Middle School Books & Resources
​FICTION

We have curated titles from a collection of reliable review sources. We know our list can never be complete. If you have additional suggestions, please email studentsneedlibraries@gmail.com.

This page is only FICTION titles. Nonfiction and media resources can be found on the linked pages.

​Formats noted: IN VERSE; SHORT STORIES; GRAPHIC; DOCUMENTARY NOVEL; FANTASY; SPECULATIVE; POETRY; MEMOIR; BIOG​

​2019 and 2020 titles are noted in PURPLE. They are not yet as widely reviewed.

​Many of these titles also appear on the High School pages, but these are generally appropriate for younger students; every school and parent will want to preview resources ahead of student access.

​Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X. Quill Tree, 2018. “Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.” HarperCollins, 2018.Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award. NOVEL IN VERSE

Adeyemi, Tomi. Legacy of Orisha series: Children of Blood and Bones (2018); Children of Virtue and Vengeance (2019).  Science fiction is a powerful tool for exploring problems from the distance we normally aren’t afforded with day-to-day life. This first part of the electric new trilogy explores issues of fear, revenge, and what it takes to build a new future. FANTASY

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover series: The Crossover, Booked, Rebound. HMH. Book I: Newbery Medal Winner; Coretta Scott King Honor Award; 2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults; 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Book I also available as a graphic novel. NOVEL IN VERSE; REALISTIC

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Seeds of America series: Chains, Forge, Ashes. Atheneum, 2011+. Chains: “As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel.” Ashes: “As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge—but their relief is short-lived.” HISTORICAL FICTION; American Revolution 

Barnes, Daniel and D.J. Kirkland. Black Mage #1 (series). Oni Press, 2019.  “Harry Potter meets Final Fantasy in this subversive original graphic novel where race, history and magic collide. When St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, opens its doors to its first-ever black student, everyone believes that the wizarding community is finally taking its first crucial steps toward inclusivity. Or is it? When Tom Token, the beneficiary of the school’s “Magical Minority Initiative,” begins uncovering weird clues and receiving creepy texts on his phone, he and his friend, Lindsay, stumble into a conspiracy that dates all the way back to the American Civil War, and could cost Tom his very soul. GRAPHIC; FANTASY

Boyce, Jo Ann Allen. This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality. Bloomsbury, 2019. “Did you know that one year before the Little Rock Nine, in Clinton, Tennessee, 12 Black students desegregated their high school? Their dramatic story is told by one of the 12 students — Jo Ann Allen Boyce - [in] free verse interspersed with quotes from newspapers, white supremacist protest signs, preachers’ sermons, and other primary documents from the time.” CIVIL RIGHTS, 1960s

Brucha, Joseph. The Warriors. Lerner, 2004. “When twelve-year-old Jake Forrest's mother gets a job in a new city, everything changes. He has to move away from the Iroquois reservation he's lived on his entire life--away from his aunt and uncle, and away from the friends he plays lacrosse with. The lacrosse coach and players at his new school in Washington, D.C., believe that winning is everything, and they don't know anything about the ways of his people. As Jake struggles to find a place where he truly belongs, tragedy strikes and he must find out who he really is. Can he find courage to face the warrior within--the warrior who values peace and leads others to more noble pursuits.”  

Caldwell, Patrice, ed. A Phoenix First Must Burn: Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope. Viking, 2020. “... 16 stories that embrace and reimagine the histories of Black women and their resistance, hope, and liberation.” SHORT STORIES; WOMEN

Calendar, Kacen. Felix Ever After. Balzer & Bray, 2020. “Seventeen-year-old Felix is Black, queer, and trans. … Callender … populates Felix’s world with a cast of queer, trans, and racially diverse individuals, genuinely reflecting the lives of many who work hard to build a supportive chosen family.” IDENTITY 

Craft, Jerry. New Kid. Quill Tree, 2019. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Newbery Award; Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. REALISTIC; GRAPHIC

