Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

The bell has rung at the end of the school day, and students rushed out. Some, like Jasmine and TJ, philosophically discuss what they are, Jasmine refusing to admit they are boogers. The Low Cuts gang is out to steal some change, but nothing else. Ty hurried to see his friend who missed today due to a heavy beating. Satchmo goes out of his way to avoid the dog he just knows is out to make him relive the canine attack he suffered when he was seven. Gregory has something to say, and his friends are determined to make him look while good saying it. And Cynthia has a performance in the park, trying out the new jokes her grandfather shared with her.

Ten stories are bound together in this short book, featuring urban characters whose only commonality is the school they attend and that life is not easy. Most stories tackle topics experienced by many middle-grade students, like illness, divorce, bullying, death and more, making readers cry, laugh and empathize with their plights. The short stories will encourage reluctant readers, while strong readers will enjoy the binding forces that bring the book around to its beginning.