Summary courtesy of Amazon.com
New York Times bestselling author and Printz Award winner Walter Dean Myers once again connects with teenagers everywhere in Darius & Twig, a novel about friendship and needing to live one's own dream. This touching and raw teen novel from the author of Monster, Kick, We Are America, Bad Boy, and many other celebrated literary works for children and teens is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.
Darius and Twig are an unlikely pair: Darius is a writer whose only escape is his alter ego, a peregrine falcon named Fury, and Twig is a middle-distance runner striving for athletic success. But they are drawn together in the struggle to overcome the obstacles that life in Harlem throws at them. The two friends must face down bullies, an abusive uncle, and the idea that they'll be stuck in the same place forever.
Review -
145th Street Harlem… No protection from the gangs,
violence, and thugs outside the front steps or absent fathers, depressed mothers
and abusive uncles behind closed doors. Unsupportive
teachers and counselors at school who have lost faith in motivating their
students. No guidance, no faith, no hope…
But two best friends, Darius and Twig, are there to support
each other; to find vision and purpose; to find the best in each other. Darius is a young aspiring writer who has a
chance at a college scholarship if he could just revise the story he turned
into the college magazine, The Delta
Review. Twig is an exceptional middle length runner who sees his for chance
for college if he stands out at his high school track meets. Both have dreams
of coveted scholarships and the chance to be move beyond the low expectations of
the people around them.
This is a story of True
friendship!
Like Darius’s alter ego, his imaginary Peregrine falcon; Fury… these boys are going to fly!!!
Walter Dean
Myers, who grew up in Harlem, is celebrated for an expressive, genuine writing
style that depicts the essence of the inner city. Darius and Twig is no exception; care is taken to emphasize the
hope for the characters without losing their urban dialect. Characters in the
story like Midnight and Tall Boy or Twig’s Uncle paint a harsh picture of their
worlds. This relatively short yet gripping novel; only 201 pages will attract
reluctant readers. The language used is
strong and the situations are violent. For this reason I would recommend the
book to readers in grades 8 and up. I would also recommend listening to this
book on audioCD. Brandon Gill does a superb job giving distinct voices to the various
characters. I feel it gave me a better appreciation for the novel than if I had
just read the book.
