Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty
by G. Neri
illustrated by Randy DuBurke

2011 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Teens




Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty is a graphic novel that tells the true story of an 11 year old gang member. Robert "Yummy" Sandifer grew up on the streets in Chicago.  Like many young boys in his neighborhood, Yummy did not have a father figure in his life, and he longed to belong to a family.  He joined the Black Disciples gang and quickly became involved in serious crimes.  The gang members routinely found minors to commit crimes because the penalties were not as severe for  minors.  When Yummy accidentally shoots a young girl from his neighborhood during a turf war, he learns that his "family" is not as loyal as he thought. 

The combination of illustrations and text  help readers understand the harsh realities of life on the streets in urban America.  The book will bring up questions about who is to blame for street violence and what can be done to change the situation.  The book would be an excellent tool to discuss the consequences of gang life with students.

I created a Voki presentation using one of Yummy's friends to describe the events in the book.