Show and Prove

Reviewed by: Sally Holt - Raymond Village Library, Raymond, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 29, 2015

Review

It's 1983 Bronx, New York in this urban lit novel, during the height of hip hop and tells the story of hispanic teens Smiles and Nike,

Smiles is a camp counselor who hopes to get the job of senior counselor at summer camp but loses the opportunity to Cookie Camacho. Smiles believes that that is because she is Puerto Rico and so begins a summer filled with rivalry between them.

b boy Nike falls for Sara a cute and sassy camp counselor and also has his eye on the big break dancing competition at the Roxy.

As the novel progresses Nike and Smiles though close begin to grow apart.

It's a tough neighborhood where Smiles and Nike live….gangs, drugs, HIV and violence but it is also a place where they are growing up and experience opportunities to learn and think about where their futures will lead them and along the way meet people who will influence that.

"If I had a dad who took a day off to take me to a game, you bet I'd go and I don't give a damn about baseball anymore." Poignant often.

I found this book to be true to the historical time it is set in and refreshing in its truth when using the slang of the hip hop era and the characters. It took careful study at times with this combination to grasp what was going on so there was a fair amount of rereading portions of the book.

The cover is eye-catching and will grab the eye of a teen. Teens who are interested in hip hop should be steered to this book as it is rich with that dance/music genre.

"I warm up with with a basic top into a corkscrew. I add a few quick shuffles, follow with some Zulu spins and then stand again."

Walter Dean Myers, a well-known author of urban lit is another writer teens should be referred to. Quintero is the author of another YA novel Efrain's Secret and has written several hip hop novels under the name Black Artemis.

Recommend for public and high school libraries

Overall Book Score: excellent