Book: Miracle’s Boys
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Category: Recent Book that Addresses Diversity (Chapter Book)
After the first paragraph of this book, I thought to myself – I’m never going to be able to even understand this story, forget about enjoying it. It seemed to be overpowered by dialogue that could only be understood by young African-American boys. But, as I read on I did understand the book and came to appreciate the dialogue as a way of setting the tone and mood of the book. By the end of the first chapter, I could see Lafayette & Charlie’s little bedroom. I cringed as the older brother hurled insults at his younger sibling. The dialogue helped me to understand their world, their situation, and their feelings. The anger and animosity was so strong that my heart was breaking for young Lafayette by the time his brother called him “Milagro killer” at the end of the first chapter. I didn’t know what this word meant, and didn’t realize at the time that it was a name, so I looked it up on the Internet. I found that Milagro is Spanish for miracle. Lafayette had revealed that he and his brothers were biracial – one parent was Puerto Rican. I assumed the other parent was African American from Charlie’s high regard for the “badness” of “brothers”. I also assumed that the boys probably spoke some Spanish since one parent was Puerto Rican. I thought Charlie was calling Lafayette “miracle-killer”. It wasn’t until the next chapter that I realized that Milagro was the name of the boys’ mother. Then the title of the book became clear – Miracle’s Boys were Ty’ree, Charlie, and Lafayette. Miracle or Milagro was their mother. And Charlie was accusing his young brother of killing her. The book is told from Lafayette’s voice. My heart was breaking by the second chapter, as he relayed memories from years gone by of sweet and sensitive “old Charlie” contrasted with brazen and belligerent Newcharlie who had just returned from Rahway correctional institution. The book covers the events of about a day, beginning on a Friday evening and ending on a Saturday evening. However, the gaps are filled in as the brothers share with each other stories of years gone by when their family was whole, when both their parents were alive. I honestly had to fight back tears all night as I was reading this book, and finally just succumbed to it and had myself a cry. The hearts of all three brothers were breaking in different ways, as they tried desperately to remember, and to forget. As Lafayette, Ty’ree, and even Charlie cried at different times in the story, remembering their mother, I just cried with them. I just found it exceptionally sad to think of these three young boys, alone in this world, longing for the arms of their mother. I suppose that this probably evoked a heightened emotional response in me because I am a mother of a little boy. It seemed so real that I had to double check & make sure it wasn’t based on or inspired by a true story. (It's not). There is however a 6- part miniseries based on the book. Reading the book makes me want to watch the movie. This book touches on so many issues, including diversity, poverty, gangs, city life, families, death, and friendship. There were a few curse words in chapter 14, as the oldest brother picks Charlie up from the police station; however, I think they are probably appropriate and true to the story. In the end, the brothers find their way back to each other and embrace the memory of their family as it was, the reality of their family as it is, and the hope for the future. It does have a happy ending, but there will be tears along the way. This is definitely a book that addresses many issues related to diversity & should be in every middle school library.
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