The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America

the store sells Trump brand shoes, clothing, and home furnishings. They have also yet to publicly condemn Trump’s Muslim Immigration Ban, instead releasing a politically-neutral message to employees offering “contingency plans” for those who stranded by the ban.

I purchased the audio book
The beginning of every sentence, either skips or is garbled. Now It's doing it in the middle of the sentences. Makes it very difficult to follow the story. Very disappointed.

This novel was both eye-opening and gut-wrenching. I found myself rooting for these sweet boys in hopes that they would make it out of their tenebrous situation. By the end of the novel, I felt defeated (as I'm sure these children felt most of their lives). Mr. Kotlowitz brings to life a very harsh reality, namely the cycle of poverty in the lower income families in the United States. There comes a point at which their dismal living conditions, poor education, and lack of income, become perpetual, facilitated by both internal and external factors. Sadly, at some point, most of these children give up their dreams because of the unremitting horrors of their daily life, turn to drug dealing, and often end up addicted, themselves. The author did a fine job of immersing the reader into this sad existence, one that is so foreign to a significant percentage of the United States population. I felt Lafayette and Pharoah's despair as they lived each day in fear for their own lives, and felt myself sliding with them, down the slippery slope of hopelessness.

So, although this is certainly not an uplifting novel, it is a meaningful one, and one that served as a catalyst for change back in the 1980's. Bravo, Mr. Kotlowitz!

I read Sudhir Vanjatesh's "Gang Leader For a Day" (about the Robert Taylor projects) so I wasn't terribly shocked. But this book is still a harrowing look at the way people live in Chicago's Horner Houses. The buildings were built with faulty materials, and worse, they were built in the middle of nowhere, far from anything. The Cabrini-Green houses, which were closer to the main part of the city, were also built with low standards. The garbage chutes were too small, the faucets were never maintained (so the water ran day and night) and the windows wouldn't close. As expected, there was no security for these huge buildings, so they were a great place for drug markets. Kids ducked bullets at home and in the playground.

There was something in this book that, in my biased opinion, sums up the problems of public housing. In the 1960's, a city planner from Moscow visited Chicago and saw the Horner houses under construction. He was shocked at the terrible quality of construction; open-air lobbies, exposed cinder block walls, poor-quality electric and plumbing fixtures. He said "in Moscow I would lose my job if I built something like this!" But the people moving into the Horner Houses were either migrants from the Deep South or former tennants from decrepid old buildings. It all looked great to them from the surface. Withing ten years it was a mess.

Regarding the Soviet planner's comments, the buildings in Moscow and Petrograd (Leningrad at the time) were no better. Visitors to the Iron Curtain countries noted that the public apartment buildings were like basements in the sky; exposed concrete, damp, no heat. In every country, you have either top-quality public housing or shitty public housing. Whether you're in UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Serbia, etc, it's always the same.

If your government builds something with shoddy materials in the middle of nowhere "so that you can have a home," do you think they have your best interests at heart? Do you think anything good will come of it?

I don't think so.

The Wall Street Journal reporter Aelx Kotlowitz's "There Are No Children Here" is a sociological survey of life in a Chicago public housing complex called Henry Horner Homes. To research the book Mr. Kotlowitz spent two years hanging out with two young brothers Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, but while in the midst of writing the book probably discovered other characters to be much more interesting, and thus devotes far more attention to them.

The main character is the mother, LaJoe Rivers, who is amazingly creative and resilient, trying her best to keep her family together against impossible odds. She comes from a family that has involved itself in politics, and thus she chooses not to just bitterly resign herself to her poverty, like most of her neighbors. Still, she is limited and crippled by the brutal facts around her. The dead-beat drug addict father of her children is a parasite on her resources, and his presence raises concerns from city welfare officials that she is double-dipping. There are a thousand arguments she could have employed to save her groceries, but instead she in the end resorts to gambling to put food on the table for her children.

In one of the book's final poignant scenes, Lafayette accuses his father Paul of selling the family dog for drug money, and that causes Paul to pummel the young teenager, who sits there meekly trying to soften the blows. No wonder then that Lafayette and LaJoe see authority, any and all authority, as arbitrary and cruel, not to be resisted but to be endured. Fairness in their world means simply to be acknowledged, and when the judge politely handed down his harsh and unjust welfare judgement, LaJoe could only silently think that the man was at least respectful.

