All the Right Stuff
Paul DuPree, a sixteen year old high school student in Harlem, starts working two summer jobs: one at a soup kitchen and another mentoring a young basketball player. Through these jobs Paul meets Elijah, the elderly “soup emporium” owner, and Keisha, a high school dropout and young mother. Each of these characters shares their own personal philosophies about life’s “social contracts” and urge Paul to begin thinking for himself. Elijah believes, “…If we could get everybody to save their own little piece of this planet, then eventually we’d get the whole thing in pretty good shape.” Keisha says, “…the rules don’t work for everybody, and so they don’t go for everybody.” Confused at first, he finds that these two perspectives clash, but ultimately Paul develops his own understanding of the “world.”
Myers tackles a lot of loaded subjects — grief, politics, privilege, ambition, and responsibility, all by creating supremely nuanced dialogue. Not much happens by way of plot, which may be a turn off for teen readers who anticipate a quicker read. I appreciated the novel for its portrayal of a young man at the start of his philosophical journey, and how your own small community can teach you the most about the larger world.
LOOKING FOR MORE? (OR SOMETHING ELSE?)
Why don't you...
- Listen to this ReadWriteThink podcast episode featuring a conversation with author Walter Dean Myers
- Watch this great trailer for a stage adaptation of another popular Myer's novel, Monster
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