Miracle's Boys--Reading Journal

Miracle’s Boys
By Jacqueline Woodson

Fully deserving of the awards* and accolades Miracle’s Boys received, Jacqueline Woodson presents the story of three young men (Lafayette and his brothers, Ty’ree and Charlie) who, having lost their father to death several years prior, now are dealing with their mother Milagro’s (meaning “miracle” in Spanish) death in distinctive ways. We hear from Lafayette, the narrator, that Ty’ree (the eldest) has had to postpone his dream of going to MIT to become the legal guardian and breadwinner for the family. Charlie (called “Newcharlie” for most of the book by Lafayette) is 15, a trouble-maker, and “evil incarnate” according to Lafayette (p. 82). He has just returned from serving time in Rahway, a youth detention center, for armed robbery. Seventh grade Lafayette battles with internal struggles stemming from the emotional trauma of his mother’s death. He feels as if he’s lost everything, wonders if he’s partially responsible for his mother’s death, questions whether Newcharlie even loves him any more, and grasps for some promise of hope.

I enjoyed the book but went through several Kleenexes as I read; it was so heart-wrenching. Although the book concerns boys and has a boy as the narrator—really the brothers’ memories of their mother are the only female presence in Miracle’s Boys—I think that middle school and teenage girls would find it more appealing than most boys the same age because of the emotion in the book. I feel like I’m stereotyping girls as being drawn to drama and boys as preferring something else—like action; however, I’m not sure if Newcharlie’s dark character and the fact that the book presents a realistic portrayal of three boys in inner city New York is enough to keep boys hooked to the end. Having said that, Miracle’s Boys does provide a great source for boys to read about the realistic consequences for breaking the law, dabbling with gangs, feeling brotherly love (or the lack thereof), and understanding others’ perspectives.

As a teacher, I love the possibilities for discussion and instruction that this book holds. Commenting about Miracle’s Boys, Woodson says, “…read it slowly. If you rush through it, you might miss some good, subtle stuff!!” Did you catch the sleep and dream motif (even carried through in the song “El Coqui” that Newcharlie remembers his mom singing)? Her idea of freedom also echoes in her allusions to “Me and Bobby McGee” and her quote from Toni Morrison. Her language (similar to An Na and Traci L. Jones) is packed with imagery. Woodson deftly introduces several universal themes in Miracle’s Boys including (but certainly not limited to) dealing with a death, the idea of stereotyping people based on their race, responsibility to family, learning to make sacrifices, the importance of open communication, looking out for #1 versus helping others, hope, and freedom.

*Awards for this book include: Coretta Scott King Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among others.