The main characters of this realistic fiction, young adult story are. Todd strasser books list of books by author todd strasser. If i grow up by todd strasser by jawan graves on prezi. Willets elementary school and then the wheatley school for junior high and high school. Todd strasser is not just an author but a writer in the fullest sense. In the twelve years that i have been teaching, there has never been an. Pdf if i grow up book by todd strasser free download. The first edition of the novel was published in february 24th 2009, and was written by todd strasser.
If i grow up book by todd strasser official publisher page. When every thing feels like its going down hill everything turns the other way and its a great feeling to feel for a person that grows up in a horrible like to a boss of the projects. In a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the innercity projects. Everything is a hustle and people are trying get it the quick and easy way. Sep 17, 2016 in a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the innercity projects. Download book if i grow up by author todd strasser in pdf epub. He studied literature and creative writing at new york. The title of this book is if i grow up and it was written by todd strasser.
Pdf if i grow up book by todd strasser free download 240. Todd strassers if i grow up is a 2009 ya novel about a young teens struggles in the innercity projects of chicago. Trying to grow up and get out the ghetto without getting included in the local gangs while seeing his. If i grow up by todd strasser character analysis deshawn the protagonist. Todd strasser s if i grow up is a 2009 ya novel about a young teens struggles in the innercity projects of chicago. At first, deshawn is reluctant to join his projects gang, but when hes slapped in the face with poverty and sickness, he sees no other option but to enlist.
Free download or read online cant get there from here pdf epub book. At first deshawn is uninterested in joining his neighborhood gang, and would rather attend school. If i grow up book by todd strasser official publisher. Feb 24, 2009 if i grow up ebook written by todd strasser. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales. This book is about teenagers who live in the hood they were poor no one want to go nearby because is danger is full of gangster. Strasser frequently speaks at schools about the craft of writing and conducts writing workshops for young people. When every thing feels like its going down hill everything turns the other way and its a great feeling to feel for a person that grows up in. Todd strasser books, author biography, and reading level. The first edition of the novel was published in 2004, and was written by todd strasser. Read if i grow up online by todd strasser books free 30day. See all books authored by todd strasser, including the wave, and give a boy a gun, and more on. Unfortunately, problems arise in form of plot and theme.
If i grow up is a drama about a teenage boy named deshawn who grows up around gangs and violence. Drugs, guns, lifes, and money is what people want and is about in this book also. Todd strasser writes about a side of life that many people dont get to see, and the struggles and choices of a boy named deshawn. If i grow up todd strasser page 15 read online free books. The message in the book was very clear at the end of the book. Todd strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the awardwinning cant get there from here, give a boy a gun, boot camp, if i grow up, famous, and how i created my perfect prom date. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 240 pages and is available in hardcover format. Rance was trying to get william killed and deshawn set up so that he can take all the money for himself and keep any profit coming in. Mar 07, 20 if i grow up by todd strasser book trailer michelle ryan. Dec 12, 2011 if i grow up by todd strasser a brief summary if i grow up follows the story of a young man named deshawn who is growing up in the projects, starting when he is twelve years old and following him through the next ten years of his life. Deshawns grandmother that takes care of him and his sister.
If i grow up by todd strasser is a realistic fiction set in new york. I just want to take a moment to thank you for writing if i grow up. Todd strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the awardwinning cant get there from here, give a boy a gun, boot camp, if i grow up, famous, and how i created my perfect prom date, which became the fox feature film drive me crazy. If i grow up by todd strasser in a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns his attention to gang life in the innercity. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry. The story begins with deshawn as a boy who lives in a neighborhood that is plagued with gang violence. In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, awardwinning author todd strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with. Trying to grow up and get out the ghetto without getting included in the local gangs while seeing his family struggle gets hard for him. Strassers fans will recognize and appreciate his mastery at creating a dangerously.
