BAD BOY

Sims presents a graphic adaptation of late children’s literature giant Myers’ 2001 autobiography, in which he describes his adventures growing up in New York City.

Illustrator Anyabwile effectively captures the 1940s and ’50s Harlem setting, using a bright, expressive color palette offset by sepia tones and background details to immerse readers in the life of a Black boy who wrestled with how to fit into his environment. Young Walter was influenced by boys whose mischievous energy took him down the wrong path and distracted him from school—too, his own quickness to anger often got him in trouble with teachers. A frequent visitor to the local library, Walter’s great love of books (he tells readers, “When I began to read, I began to exist”) became part of his internal and external battles. He often found solace in reading but still faced stressors at home and engaged in risky behaviors. Literary characters from classics by white authors filled his imagination—he notes that he was taught nothing of the Harlem Renaissance—and he began to find satisfaction in writing his own poems and short stories. Yet Walter kept getting pulled back into the bad boy life. Finally realizing that he needed a change, at 17 he enlisted in the army. This compact, accessible volume may entice readers to pick up the prose version, where they’ll find more insights into Myers’ struggles, feelings, and motivations.

Solid and visually appealing, although no match for the nuance of the original.