Slowly but surely, I'm getting back into reading regularly again. But if you notice, I'm also not doing as much crafting either. So I'm not really learning how to balance my time...it's a work in progress. As you can see by the picture, this book spent some time in a violent 7th grade classroom being read by hooligans, but it did survive which is more than I can say for some of my books. I'd never read this one but felt comfortable putting it on my classroom shelves because I'd read what is probably the author's most well-known trilogy, the Hazelton High Trilogy. Just as I assumed, this one is really similar to the other books of hers I'd read, so I can breathe easy and know that I wasn't putting some crazy and inappropriate book in my kids' hands. I also found out after finishing this one that it's actually the first book in a trilogy, so yay for more books being added to my list! (That sounded sarcastic. It wasn't. I really do love reading.)
Jericho and his cousin Josh are tapped to join a prestigious secret society at their high school along with their best friend Kofi. When they're told that everything that happens during their pledge activities must be kept secret at all costs, no one challenges it. They're all more than willing to put any misgivings or nervousness aside in order to get to that final goal of wearing a black silk Warriors of Distinction jacket. The dangers of hazing do catch up to them in the end, though, and everyone is forced to face the fact that their own desires for popularity and acceptance led to disaster.
Typical of Sharon Draper's gritty urban teen books, The Battle of Jericho has a fairly controversial plot, this time tackling the dangers of hazing. She also works hard to shine a light on how easy peer pressure is to succumb to in areas such as underage drinking, the need for popularity, and even life-threatening activities. Draper, an English teacher for more than thirty years, has a unique understanding of how teenagers interact with each other and the real-life consequences that are more than possible when bad choices are made. There's almost always a shock value (towards the end) and this book doesn't disappoint. Even though I really do love Draper's books, I have one tiny little itty bitty issue: she works very hard to keep the books 100% clean from profanity and sex, and although I appreciate that SO much, the characters' conversations sometimes comes off sounding a little bit doofy. Think Remember the Titans.
It's hard to not have some laughable dialogue when you're trying to depict hardcore, troubled teenagers without any bad language. (ie: what exactly is a plug nickle, Julius?). But I love Remember the Titans and I love Sharon Draper's books. And I'm excited to get my hands on the rest of the trilogy.
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