Original title isbn 9781416925231 published on 2009224. In a dog eat dog world he doesnt have many choices. African american, coming of age, crime, cultural, family, fiction, mystery, poverty, realistic fiction, social issues, teen, urban, young adult. You cant expect anything different from todd strasser. This book shows how there are always going to be events to sidetrack us from achieving our goals. Deshawn 11 year old boy to start the book lives in a ghetto neighborhood and has always been the smartest kid in school. Mar 04, 2010 buy if i grow up by strasser, todd isbn. However, many of these books only feed off of press snippets and writer imagination of what the hood is really like, and so the stories lean closer to stereotypes of urban life.
Todd strassers if i grow up offers a horrific view of an inner city society that is dominated by gang activity. Pdf cant get there from here book by todd strasser free. In the the city it gets hard for deshawn stuck in the the fredrick douglas project. He won the 1997 american library association notable book for abe lincoln for class president, the 1988 american bookseller pick of the lists, and was a 1988 edgar allan poe nominee from the mystery writers of america. However, many of these books only feed off of press snippets and writer imagination of what the hood is really like. In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, awardwinning author todd strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the everpresent shadow of gangs. If i grow up by todd strasser book trailer michelle ryan. In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, awardwinning author todd strasser opens a. Feb 23, 2010 todd strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the awardwinning cant get there from here, give a boy a gun, boot camp, if i grow up, famous, and how i created my perfect prom date, which became the fox feature film drive me crazy. The main characters of this young adult, realistic fiction story are.
Read if i grow up by todd strasser for free with a 30 day free trial. Todd strassers past works on a system of teen detention, boot camp informs the well researched passionate purpose of this work, which he states in his if i grow up preface, are to alert readers to these social and economic gulags. Todd strasser was honestly one of the best books ive read. Innercity teen deshawn fights to keep his head above water while trapped in a violent, gangridden nightmare as his friends and family succumb to drug deals, murder and shootouts.
The protagonist, deshawn, faces gang violence, shootouts, drug dealers, and the fear that he might never get a chance to grow up. In this superficially compelling but heavyhanded book about gang culture, narrator deshawn faces. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read if i grow up. He writes for television, too, and has adapted novels from movies such as free willy and tv films such as the wave into wellcrafted novels that. In this superficially compelling but heavyhanded book about gang culture, narrator deshawn faces tough circumstances and limited choices. Todd strasser s if i grow up offers a horrific view of an inner city society that is dominated by gang activity. Streets full of gangs and a life of hardship is what he goes through.
He contributes articles to such periodicals as the new yorker, esquire, the new york times, and the village voice. While still a child, strasser and his parents moved to roslyn heights, new york on long island. This is a painfully onedimensional novel that could be used as a script for any afterschool special, crime drama, or urban movie. Todd lives in a suburb of new york and speaks frequently at schools. But they only allowed peoples live there if they know them. If i grow up is one of an actionfilling book that was written by todd strasser. The letter serves as the endnote for the new 20th anniversary edition of give a boy a gun. Feb 24, 2009 todd strasser has written many critically acclaimed novels for adults, teenagers, and children, including the awardwinning cant get there from here, give a boy a gun, boot camp, if i grow up, famous, and how i created my perfect prom date, which became the fox feature film drive me crazy. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. If i grow up by todd strasser young adult literature. Connect if i grow up to the common core toddstrasser. In a gripping novel with a plot pulled from the headlines, todd strasser turns. Todd strasser, if i grow up thank you for reading books on bookfrom.
Books im reading and cant put down love you hate you miss you by elizabeth scott april 4 march 6 february 4 january 6 2008 69 december 6 november 5 october 9. Read if i grow up by todd strasser available from rakuten kobo. Lives in the projects, has a sister named tia, lost his mother at a young age and dates tanisha which is the mother of his two sons. For deshawn, joining a gang seems like a terrible decision why would he want to work for a pittance running drugs when the inevitable consequences are jail or an early death. The absence of inner city dialect and objectionable language makes this a highinterest book that can, indeed, be shared in the middle school classroom. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. If i grow up follows the story of a young man named deshawn who is growing up in the projects, starting when he is twelve years old and following him through the next ten years of his life. This book is about gangs that you got no choice what you want to do. When a book is set in an urban setting where poverty, poor choices, and lack of opportunity are prevalent, critics tend to call the book gritty. This book was heartbreaking but surprisingly eyeopening. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 208 pages and is available in paperback format.
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