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Journey of Little Charlie. Scholastic, 2018. “Twelve-year-old Charlie is down on his luck: His sharecropper father just died and Cap'n Buck -- the most fearsome man in Possum Moan, South Carolina -- has come to collect a debt. Fearing for his life, Charlie strikes a deal with Cap'n Buck and agrees to track down some folks accused of stealing from the cap'n and his boss. It's not too bad of a bargain for Charlie... until he comes face-to-face with the fugitives and discovers their true identities.” National Book Award Finalist. HISTORICAL FICTION; 1860s

Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun. Simon & Schuster, 2008. “Amari's life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, adored by her family, and living in a beautiful village, she could not have imagined everything could be taken away from her in an instant. But when slave traders invade her village and brutally murder her entire family, Amari finds herself dragged away to a slave ship headed to the Carolinas, where she is bought by a plantation owner and given to his son as a birthday present.” HISTORICAL FICTION; SLAVERY 

Draper, Sharon. Fire from the Rock. Penguin, 2008. “As twelve-year-old Marlee starts middle school in 1958 Little Rock, it feels like her whole world is falling apart. Until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is everything Marlee wishes she could be: she's brave, brash and always knows the right thing to say. But when Liz leaves school without even a good-bye, the rumor is that Liz was caught passing for white. Marlee decides that doesn't matter. She just wants her friend back. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are even willing to take on segregation and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.” HISTORICAL FICTION, 1950s

Draper, Sharon. Hazelwood High Trilogy: Tears of a Tiger (1994); Forged by Fire (1997); Darkness Before Dawn (2001). Atheneum. Forged by Fire: “[A]n unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.: Coretta Scott King Award. IN VERSE; REALISTIC

Draper, Sharon. Stella by Starlight. Simon & Schuster, 2015. “Stella lives in the segregated South — in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can’t. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn’t bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they’re never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella’s community — her world — is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don’t necessarily signify an end.” HISTORICAL FICTION; 1960s
 
Emezi, Akwaeke. Pet. Random, 2019. “The highly-anticipated, genre-defying new novel by award-winning author Akwaeke Emezi that explores themes of identity and justice. Pet is here to hunt a monster. Are you brave enough to look?” National Book Award Finalist; Stonewall Book Award Winner. IDENTITY

Engle, Margarita. Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots. Simon & Schuster, 2018. “the 1943 attack by white sailors on Mexican Americans, Filipinos, and African Americans in Los Angeles, known as the Zoot Suit Riots, gets little mention [in History class]. Author Margarita Engle uses free verse to bring this history to life through a wide range of characters. The story centers on a family of cannery workers in Los Angeles. During the Zoot Suit Riots (which Engle refers to as the Sailor Riots) we also hear from reporters, police, and sailors. HISTORICAL FICTION; WWII 

English, Karen. It All Comes Down to This. Houghton, 2017. “It’s 1965, Los Angeles. All twelve-year-old Sophie wants to do is write her book, star in the community play, and hang out with her friend Jennifer. But she’s the new black kid in a nearly all-white neighborhood…” 1960s

Flake, Sharon. Bang! Hyperion, 2007. “Bang! Guns really sound like that, you know./ Bang! And people bleed from everywhere, and blood is redder than you think./ And little kids look funny in caskets. That's 'cause they ain't meant to be in one, I guess.   Mann is only thirteen, yet he has already had to deal with more than most go through in a lifetime. His family is still reeling from the tragic shooting death of his little brother, Jason, each person coping with grief in his or her own way.” REALISTIC; URBAN VIOLENCE 

Flake, Sharon. The Skin I’m In. Disney, 2007. “Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?” SELF IMAGE; REALISTIC 

Grimes, Nikki. Bronx Masquerade. Penguin, 2003. “Using the structure of a poetry slam, Nikki Grimes' award-winning novel is a powerful exploration of self, an homage to spoken-word poetry, and an intriguing look into the life of eighteen urban teens.“ IN VERSE; URBAN 

