Award-winning author Sharon G. Flake gives urban youths a distinctive voice in her unique book You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about Boys. The volume includes ten very moving portraits of African American boys, with free-verse poems interspersed, all written in the street language of inner-city African American teens.

The haunting characters and the pathos of their life circumstances will tug at your heart strings. There’s the story of sixteen-year-old Tow-Kaye, who is getting married because his girlfriend is pregnant. He wants to do the right thing, but he’s scared to death. There’s the story of the youngster who is wrestling with the violent murder of his beloved grandfather, and his impulse to get revenge. Then there’s James, who keeps a diary detailing his plans to commit suicide. And the story or La ‘Ron, who must write a letter to his family revealing that he has been infected with the HIV virus. Despite the complex and demanding situations these boys find themselves in, there is always a note of optimism at the end of each story.

This easy-to-read volume has been recommended for students in grade eight and above, and has been recommended by School Library Journal. You can find You Don’t Even Know Me at amazon.com.