everyone depicted in this book lacked a father figure, and sometimes mother. The underlying theme that runs through each of these stories is that the gang is like a family who protects you, in other words, makes you feel accepted for who you are. The book concludes with a chapter on two men, a father, a former gang member who was able to leave the gang life with help from mentors from his church, and his son who grew up watching his father help others. These two men have dedicated their life to helping kids of many ages and ethnicities leave gangs.

There is a great tone to this book because it is a collection of stories of hope and courage amidst tough backgrounds. The style is easy for the reader to follow, and the language good for all YA readers. The theme is especially important because it shows the reader real people who live tough lives, but were still able to turn it all around, and sometimes go on to helping others.