Skip to main content

PLAYGROUND by 50 Cent


I had seen this book all over the place since I attended the NCTE convention in November.  Every time I see it, I am drawn to the cover.  The cover claims that Playground is “The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully.”  However, I was hesitant to buy it because I had little faith that it was quality literature. 

Sure, it might be appealing enough for some of you to pick it up and read, but was the story really going to be the kind of message I wanted my students to read?  Was it really based on 50 Cent’s experience?  Would it really send a message about the negative effects of bullying? 

Then I came across Crazy Quilt Edi’s book review of the book.  She said after reading she wondered, “Did 50 Cent really write this on his own?”  That was all I needed to know.  Her question told me it must be better than I thought it would be.  And it was.

Aside from the gratuitous use of mild swear words and some minor, but noticeable editing failures (i.e. the word “think” instead of “thing”), Playground is a powerful, well-crafted coming-of-age story with surprising depth. 

Butterball is a complex teenager who plays the roles of both victim and bully in this story.  His relationship with each of his separated parents is complicated.  When he finds himself in required counseling sessions after attacking a classmate with a battery-filled sock, Butterball is determined to do anything but open up to his counselor. 

The story unfolds through counseling sessions where the reader is privy to both what is said during the session as well as what Butterball refuses to say (through flashbacks prompted by the counseling sessions).  The current events in his life play out between sessions, forming a complete picture of the past that shaped Butterball’s life up to now, the present in which he struggles to figure out who he wants to be, and the future he decides to create for himself. 

Each page reveals an unexpected, but realistic aspect of Butterball’s story.  His feelings are universal.  I suspect that every one of you who reads Playground will find a piece of yourselves within the pages. 

Comments

  1. Hmmm, sounds like I will add it to my list!
    This is my exciting news--one of our administrators to me they had another $500 to spend on books for at risk students. The people teaching the at risk reading class that I taught last year (and ordered awesome books for) didn't give her a list of books when she asked for one. I said, "Let me order for my classroom. Those kids come to me anyway." She told me to go for it!!!!!! I am making my list--and the first place I went to was THIS BLOG! You have been giving me great ideas! I'll let you know what else I pick out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad to see your recommendations, Christy. You're choosing books I haven't heard of, so I'll pass these on to our librarian, too. Thanks. This book looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't think the language in this was right for middle school and sent the ARC to the high school. There's a lot of urban lit out there that is much better done.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gotta pick this one up. Great review and I love the cover illustration!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the review - I have seen this, and know it will be popular because, it's 50 Cent, but didn't know what to expect.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY by Kevin C. Pyle

copyright date: March 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up) Despite the fact that the teacher in me sees so many lesson possibilities in Kevin C. Pyle’s graphic novel Take What You Can Carry , you should read it simply for the grace of its stories.   The artwork is as striking as the stories it tells.   Using artwork in two different colors and styles, Pyle tells the stories of two teenage boys living years and miles apart.   And yet, he communicates the universality in their experiences.   One boy is a Japanese American forced to move into an internment camp during WWII.   His family struggles to maintain their dignity and sense of peace under unbearable conditions. The other is a rebellious boy with an attitude whose reckless behavior causes him to wind up in trouble with the law.   To make amends, he finds himself completing community service hours in the most unlikely place.   I found my...

THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day

  release date: January 5, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle grades The Sea in Winter  by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.  Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.  When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio  faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.  Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myse...

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF AIDAN S. (as told to his brother) by David Levithan

 copyright date: February 2, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle Grades I devoured this one in a single sitting. The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told to his brother)  by David Levithan is the book I did not know I needed.  The story opens when Aidan S. has gone missing. His parents are distraught. His brother, Lucas, is beside himself. The town is pitching in to help search. As the days pass, the outcome looks more and more grim.  And then Aidan shows up in the attic, wearing the same pajamas he had on when he left, and everyone wants answers. Is he alright? Where was he? What made him disappear?  Although Aidan's story is the driving force behind this novel, it is really Lucas's story readers enter. When Aidan returns with an explanation beyond belief, Lucas is left to decide what really matters. Levithan hints at classic tales, but his perspective is uniquely fresh and inventive. Readers will be left thinking about what really makes a story true....