From Carnegie winning author, a coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighbourhood lines - illustrated by award-winner, Akhran Girmay.
A lot of the stuff that gives my neighbourhood a bad name, I don-t really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing.
Nah, not his thing. Ali-s got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there-s a dude looking for trouble - and, somehow, it-s always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy-s gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it-s all small potatoes; it-s not like anyone-s getting hurt.
And then there-s Needles. Needles is Noodles-s brother. He-s got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It-s cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn-t mean anything by it.
Yeah, it-s cool . . . until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewher
