Scorpions: Powerful Sting

The final image of the main character in "Scorpions" is both sad and hopeful. What will the future bring? This juvenile fiction book by Walter Dean Myers tells a powerful tale of a boy's loss of control over his own life. Good intentions are corrupted and innocence dies early.

Jamal faces life in Harlem surrounded by drugs, violence and gangs. This is contrasted with his home life, in which a caring mother struggles to support her family and earn the $2,000 lawyer's fee to gain an appeal for her jailed older son, Randy. From jail, Randy sends word to his Scorpion gang members that Jamal is to be leader until Randy is free. Twelve year-old Jamal finds himself unwittingly in the middle of a dangerous battle for control of the gang. This is a serious gang, into drugs and violence. Knives and guns. A gun that lands in Jamal's hands.

Jamal has other conflicts as well. A class bully pushes him to a scary limit. A mostly absent father chisels away at Jamal's self-confidence, demeaning the boy's talents as an artist. Jamal's inner conflict about his brother ranges from desperately wanting to help raise money for a new trial to guilt because he feels happy that Randy is jailed.

This could be a completely depressing story, but it is saved from that fate by lighter moments. The sibling rivalry between Jamal and his younger sister, Sassy (a very appropriate name for this little spitfire) is often delightful and sometimes touching. Jamal and his Puerto Rican friend, Tito, enjoy each other's company and joke freely while respecting each other's points of view.

The plot moves quickly, and keeps the interest. The author does an excellent job of creating a gripping story that's hard to put down. The story is emotional without being sappy. The use of dialect makes the dialog realistic, adding a beautiful lilting quality. Myers presents muli-dimensional characters who triumph and fail. Characters are beautifully drawn by the author. The characters are true victims, unable to control the events that draw them deeper into the mire.

That doesn't mean the characters are weak – far from it. Jamal struggles with right and wrong, trying hard to be a help to his mother, devising ways to keep safe while acting dangerously. Tito is a sensitive, practical boy whose reasonable approach to things is overshadowed by his deep and strong loyalty to Jamal. Touching moments are skillfully presented when Jamal and Tito comfort each other in times of uncertainty. Each displays strength for the other when tragedy hits.

There's a constant undercurrent of sadness. Will Jamal's mother ever earn the money to set her son free from jail? Jamal and Tito share a few moments of childhood dreams that will probably never come true.

HarperTrophy, the publisher, rates this book as suitable for ages 12 and older. Slightly younger mature children might do well with it as well. There are some truly scary characters, as well as violence in the form of fist fights and guns. References to drugs and drinking weave through the story. It's a terrific story for parents and children to read and discuss. Jamal and Tito make many decisions that could have ended much better had they decided more wisely.

"Scorpions" won a 1989 Newbery Honor Award (runner up.) The top award for children's literature that year was granted to a collection of poems entitled "Joyful Noise, Poems for Two Voices." While this was a beautifully written book, "Scorpions" seems much more the power hitter to me. Had I been on the Newberry committee (dream on), I could not have resisted voting "Scorpions" as number one.