With the school year just around the corner, a good friend who is a high school teacher asked me for a list of suggested books for young adults that focus on gangs. I put together a list and decided that some readers of this blog might also find some use for it. These are all books that I have read and recommend. The list is a mix of young adult fiction and non-fiction work. Most of the books are appropriate for youth with a 9th grade reading level. I have noted a few books that can be read by middle-schoolers.

DRAPER, Sharon M. Romiette and Julio (YA fiction) – A gang whose members object to their interracial dating harasses Romiette, an African American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy. This fictional book is a bit West Side Storyish without the music. It would appeal more to young women IMO and could be read by middle schoolers.

HEWETT, Lorri. Soulfire (YA fiction) – A rift between cousins Todd and Ezekiel when Ezekiel tries to solve the problem of gang violence in his Denver neighborhood. I think that this book appeals to both young men and women. It can be read by middle schoolers.

KOWALSKI, William. The Barrio Kings. (Orca, 2010) An easy read that’s relevant to youth who are struggling with leaving a gang.

LIPSYTE, Robert. The Contender (YA fiction) High School dropout Alfred Brooks escapes from a gang by joining a boxing gym. Boys will really enjoy this book. My nephews/cousins have greatly liked this book. Middle-schoolers can easily read this.

LYFE, Ise. Pistols and Prayers. (iUniverse, 2010) Poetry, prayers, and journal entries to make sense of the crazy streets.

RODRIGUEZ, Luis J. Always Running: La Vida Loca – Gang Days in L.A. (Touchstone, 2005 – Non-fiction) The award-winning and bestselling classic memoir about a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles. It is appropriate for high schoolers though it was written for adults.

RODRIGUEZ, Luis J. It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing. (Touchstone, 2011 – Non-fiction) A beautiful sequel to Always Running. Both girls and boys love it.

SANCHEZ, Reymundo. My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King (Chicago Review Press, 2000 — Non-fiction). In My Bloody Life, Reymundo Sanchez tells a chillingly sad tale, from his birth in the back of a pickup truck in Puerto Rico to the day he quit the Latin Kings gang, 21 years later. I assign this book to my college students and they always LOVE it.

SANCHEZ, Reymundo and RODRIGUEZ, Sonia. Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen (Chicago Review Press, 2010 — Non-fiction). Young women will really gravitate to this book.