2001 Coretta Scott King Award: Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson

Miracle's Boys is a painful, tear-jerking story that tells about the harsh, realistic struggles three brothers living in inner city Manhattan face after the death of both parents. Half Puerto Rican and half African American, Lafayette, twelve, Charlie, fifteen, and Ty'ree, twenty-one, each cope with grief in different ways. Ty'ree gives up his opportunity to attend a prestigious school to earn a living working to barely support his two younger brothers. Before their mother dies, Charlie gets caught robbing a candy store at the age of twelve and is then sent to Rahway Home for Boys, a juvenile correctional facility. After Charlie returns home, Lafayette and Ty'ree witness a totally different person. Charlie comes back home cold-hearted, distant, and harsh. In a desperate attempt to erase her memories, Charlie burns all of the pictures of their mother except for two. He ultimately feels guilty for not being present when their mother died and doesn't know how to express his agony. With the sudden death of his mother, Lafayette's whole existence is shattered to pieces. To make matters worse, Charlie blames Lafayette for their mother's death. Towards the end of the story, Charlie accompanies his "friend" Aaron to what he thinks is a harmless party. However, when Charlie arrives he discovers something totally different- a gang initiation. Charlie ends up fighting. He then gets accused and arrested when the police think he steals a car. Ty'ree and Lafayette arrive at the police station and take Charlie home. This experience changes Charlie because it makes him realize that he doesn't want to be a part of that life. Author Jacqueline Woodson leaves the reader optimistic that the three brothers will stick together and support one another when Charlie opens the lines of communication in an effort to hear more stories about their mother.
This was a very sorrowful and depressing story. In fact, after I read the first couple of chapters, I contemplated not finishing the rest of the story, but I am very glad I did. With each page I read, the more I wanted to find out if the brothers would come together despite their difficult circumstances. Even though this story was not a "happy feel good" book, I found myself wrapped up in the characters's emotions and their struggles. There were several moments within the book that actually brought tears to my eyes. I sympathized with them and even found myself wishing I could transform their heartache into joy. The realistic theme of the value of family unity was evident throughout the entire story. As I read this story, I thought about my own family and wondered what my sister and I would have done if we were in the same circumstances as the Bailey brothers. It was a very depressing thought!
I would recommend this book to middle school students. I believe the content, such as the subjects of death and gangs, are very deep topics. With the overall quality concept of the story and character development, Miracle's Boys is definitely worth reading. I am not, however, familiar with other books written by Jacqueline Woodson.
I find it amazing how children's literature can actually make the reader feel what the characters in the story are going through. That is the mark of a great book! In Miracle's Boys, I almost felt as if I were living that horrible nightmare with them.