It Doesn't Have to Be This Way

Title:  It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: A Barrio Story

Author:  Luis J. Rodriguez

Illustrations:  Daniel Galvez

Awarded: 2000 Skipping Stones Honor Award

Children’s Book Press (1994)

The introduction to this book includes pictures of the author and his family along with a personal reflection on his background in the gangs of Los Angeles and his current work in trying to persuade young people that there is another way.  The story is that of a young boy, 10 years old, who loves poetry being caught up into the gang world afraid to say no.  In an effort to persuade him to change his mind, his cousin when coming to his initiation gets shot by a rival gang.

This book is written from personal experience and effectively addresses the issues faced by many inner city kids today.  It is an accurate representation that most readers will find believable based on the author’s background.  The language in this book is authentic geared towards upper elementary grades or even middle school grades.  The illustrations in the first two pages are actual photographs of the author in his gang days and his family now.  The illustrations in the rest of the book are a fair representation of life in the Hispanic neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

I think students will be enthusiastic about this book as it presents the truth about Hispanic youth growing up in the gang-torn neighborhoods of Los Angeles.  This book lets them see that there are alternatives to joining the gang.  The author’s purpose in writing this book is to help young people see that there is another way.  The story is told in both English and Spanish which makes it a good resource for ESL students as well.

I think this would be a great book to read and discuss as a class as gangs are prevalent in most cities and they don’t know cultural boundaries.  They exist in all ethnicities.  Obviously teachers will have to use caution in talking about gangs but I think this has a lot of positive possibilities.