There Are No Children Here - Book Review - 1651 Words

Book Review – There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz Summary There Are No Children Here is a story of the struggles two preteen boys live with while growing up in the projects. From the first pages the scene is set amongst the all too familiar gun fire blazing through the neighborhood. This story is of eleven year old Lafeyette and nine year old Pharoah dealing with the daily fight for survival in inner-city Chicago circa 1987. The boys are living in an apartment at the Henry Horner housing complex with their mother, LaJoe, their younger brother and sisters – the triplets, and a constant stream of people from their father Paul to their sister’s boyfriend’s brother staying on and off with them. Henry Horner is a housing†¦show more content†¦More topics related are covered in the following section. Personally Significant Segments P.240-241 It seemed as though I was reading a science fiction novel when I read these pages describing the living conditions at Henry Horner. It infuriates me that an entire group of people, the Chicago Housing Authority, let this happen to a group of human beings. What’s more disgusting is that it was not an oversight but it was decidedly severe neglect. Some people at the CHA knew it was this dilapidated but made a conscious choice to cover it up. I am truly sickened by the reminder that there are people out there with no regard to the human race whatsoever. These conditions were festering for 15 years! How do we expect people to be law abiding citizens and contributing members of society when we put them in a biohazard wasteland? Their health and wellbeing may be better being homeless than they are in these quarters. This is the epitome of the forgotten, the shunned, and the not worthy people. Sewage in their apt! They didn’t have a working appliance! They would hav e been better off in a box on the street quite literally. Everyone at the CHA with a connection to this should be incarcerated for neglect and abuse. I am frustrated that things like this have happened, are happening and will continue to happen. My own naivety about qualityShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Television on Young Children: A Review of Literature1314 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Television on Young Children: A Review of Literature It has become clear, in the past few decades, that the United States, and many other westernized societies around the world, are very dependent upon televisions, and the entertainment they provide. There has been an increasing trend in television viewership since the 1950s. However, it is only recently that a larger audience has noticed the various effects on television, often a result of the ways in which shows are now specificallyRead MoreRobert Warshow s The Immediate Experience1619 Words   |  7 Pagesacademics†. 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