If I Grow Up Book Report

Black Americans represent 13 percent of the overall population in the U.S. 50 percent of those black American make up the U.S. prisons. The book “If I Grow Up,” written by Todd Strasser illustrates the life of a boy named DeShawn who lives in the projects of Chicago. He wanted to take care of his family, stay in school, and avoid the gangs, but the fact that his family was starving, and them desperately needing money was enough for him to join the gang. So, DeShawn and his family started receiving money with some downfalls such as constantly carrying guns, drugs, and money. DeShawn did have a choice about his life because he could have gotten a job, stayed in school, and escaped like some of the others to have a better life. Some people might claim that once you’re in a gang you can’t make any of your own choices such as not being able to see anyone from the rival gang, taking money from people, or not being able to run away, But, DeShawn could have made his own choices by getting a job, staying in school, and taking the offer when he could have had a …show more content…
The book reads on page 13, “He was the only person I’d ever heard of who’d grown up in Frederick Douglass and become a cop.” This means that very few people make it out of the gang life, but it is possible. Also in the book, DeShawn was offered a much better life if he helped the cop find someone. It states, “We could work together… No one has to know. You help me take down Rance Jones and his top lieutenants. Then we go after Jamar. You’d be arrested on some fake charge so it wouldn’t look like you were the snitch. When the time is right, we could move you, your gramma, sister, and those kids someplace new. Someplace where you could get a fresh start.” DeShawn was offered a deal that would help his family and him. If you are offered a fresh start after having no money, no food, and seeing shootings every day for most of your life, you should take