There is an alien self-defeating logic that controls the residents of Henry Horner. When LaJoe's son Terrence is accused by the police of a crime he did not commit he does not choose to seek justice and fairness by proving he is innocent -- he thinks that impossible and ridiculous (And given the prevalence of police brutality, where the policemen feel that they must behave like crazy animals because they are in fact surrounded by crazy animals, Terrence is not unfair in thinking that he cannot receive a fair trial). Instead, he commits a real crime just so he would not have to suffer the indignity of being condemned unfairly by the system.

The greatest tragedy in the book is the death of Lafayette's friend, Craig Davis. A model youth, liked by his teachers and peers, he was an aspiring disc jockey who was once arrested by the police because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. When he is stopped by the police yet again he chooses to run away, trying his best to avoid jail and injustice. In the ensuing chase he is shot dead, and while there is ample evidence that the policeman acted irresponsibly and zealously the authorities closed ranks, and insisted that Craig Davis was a gang member. No wonder then that residents of Henry Horner think that calling 911 does not bring help, but trouble.

Authority means those who can bring law and order, fairness and respect, and that at Henry Horner for better or worse means charismatic and savvy druglord Jimmie Lee. What we perceive to be the cancer -- the violence, the drugs, the vicious circle -- is in fact the organism at Henry Horner.

At Henry Horner, there is a line between being a child and being a teenager, and the line is a final, irreversible edge, a sharp drop into the abyss. Being a child means still possessing the faith and imagination to see the possibilities ahead of you, and being a teenager means accepting the limitations of your world -- it means giving up on life. Pharoah is still a child in that he competes in spelling bees, and attends summer camps at the local university. Lafayette is a teenager in that he has already been arrested once by the authorities, and his friends are all spiralling into the world of drugs and gangs.

In the book “ No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz, explains a life that here in Parker we have not experienced. In Parker we are very privileged and there is not much prostitution going on if any. The way the book was written explains the lives that they were living in, for example LaShawn had a severe drug addiction that was supported through prostitution. The way that they are living creates a theme that seems sad and dark and makes me think to myself, “ I really am very fortunate for the things that I have”. The author went through a lot in order to write this book. The book in my opinion is very well written, and gets to the point very clearly. Therefore, while reading the book you are able to create an image in your head that not only makes the book create a spark in your head but also make the book feel as if it is coming to life. In Chicago the lifestyle may be way different than how it is in most places. However, it brings a sense of reality in which you know what is occurring in our world today.

All of the positive reviewers of this book got it right. This book paints an equally grim view of the disturbingly painful(and unfortunate given we live in the most powerful nation in the world) existence of some of those most marginalized by society. And yet, I'd call it just as equally uplifting in terms of the triumph on the human spirit.

This book is a year-long documentation of the experiences of two young boys growing up in the projects on Chicago's West Side (just a mile from the downtown loop) and their families attempts to get out, get ahead and live a better life (in essence the American dream, though this image is never called by name in the book) during the late 1980s.

The big picture you'll get from this book is the horrific and violent conditions these boys face and must cope with on a daily basis. Lafeyette, 12, and Pharoah, 9, create an interesting though loving brotherly contrast.

Given the environment, you've got little Pharoah, smart, alert and very patriotic, who buys into the belief through education he can lift himself and his family out of poverty. He's independent and stunningly focused on success at his age.

Lafeyette's like the older extreme of Pharoah though further along in life, he's starting to lose faith in the myth of the American dream given 3 significant acts : 1) a close/positive friend being mistakenly murdered by police, 2)a celebrated cousin graduating from high school only to struggle to find work, struggle to pay for part-time college classes all while STILL LIVING in the projects 3)the mental wear of just being tired of living in his conditions & being consumed by general vibe of hopelessness that surrounds him.

Perhaps the saddest part of this read is the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that most of the inhabitants hold that they'll never rise above these circumstances despite all of their attempts to do so.

Economic empowerwent, pursuit of excellence and education are pretty much at war with politics of the day, the lure of the evils of streetlife (drugs, drug selling, gang culture) and even religious faith (innocent little Pharoah actually stops believing in God b/c he doesn't think he's listening to his prayers to get them out of the projects and away from violence).

Kotlowitz does an amazing job of giving you enough color to get the full picture of just about every person he details in the book. You'll have your moments when you look at a person, perhaps judgmentally for making a bad personal decision, but you'll get to the root of a lot of the problems of these people so much so that you almost relate to them as if they're your own family/friends.

