Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty
By G. Neri
Illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Eleven-year-old Roger is trying to make sense of his classmate Robert "Yummy" Sandifer's death, but first he has to make sense of Yummy's life. Yummy could be as tough as a pit bull sometimes. Other times he was as sweet as the sugary treats he loved to eat. Was Yummy some sort of monster, or just another kid?
As Roger searches for the truth, he finds more and more questions. How did Yummy end up in so much trouble? Did he really kill someone? And why do all the answers seem to lead back to a gang—the same gang Roger's older brother belongs to?
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty is a compelling dramatization based on events that occurred in Chicago in 1994. This gritty exploration of youth gang life will force readers to question their own understandings of good and bad, right and wrong.
Jason Low: From Comics Fan to Children's Publisher
"Murder in Miniature," the original Time Magazine article on Yummy's life and death
Read about G. Neri's visit to one New York City middle school and how he is inspiring the next generation of writers.
Check out activities and discussion topics for Yummy in the Coretta Scott King Book Awards 2011 Discussion Guide created by the 2011 CSK Book Awards Committee.
About the Creators
G. Neri - Author
is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and new media producer from Los Angeles, where he also worked with inner-city youth. He is the recipient of the International Reading Association Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award and Chess Rumble was recognized as an ALA Notable Children’s Book. Neri now lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and their daughter. His Web site is gregneri.com.
Randy DuBurke
is a full-time artist, whose work has appeared in books for young readers, DC and Marvel comics, The New York Times, and MAD magazine. A native of Brooklyn, New York, DuBurke now lives in Switzerland with his wife and their two sons. His Web site is randyduburke.com.
Reviews & Comments
Library JournalBernie Alie, Kennebunk Free Library
LibraryPoint
YA Books and More
Merideth Says
Books: The Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy
The Reading Teacher
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The Bloomsbury Review
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Puget Sound Council
Reviewed Books Recommended by Librarians, Teachers, Parents, and Students for Irving ISD
Cousins Read
A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Kirkus Reviews
Booklist
Kirkus Graphic Novel Supplement
Publishers Weekly
A Fuse #8 Production
En/Sane World
Linus's Blanket
A Patchwork of Books
The Happy Nappy Bookseller
School Library Journal
Kids Lit
Young Adult Books Central
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
What's Good?
VOYA
BookDragon
YA Highway
Long Distance Drive
Jesse Joshua Watson
The Horn Book Magazine
The Comics Reporter
Book Envy
Carol's Corner
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Nexus Graphica, SF Site
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Notes from the Horn Book
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About This Title
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View the InterviewsISBN
Paperback: 9781584302674
Awards
Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor
American Library Association
Best Books
Kirkus Reviews
Editor's Choice
Booklist
Starred Review
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review
Booklist
Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
American Library Association (ALA)
Notable Books for a Global Society
International Reading Association (IRA)
100 Magnificent Children's Books
Fuse #8 Production, SLJ
Best Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly
Choices
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Cybils Award Winner - Graphic Novel Category
The Cybils
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Program
Indiana Library Federation
Glyph Award Nominee
Highlighted Review
VOYA
Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice Title List
State Library of Louisiana
Maverick Graphic Novel List
Texas Library Association (TLA)
Nomination
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Once Upon a World Children's Book Award
The Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance Library and Archives
Starred Review
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Storytelling World Honor Award
Storytelling World
Street Lit Book Award, Emerging Classic Winner
Street Lit Book Award Medal Committee
Ten Best Nexus Graphica Books
The SF Site
Top 10 List, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers
YALSA
Top Ten Great Graphic Novels
Booklist
Virginia Readers' Choice
Virginia State Reading Association
Guided Reading:
VLexile:
GN510LInterest Level:
Grades 5 - CollegeReading Level:
Grades 4 - CollegeThemes
Middle Grade, YA interest, Identity/Self Esteem/Confidence, Overcoming Obstacles, Neighbors, History, Families, Coping with Death, Conflict resolution, Bullying, African/African American Interest, Biography/Memoir, Poverty, Integrity/Honesty , Persistence/Grit, Self Control/Self Regulation, Pride
Collections
African American English Collection Middle School, African American English Collection High School, Biography and Memoir Middle School, Biography and Memoir High School, Diverse Background English Collection Middle School, Diverse Background English Collection High School, English Guided Reading Level V, English Fiction Grades 3-6, Fluent Dual Language Spanish/English Collection, Fluent English Collection, Realistic Fiction High School, Realistic Fiction Middle School
