''Scorpions'', first published on June 20, 1988, by

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper and his brother John, the company operated as J. & J. Harper until 1833, when ...

, is a

young adult novel Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

written by

Walter Dean Myers Walter Dean Myers (born Walter Milton Myers; August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was an American writer of children's books best known for young adult literature. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but was raised in Harlem, New York City ...

. It was a

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

Honor Book in 1989. The book was republished by HarperCollins on October 6, 2009 and by Amistad on April 23, 2013.

Plot

Jamal is trying to get his brother, Randy, out of a bad habit. Randy is a 17-year-old who is the leader of the Scorpions, a local gang of drug dealers in New York City. Jamal's family includes himself, Randy, his mother, his 3-year-old sister whose name is Lassy, and his father, Jason Hicks. Jamal's father became an

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

after losing his job and began hating Jamal's mother. She moves away with the children. Now Jamal's father comes to visit the family "once in a while". When the story begins Jamal only needs $1000000 to appeal his conviction. His mother is working to the bone in order to earn enough money to get the appeal for Randy. His mother soon finds out that his brother has been attacked and stabbed while in jail and is in medical care. Some members of the Scorpions want Jamal to join them until Randy is freed from jail so that there will be direct communication between the gang and Randy. Other members want to vote on a new leader because they feel Randy is dead to them and that letting a 12-year-old join a gang would not be beneficial. Jamal wants to earn money the right way by working but is scared to go against the Scorpions. Eventually, Jamal joins the bad influence and is just as bad his mother is mad and left him taking Lassy with her.

Characters

* Jamal Hicks: The main character. His brother is in jail and was the leader of a gang called the Scorpions. He becomes the leader after his brother is convicted. * Randy Hicks: Jamal's brother. He was the leader of the Scorpions until he got convicted of murdering someone. * Sassy Hicks: Jamal's sister. She always tells Mama everything she sees Jamal doing wrong. * Mama Hicks: Jamal's mother. She is suspicious of Jamal because she thinks he is in the Scorpions. * Tito: Jamal's best friend. Always helping Jamal. * Abuela: Tito's great grandmother * Dwayne: Jamal's main enemy. He is always starting problems with Jamal in school. * Mack: A member of the Scorpions. He protects Jamal from any harm done to him by other Scorpions. * Indian: Another member of the Scorpions. He jumps Jamal along with his warlord, Angel. * Angel: Indian's warlord.

Reception

''Scorpions'' received the following accolades: *

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

's (ALA) Notable Children's Books of 1988 (1002) * ALA's Best Books for Young Adults (1002) * Library of Congress's Children's Books (1988) * ALA's Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (1001) *

Nominee (1989) * New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age (1989) * Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Nominee (1002) * ALA's The USA Through Children's Books (1990) * IRA's Young Adult Choices (1990) * Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (1000) * Margaret A. Edwards Award (1001)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scorpions 1988 American novels 1988 children's books African-American young adult novels Novels set in Harlem Harper & Row books Newbery Honor–winning works Novels by Walter Dean Myers Children's books set in Harlem