There Are No Children Here

by Alex Kotlowitz
Ally, Stephanie, Michaela, Tamisha, Allison

Summary
-2 African American boys, Pharaoh and Lafayette

-Lived in poverty & in a horrible neighborhood

-poorly influenced to act out, do drugs & commit crimes -both boys beat the odds and continue on with schooling -book discusses many stories of violence, murders, gang actions & drug use

Summary
Main Characters Lafayette Pharaoh LaJoe Description Older brother, takes care of younger siblings, responsible Younger brother, sometimes acts out in violence Mother of the 2 boys + 6 others (3 younger triplets, 3 older)

Jimmie Lee Rickey

Drug lord/ head gang member close friend of Pharaoh and Lafayette, in and out of trouble with the law, protected the boys
oldest of LaJoes children, grew up in a rough time, in and out of jail Father of boys, dead-beat dad

Terence

Paul (father)

Characteristics of the Author

Alex Kotlowitz was born in NYC in 1955 Graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. The story came from an article he wrote in the Wall Street Journal Lives outside Chicago with his wife & 2 children

Understanding and he never judges them

Caring: takes Pharaoh and Lafayette to the museum

Context
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3483d4u2PU

Gangs, violence, racism, poverty

Immigrants began to move in and the area went down
in value

Henry Horner Homes: apartments where the

projects of Chicago lived in the 1980s. They are run down, overcrowded, smelly (dead fetuses), dark & in a horrible neighborhood

Issues/problems that affect author/characters

Drugs (Paul)

Racism (Police)
Violence Death

Social system that creates poverty for minorities, the

corruption/mismanagement of Chicago housing authority

Gangs & warfare

Boys face own inner demons/environment that cause

temptation

Themes
Bad neighborhood/poverty: Public housing, one
parent households, repeated gang violence, little to eat, poor schools, let down by own government, welfare, domestic violence

Kids growing up too fast: experience lots of horrible

things when they are young: murders, drugs, other violence, taking care of younger siblings, trying to cling onto innocence

Racism: Police brutality, innocent black children/adults

are killed and news does not cover it, arrested & beaten for crimes they did not commit

Do We Recommend This Book?

Yes!

Teaches you about overcoming obstacles & its

inspiring

Interesting and entertaining story