31. The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper
ISBN: 0689842325
Atheneum, New York, 2003
297 pages

Teaser: An elite club, the Warriors of Distinction, had invited Jericho and his cousin Josh to pledge to join their club. Joining was an honor that the boys initially embraced as a means to wear the club colors and be recognized as one of the elite.

Summary: Jericho and his cousin began the pledge process just before Christmas, to become one of the group. To be recognized, no matter what they had to do to impress the other members, and the girls that followed the group. The first female pledge, Dana, was eventually singled out and treated as a sex object and asked to do demeaning tasks to pledge, while in other situations, given the easy choices and set up for admission. Josh in the end pays the ultimate price of his life and Jericho finds that being true to himself and not giving into peer pressure is what gets him what he wants in the end. Jericho found his true love and value for music competition and friendship.

Evaluation: I found this to be a good book. It brings out the old pledges of high school and colleges and how the desire to belong overrules the common sense and judgment of some and pushes others to do things they would never have dreamed of doing, right or wrong. It brings the inner city and poverty level of many youth into light as they struggle to overcome belonging and getting ahead in life. Friendships were examined and peer influences tested.

Challenge and age recommendation: The book had some sexual suggestiveness and racial tones, as well as some slang language that made the book seem of an older era. The process of pledging as well as the need for banning such pledging was examined, as well as how cruel teens can be to each other. I found the simplicity of giving and recognition by classmates to be realistic and true to middle school and high school situations. I would recommend this book for readers 12 and up, particularly to those faced with fitting in and social struggles.