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Lippincott, 1937. Classic. “[T]he story of Janie Crawford, whose life is a quest to find true love. Janie narrates the story of her three marriages and her search for love to her friend Phoeby.” CLASSIC; ROMANCE

Johnson, Varian. The Parker Inheritance. Scholastic, 2018. “Candace Miller, a young African American girl, and her mother move into the home in Lambert, SC that once belonged to her grandmother while their own home is being renovated. Lambert is a town with a hidden past that is presented in alternating chapters from the 1950s. Candace is pulled into its story when she discovers a letter sent to her grandmother about a buried treasure.” REALISTIC; HISTORICAL; MYSTERY 

Lachmann, Lyn Miller. Gringlandia. Curbstone Press, 2009. “Daniel’s papá, Marcelo, used to play soccer, dance the cueca, and drive his kids to school in a beat-up green taxi—all while publishing an underground newspaper that exposed Chile’s military regime. After papá’s arrest in 1980, Daniel’s family fled to the United States. Now Daniel has a new life, playing guitar in a rock band and dating Courtney, a minister’s daughter. He hopes to become a US citizen as soon as he turns eighteen. When Daniel’s father is released and rejoins his family, they see what five years of prison and torture have done to him.” IMMIGRATION

Lester, Julius. Day of Tears. Hachette, 2007. “On March 2 and 3, 1859, the largest auction of slaves in American history took place in Savannah, Georgia. More than 400 slaves were sold. On the first day of the auction, the skies darkened and torrential rain began falling. The rain continued throughout the two days, stopping only when the auction had ended. The simultaneity of the rain storm with the auction led to these two days being called ‘the weeping time.’ Lester tells the story of several characters including Emma, a slave owned by Pierce Butler and caretaker of his two daughters, and Pierce, a man with a mounting gambling debt and household to protect.” HISTORICAL FICTION; SLAVERY 

Magoon, Kekla. Fire in the Streets. Simon & Schuster, 2012. “Maxie knows all about how fire can erupt at a moment’s notice, especially now, in the sweltering Chicago summer of 1968. She is a Black Panther—or at least she wants to be one. Maxie believes in the movement. She wants to belong. … Then Maxie realizes that there is a traitor in their midst, and if she can figure out who it is, it may be her ticket to becoming a real Panther.” HISTORICAL FICTION; 1960s

Magoon, Kekla. The Rock and the River. Aladdin, 2009. “The Time: 1968. The Place: Chicago. For thirteen-year-old Sam it’s not easy being the son of known civil rights activist Roland Childs. Especially when his older (and best friend), Stick, begins to drift away from him for no apparent reason. And then it happens: Sam finds something that changes everything forever.”   Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent HISTORICAL; 1960s

Morrow, Bethany and Jason Reynolds, eds. Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance. Arthur Levine, 2019. A young adult anthology featuring fictional stories of everyday resistance ... in poems, prose, and art--that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that readers like you resist every day. SHORT STORIES

Mosely, Walter. 47. Little Brown, 2006. “deftly weaves historical and speculative fiction into a powerful narrative about the nature of freedom. 47 is a young slave boy living under the watchful eye of a brutal slave master. His life seems doomed until he meets a mysterious run-away slave, Tall John. Then 47 finds himself swept up in a struggle for his own liberation.” HISTORICAL FICTION; SPECULATIVE FICTION; 1860s

Myers, Walter  Dean. Fallen Angels. Scholastic, 1988. “Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteered for the service when his dream of attending college falls through [is s]ent to the front lines [where] Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is even there at all.” HISTORICAL, Vietnam War

Myers, Walter Dean. The Glory Field. Scholastic, 2008. “This is the story of one family. A family whose history saw its first ancestor captured, shackled, and brought to this country from Africa. A family who can still see remnants of the shackles that held some of its members captive -- even today. It is a story of pride, determination, struggle, and love. And of the piece of the land that holds them together throughout it all.” HISTORICAL FICTION; FAMILY SAGA

