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Dantzler grew up on a farm; his sharecropper father died when he was 7, and he didn't have much of a future -- he had, he would say later, nothing more than a "downtrodden, go-nowhere life." But he had an older cousin, Willie. "He taught us how to be men," Dantzler said later. "And I just soaked it up. I reveled in having an older man tell me things, listen to me and help me out." Dantzler didn't just appreciate the gesture, he paid it back. In 1968, while working multiple jobs to support his family (custodian, gardener, stockroom clerk and more), he caught a boy trying to break into his house. He realized other boys were aimless too, kids "who needed to take all that youthful, hormonal, adolescent energy and put it toward something" positive, rather than crime. So he created the Challengers Boys & Girls Club in South Los Angeles, and served as a father figure for kids that didn't have one. The Club started with 12 boys; it's now national, and has helped more than 34,000 kids grow up. His own sons work in the organization too: Corey Dantzler is Challenger's CEO; Mark Dantzler is its program director. Dantzler died on July 6 after suffering a stroke just two months after his book, A Place to Go, A Place to Grow: Simple Things That Make a Difference for At-Risk Kids, was published. From This is True for 2 July 2006 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: E.L. Konigsburg List Price: $6.99 Amazon Price: $6.99 Editorial Review: All readers hope for in a book. Humor, suspense, intrigue and their problems acknowledged seriously, but not somberly.After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits!  By: Walter Dean Myers List Price: $8.99 Amazon Price: $8.99 Editorial Review: "Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial. "They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can't kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment." Myers, known for the inner-city classic Motown and Didi (first published in 1984), proves with Monster that he has kept up with both the struggles and the lingo of today's teens. Steve is an adolescent caught up in the violent circumstances of an adult world--a situation most teens can relate to on some level. Readers will no doubt be attracted to the novel's handwriting-style typeface, emphasis on dialogue, and fast-paced courtroom action. By weaving together Steve's journal entries and his script, Myers has given the first-person voice a new twist and added yet another worthy volume to his already admirable body of work. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert FADE IN: INTERIOR: Early morning in CELL BLOCK D, MANHATTAN DETENTION CENTER. Steve (Voice-Over)  By: Gennifer Choldenko List Price: $6.99 Amazon Price: $6.99 Editorial Review: Murderers, mob bosses, and convicts . . . these guys are not your average neighbors. Unless you live on Alcatraz. It's 1935 and twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to the infamous island that's home to criminals like notorious escapee Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and of course, Al Capone. Now Moose has to try to fit in at his new school, avoid getting caught up in one of the warden's daughter's countless plots, and keep an eye on his sister Natalie, who's not like other kids. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents' expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away. A Newbery Honor Book  By: Michael Buckley List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: More in the New York Times bestselling series! More than 500,000 copies of the series in print! The Grimms defend Mr. Canis in Ferryport Landing’s trial of the century! This book sees Mr. Canis, dear friend and protector of the Grimm family, put on trial for past crimes. Considering that he’s really the Big Bad Wolf, he has a lot to answer for. Is there any truth to the story told by Little Red Riding Hood? What’s the deal with all that huffing and puffing? Will Mr. Canis be forced to answer for his crimes? A kangaroo court of Everafters, led by the cruel Queen of Hearts, is determined to find Canis guilty and force the Grimms out of Ferryport Landing. Meanwhile, Puck has decided to focus more on his mischievous ways, making a few new troublemaker friends. So it’s up to Sabrina and Daphne to find evidence to save Canis—and their investigation may reveal more than they hoped. Readers have embraced the first five books in the series, and this gripping courtroom drama won’t disappoint.  By: Chris Van Allsburg List Price: $24.95 Amazon Price: $16.47 Editorial Review: Since its publication in 1984, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has stimulated the minds of readers of all ages and backgrounds. Now the original fourteen drawings are available in a large portfolio edition of loose sheets. In addition, a newly discovered fifteenth drawing, titled The Youngest Magician, has been added, as well as an updated introduction by the author. The puzzles of these mysterious drawings will be even more provocative because of the larger size and the exceptional printing quality. For the first time, the drawings can be shared with groups or displayed singly. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 1984. |
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