That being said you'll more than likely come away with an equal feeling of people taking responsibility for their lives/actions AS WELL AS a sense of what the government should be doing to make sure all people have the shot at the American Dream regardless of race or class -- after reading this book, set in the 1980s, you'll definitely get a sense that not providing equal resources and access to quality education can be blamed on the powers that be.

This book puts a human face on families forced to live in the most inhumane of positions in life & just goes to show that for all those critics who'll point the blame at the poor for their own circumstances, please remember there are innocent children born into this lifestyle that suffer physically & mentally on a daily basis and aren't really being given the "chance" in life they deserve.

Journalist Alex Kotlowitz first met Lafeyette, 12 years old, and Pharoah Rivers, 9 years old, during the Summer of 1985, he followed the Rivers family for roughly five years in order to learn more about their experience living in another version of America; a part of America where you aren’t safe in your home and people don’t care to help your family. In There Are No Children Here, Kotlowitz details incidents he witnessed, as well as retellings of events from the perspectives of many people he interviewed, including police officers of Chicago, friends and family of the Rivers’, probation officers, teachers, the Chicago Housing Authority, and many more people that put together the social environment of the Rivers’ family. The printed, finished result of his stay with the Rivers is an informative and eye-opening ethnography about the lives of a family who live in the midst of gang violence, racism, drug dealing, and poverty. While reading this book, the reader must remember that the people, places, and events are an account of the real life trials and tribulations for the Rivers family. The title of the book comes from a quote said by Lajoe, mother of eight children including Pharoah and Lafeyette’s, who says “There are no children here. They’ve seen too much to be children.” And it’s true, Lafeyette and Pharoah know too much to be seen as innocent children.
Lafeytte and Pharoah are African American boys growing up in public housing complex, Henry Horner. In this complex, there are 699 vacant apartments because the Chicago Housing Authority ignores the needs of their tenants and fear for their lives when entering the property. The property is dominated by drug cartels. The boys learned to take cover from bullets before learning to write, and are at high risk for becoming involved in drugs and gang violence. These are boys who choose not to play outside because they don’t believe it’s safe out there. These boys don’t have a role model. Pharoah is a boy who wishes on a rainbow that his family will find a way out of the projects. Lafeyette is a boy who grows cold after his friend is shot to death by police. These are not the worries of white, middle class, American children; this is another America.
It is impossible to not grow attached to the Rivers family while reading this book, while immersing yourself in the lives of this family. There Are No Children Here provides a glimpse into the lives of those struggling with poverty and life in a rundown section of the city, their battles, their accomplishments, and how they get by each day. The book has a lot of information about the area and social work movements, such as the implementation of The Boys and Girls Club and the reconstruction of Juvenile Courts in Chicago, which is crucial to understanding the options, or lack thereof, of the families in the area.
There Are No Children Here is a must-read for anyone working with families, in an area stricken with poverty, or predominantly dictated by minority races. The struggles of the people in this area are not parallel to the struggles and values of the average American, and this book really does give the reader an insight into the other America.

Alex Kotlowitz is probably one of my favorite authors. I utilize a lot of his material in order to use in papers about inequalities, but also to remind myself of the things I don't see happening in our country. The stories are raw, heart wrenching, and almost too close to home. They open your eyes to things you may have heard about but could not fathom. I appreciate the honesty, and the fact that he uses the voices of the children instead of that of adults. Its nice to hear their story even if it is extremely unfortunate.

Kotlowitz has given us a striking example of the power of journalism.

This book is able to show the reader the plight of the urban poor without overly moralizing. Kotlowitz gives a straight ahead account of the lives of Lafeyette and Pharoah, the two brothers this book centers. Their struggles to retain their innocence while living in an environment that strips it away is mesmerizing.

I could not help but empathize with the families in this book. A lot of pundits will say that poor people are lazy, but this book brings a lot of their challenges to light. When survival is a day to day struggle, how can people be expected to get ahead? Kotlowitz details the struggles the boys and their families have in trying to improve their situation.

This book is a modern classic about poverty and its effects, in the vein of 'Down and Out in Paris and London' by George Orwell. Anyone wanting to understand 'welfare moms' and why they don't improve their situations should read this.