Myers, Walter Dean. Invasion. Scholastic, 2013. “Josiah Wedgewood and Marcus Perry are on their way to an uncertain future. Their whole lives are ahead of them, yet at the same time, death's whisper is everywhere. One white, one black, these young men have nothing in common and everything in common as they approach an experience that will change them forever…. When Josiah and Marcus come together in what will be the greatest test of their lives, they learn hard lessons about race, friendship, and what it really means to fight. Set on the front lines of the Normandy Invasion in 1944.” HISTORICAL, WWII 

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. HarperCollins, 2009. “[T]he story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial.”Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. Now a motion picture. REALISTIC; PRISON
Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. Scholastic, 2009. “Robin "Birdy" Perry, a new army recruit from Harlem, isn't quite sure why he joined the army, but he's sure where he's headed: Iraq. Birdy and the others in the Civilian Affairs Battalion are supposed to help secure and stabilize the country and successfully interact with the Iraqi people. Officially, the code name for their maneuvers is Operation Iraqi Freedom. But the young men and women in the CA unit have a simpler name for it: WAR.” HISTORICAL, Gulf War

Neri, Greg. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. Lee and Low, 2010. “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 to which Roger's older brother belongs? [A] compelling graphic dramatization based on events that occurred in Chicago in 1994.” GRAPHIC; REALISTIC; URBAN; GANGS 

Penzo, Raquel I. Peinate: Hair Battles Between Latina Mothers & Daughters. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018. “We can't imagine a bigger conflict in a Latinx household than that between a mother and a daughter, over hair! This anthology includes stories, poems and essays about the fights, insecurities, identity issues, and acceptance in relation to our hair, and how it shapes those vital familial bonds.” SHORT STORIES; HAIR 

Reynolds, Jason and Brendan Kiely. All American Boys. Atheneum, 2015. “[T]wo teens — one black, one white — grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.” URBAN VIOLENCE

Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. Atheneum, 2019. “An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this electrifying novel Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse takes place in sixty potent seconds — the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he's going to murder the guy who killed his brother. A cannon. A strap./A piece. A biscuit./A burner. A heater./A chopper. A gat./A hammer/A tool/for RULE.     Or, you can call it a gun. Newbery Honor Book; A Coretta Scott King Honor Book; A Printz Honor Book IN VERSE; REALISTIC; URBAN VIOLENCE

Reynolds, Jason and Alex Nabaum. Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks. Atheneum, 2019. “[T]en tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.” A National Book Award Finalist; Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book. SHORT STORIES; REALISTIC; URBAN 

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Black Brother, Black Brother. (­Little, Brown, Mar. 2020) is a great ­addition to the middle school “betwixt” category. Rhodes shares the plight of colorism, overpolicing of marginalized students, and unfair punishment for Black male students. Though the content is heavy, the deft writing will appeal to young readers and offers ways for young activists to effect change. REALISTIC

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Ghost Boys. Little Brown, 2018. “Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that's been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.” REALISTIC; POLICE VIOLENCE

Robson, Clare, ed. Outside Rules Short Stories about Nonconformist Youth. Persea, 2007. “Fourteen challenging and compassionate stories about "outsider"teens. These compellingly readable stories focus on the vulnerability and resilience of adolescents as they try to fit in with their peers and move toward independence. Here are teens who are too brainy, unathletic, poor, the "wrong" religion, emotionally fragile, from non-traditional families, not model-thin, or simply bent on following a unique path.” SHORT STORIES

Stewart, Elizabeth. Blue Gold. Annick, 2014. “Coltan, or "blue gold," is a rare mineral used in making cell phones and computers. Across continents, the lives of three teen girls [Democratic Republic of Congo, people’s Republic of China, USA] are affected by the "blue gold" trade. REALISTIC, INTERNATIONAL

