Darius and Twig is a story about two best friends from Harlem who are trying to navigate everyday life, and figure out how to get it out the ghetto - which may mean leaving behind their families - and starting lives out on their own. The story is told entirely from Darius' point of view, and accounts for the decisions that the two make on a daily basis during school, life in Harlem, and when being bullied by local thugs.
Darius is a talented writer, who doesn't quite have good enough grades to get a scholarship to a college, however, if he can just get one of his stories published then he may have a chance. But first, he must figure out why he made certain decisions about the character, which means Darius must also figure out some things about his own life first. Twig, Darius' best friend, is an extremely talented long distance runner. However, he is torn between his love and talent in running and his uncle's desire that he goes and works at the family bodega. The story is about how the two friends encourage and keep each other on a straight and narrow while facing multiple challenges.
Challenge:
Even though this is an easy and quick read, there is a lot going on in this novel and at points determining who is speaking can be a bit difficult. Figuring out each character's place in the story can be challenging. There is also a section at the beginning of each chapter about a falcon stalking his prey - the writing is in a different font - but figuring out how this relates to the story (symbolically and literally) takes a little bit of time.
Curriculum Connection & Themes:
This could be used to analyze the author's choices during writing since it is something Darius is struggling with in his own writing.
- Friendship
- Triumph over adversity
- Staying true to who you are & following your goals
Lexile: 730L
Reading Level: 4.5
Interest Level: Middle school +
Controversial Scenes/Content:
There is some controversial language, but it is nothing over the top or used too profusely. There is also a scene with shooting and guns, but it is not offensive or graphic.
Rating: 4/5 (The book is very reminiscent of other Walter Dean Myers books, but that is part of what is so nice about it.)
Awards:
Coretta Scott King Honor (Author) Winner
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book Winner
ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Winner