No Bad News

Plot Summary

It's time for Marcus to get his haircut, but today his mom is busy so he has to walk to the barbershop alone. On the walk there, Marcus sees a lot of bad news—buildings covered in graffiti, people drinking outside a liquor store, and police cars everywhere. By the time he reaches Mr. Jackson's barbershop, he feels pretty low. Mr. Jackson and everyone else in the shop can see that Marcus is upset. One by one, they tell him all about the good news that's in their neighborhood. As Marcus walks home, he not only sees good news, he decides he's going to be good news.

Awards

2002 Marion Vannet Ridgway Honor book

Reviews

"A trip to the barbershop turns around an African-American lad's attitude toward his neighborhood in this purposeful but unpreachy debut. As Marcus walks down shabby, nearly deserted streets, past litter and weeds, closed stores, men drinking from brown paper bags, hearing sirens and honking horns, his spirits sink lower and lower. Seeing his long face, the people hanging out in the barbershop tell him to keep his chin up and look for the good news instead: this close, hardworking family; that pretty garden; over there a man and his son who repair old bicycles to give away to local children. Milwaukee resident Ruebartsch illustrates Marcus's journey with bluntly realistic black-and-white photos, parts of which become hand-colored as Marcus, making his way home and seeing his community in a new light, resolves not just to observe the good news, but to make some of it himself. It's an unabashed pep talk, overlaid with just a veneer of story, but Cole, a clinical psychologist, speaks directly to the concerns of many young people, and rightly suggests that real change comes from within." Kirkus Reviews

"There's a combination of realism and hope in this photo-essay about a young African American boy who discovers the riches of his city neighborhood....This is clearly message more than story, but many children will like seeing a place like theirs in a book. Moving black-and-white photographs of [an urban] neighborhood show the warmth between Marcus and his mom, the scariness of his walk alone, the vitality in the barbershop, and—with a touch of color added to the pictures—the joy of his journey home." Booklist

Associated Keywords
african, african-american, black, community, pride