For those readers who have commented that this book is boring, I have one question....is the existence of this type of devasting poverty boring and insignificant to your partiticular life? This is not a ficitional story of the hardships and struggles of the River's family; rather, it is a harsh reality that exists in our country, one of which we turn our backs and close our eyes to daily. This book is touching only if you understand and acknowledge the facts that perpetuate poverty and welfare-denpendency in the United States. I believe that the readers who comment on LaJoe's laziness are truly portraying their ignorance and stupidity in their comments. In my opinion, this book paints a vivid picture, too vivid for some, of the America that most people do not want to see. My advice for others- read this book because you will be shocked a horrified at our "land of the free." Are those in poverty truly free or are they drowning in a world that smothered them to begin with?

I hate to make such a sweeping statement as "Everyone in America should read this book!" because it seems presumptious. But, Everyone in America should read this book! Alex Kotlowitz's nonfiction account of two boys will make you happy and sad, uplifted and, in parts, damn angry. And though it could be viewed as a call to action, Kotlowitz does not preach. He tells a story, asking for responsibility from SOMEONE, but rarely does he point fingers. This is a book people will be studying many years from now, wondering how a supposedly great country lets people live the way the Rivers family does.
But don't simply read it for its social value. Take pleasure in the simple story of two ordinary boys, beaten down by their oppressive surroundings, yet managing to make most of us look bad by virtue of their simple humanity.

"There Are No Children Here" is an inspiring biography about the tough times faced by Pharoah and Lafeyette Rivers while living in Henry Horner, a housing complex in the poorest area of Chicago. The story follows the boys over the span of two years, and their wisdom that reaches far beyond their years is perfectly complimented by Alex Kotlowitz's beautiful writing. The beautiful blend of honesty and perfectly crafted metaphors will open your eyes to the true problems the author saw first hand.

The reason that I give this book four stars instead of five is that, while it is a fantastic presentation of life in the "other America," it is somewhat dated. As you may be aware, Chicago's projects are on the endangered species list. The projects that served as the setting for this book, the Henry Horner homes, have now been replaced with town homes that you'd swear had been designed for a middle class suburb, but where some lucky former residents of Horner live and only pay a portion of their subsidized rent. Most of the other residents of Chicago's projects are now receiving Section 8 vouchers to enable them to go find housing on the private market. It's still too early to tell exactly what the long-term effect of these new efforts in the still-running war on poverty will be. But whatever problems do arise will almost certainly be different, if not as severe, as the ones that Mr. Kotlowitz describes. Because of these substantial policy changes, this book is now more of a historical piece than it is something of current interest.
Still, it is a wonderful book. The story is, of course, heartbreaking, yet Mr. Kotlowitz does an amazing job of presenting the Horner homes as they were and allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusions about what the problems were and what should have been done about them. You never get the feeling that Mr. Kotlowitz is trying to make his reader feel sorry for the Horner residents, or that he has some political agenda that he hopes his reader will adopt. I don't remember him ever passing judgment on any of the people that he discusses in this book, whether they be residents of Horner or the people responsible for maintaining it, despite the massive amount of blame to go around. Rather, his purpose is to tell you what the problems were and to identify as many of the potential causes as he can. You take it from there. Liberals will read this book and see it as evidence that we need to do more to help our underprivileged populations. Conservatives will read it it and see it as evidence of what happens when when we rely on government to solve people's problems. There is an element of truth in both perspectives. While I have my doubts about the new efforts to push residents into the private residential market, this book reminds me that it probably couldn't get much worse.

In this book, Kotlowitz vividly displays life in a housing project located on Chicago's west side. The story centers on two young brothers, and their constant struggle to survive, and retain some form of a normal childhood life amid the horrors that surround them. Kotlowitz emphasizes the brutal violence that pervades every aspect of the boys' lives, making the point that it is impossible for even the youngest child in Horner to avoid some brushes with death. The story goes from disappointment to bitter disappointment, showing how at every point life seems to be improving, project life still manages to pull the family back down. Even the hardest, most fiercely right-wing social Darwinist should be moved by the seemingly hopeless plight of at least the two youths, if not the mother and other figures of the book as well. On another level though, the author has not created a mere sentimental cry for help. Although the emotion is apparent (Kotlowitz admits that some may argue that he has crossed the border of journalism by becoming too involved, then skillfully dismisses the claim), his well-written account goes further by attempting to understand, analyzing the factors behind the story, relating not only to Pharoah and Lafeyette, but to all inner city populations. Extensively researched, the book contains a great deal of Chicago history, attempting to show why the sad situation has come about, and why the vicious circle of inner-city poverty is so inescapable. This combination of a touching story and a perceptive analysis make the book a valuable insight into a little understood segment of our population

the movie The Boyz in The Hood showed Americans what it is like to grow up in the Inner City Ghettos, but this book, takes a real look at one family and their community in the South Side of Chicago Housing Projects. This is not just an expose on inner city America. This is not just about a family. This is a well written book, full of emotion and imagery, making the reader feel like we are there with him following these kids around. One of the best books I read in college. I;ve read much of the authors work since.