Stone, Nic. Dear Martin series: Dear Martin, Dear Justyce. Random, 2017 +. Dear Martin: “Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.” Dear Justyce: “Vernell LaQuan Banks and Justyce McAllister grew up a block apart in the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Wynwood Heights. Years later, though, Justyce walks the illustrious halls of Yale University . . . and Quan sits behind bars at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center.” REALISTIC, URBAN 

Taylor, Mildred D. All the Days Past, All the Days to Come. Viking. 2020. “In her tenth book, Mildred Taylor completes her sweeping 10-book saga about the Logan family of Mississippi, which is also the story of the civil rights movement in America of the 20th century. Cassie Logan, first met in Song of the Trees and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is a young woman now, searching for her place in the world, a journey that takes her from Toledo to California, to law school in Boston, and, ultimately, in the 60s, home to Mississippi to participate in voter registration.” HISTORICAL FICTION

Thomas, Angie. On the Come Up. HarperCollins, 2019. “[A]n ode to hip hop. [T]he story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.” REALISTIC; URBAN; HIPHOP 

Watson, Renee. Piecing Me Together. Bloomsbury, 2017. “[A] powerful story about a girl striving for success in a world that too often seems like it's trying to break her.” Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner. REALISTIC

Watson, Renee and Ellen Hagan. Watch Us Rise. Bloomsbury, 2019. “Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission--they're sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post their work online--poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial microaggressions she experiences--and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by trolls. When things escalate in real life, the principal shuts the club down. Not willing to be silenced, Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices--and those of other young women--to be heard.” Newbery Honor Book; Coretta Scott King Author Award. REALISTIC, WOMEN 

Wiles, Deborah. Revolution, book 2 of The Sixties Trilogy. Scholastic, 2014. “It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi, are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. They're calling it Freedom Summer. Inclu[des] primary source materials, including the text of a real and vile pamphlet created by KKK members; does not shy away from the reality and hurtful language used by bigots during this time period.” DOCUMENTARY NOVEL 

Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. “[T]he story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. …[E]leven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.” HarperCollins, 2010.  Newbery Honor; Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; Coretta Scott King Award; National Book Award Finalist. Black Panthers, 1960s

Woodson, Jacqueline. After Tupac & D Foster. Putnam, 2008. “D Foster showed up a few months before Tupac got shot that first time and left us the summer before he died. The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious.” URBAN VIOLENCE; HIPHOP

Woodson, Jacqueline. Brown Girl Dreaming. Puffin Books, 2014. “ Woodson tells the story of her childhood through poetry, detailing her experiences as a black girl growing up in 1960s South Carolina and New York.” Coretta Scott King Award, Newbery. IN VERSE; CIVIL RIGHTS, 1960s 

Woodson, Jacqueline. House You Pass Along the Way. Puffin, 2010. “13-year-old Staggerlee is used to being alone. As the granddaughter of celebrities and the daughter of an interracial couple in an all-black town, she has become adept at isolating herself from curious neighbors. But then her cousin, Trout, comes to visit. Trout is exactly like Staggerlee wishes she could be: outspoken, sure of herself, beautiful. Finally, Staggerlee has a friend, someone she can share her deepest, most private thoughts with. Someone who will teach her how to be the strong girl she longs to be. But is Trout really the girl Staggerlee thinks she is?” REALISTIC; IDENTITY

Woodson, Jacqueline. Miracle’s Boys. Puffin, 2010. “[T]hree young outsiders struggle to make it through when their parents die and leave them to survive on their own.” Coretta Scott King Award. REALISTIC; URBAN
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Wright, Richard. Rite of Passage. HarperCollins, 1995. “Fifteen-year-old Johnny Gibbs does, well in school, respects his teachers, and loves his family. Then suddenly, with a few short words, his idyllic life is shattered. He learns that the family he has loved all his life is not his own, but a foster family. And now he is being sent to live with someone else. Shocked by the news, Johnny does the only thing he can think of: he runs. Leaving his childhood behind forever, Johnny takes to the streets where he learns about living life--the hard way.” REALISTIC; CLASSIC; URBAN