I was truly disturbed to read the comments of the readers who disliked this book. I honestly believe that you are either ignorant on the matter of poverty and drugs in America or that you just don't have a heart. I appologize for making such "ad hoc" statements, but its very disappointing to see someone casually blame the victims in this situation when they don't have any of the facts. To call people in the projects "lazy" and ignorant is not only a terrible stereotype, but also completely wrong. If you would like to see where i'm coming from, either come stay with me in my appartment in North Philly, or read "The Corner" by David Simon and Edward Burns.

This book takes on a 'true approach' to living in poverty, especially for blacks to live in poverty. I'm a social work undergrad college student, and until I read this book, I was'nt aware of exactly how it was in poverty. Alex writings in the book, made me feel as though I was living with the Rivers and feeling their emotions. Thank you Alex for writing this excellent book. I encourage all college students to read the book, especially social work students. It really made me understand how blessed I am. Now I'm trying to see how I can get a copy of the movie, Oprah Winfrey played the mother. I didn't even know there was a movie for it. Can't wait to see it!

This book describes a social atmosphere that few people actually experience or fully understand. It only provides a glimpse into the lives of two boys growing up in one of Chicago's public housing areas, but it will leave an everlasting impression in the minds of its readers. Alex Kotlowitz follows the lives of these two young boys as they attempt to navigate through the gang wars, police and government deficiencies, and the poverty stricken Chicago slums. The boys are under 15 years of age, yet they are forced to make decisions that people much older than them struggle with every day. They are forced to struggle through their childhood in poverty and without a father to guide them in those struggles. Kotlowitz looks at the two boys as they watch their friends and family members perish in gang and drug wars, police brutality, or hauled off to prison for other crimes. They also watch as their mother struggles to provide for her family and the governments inefficient handling of Chicago's public housing. The author is able to show the young boys struggle to get an education and succeed in an area filled with failures. They have few role models to guide their decisions and few opportunities for success. Alex Kotlowitz is able to point out the constant struggle these young boys have faced and the opportunities that they are deprived of. He shows how the environment both physically and mentally hampers the two boys opportunity for success and a normal childhood. The book provides an excellent look into the mental struggles they faced as their friends got caught up in gangs, were killed, and started committing petty crimes. Overall this book provides an excellent depiction of life in the Chicago public housing, and the struggle of those two boys as they attempt to survive and succeed in the ghettos.

There Are No Children Here is the first Oprah-recommended book I read; she had the author, Alex Kotlowitz on her show a few years back. I rushed to get the book and once I started it, I could not put it down. It remains on my list of books to recommend. As the mother of four children, I found myself sobbing through the story. Knowing that these people were real made it all more emotional for me. I have three main thoughts about this book: 1. What a poignant title. I always anticipate finding the title of a book within the body of the book. Some titles require thought as to their meaning, some make perfect sense. In this case the title came from the mouth of the two young boys' mother and it makes perfect sense. 2. Being raised in a white uppermiddle class suburban neighborhood, and only having 10 or so black students in my 1975 graduating class, I guess I had certain skewed opinions of what a black family in the ghetto was like: irresponsible, lazy, always in trouble. I could go on. After reading this book I now know that I had no business forming an opinion about something I know nothing about. Ignorance is dangerous. What struck me most is that in my uppermiddle class world, surrounded by country clubs and minivans and Volvo's and BMWs and frequent dinners out with friends and Oshkosh and soccer and gymnastics and swimteam for the kids, and McDonald Happy Meals on request, the quality of my motherhood was no more valient than this mother's, living in the ghetto. She wanted for her children, living in the ghetto, exactly what I wanted for my children, living in uppermiddle class America. A back yard for them to play in (safely), a good education, carefree thoughts, happiness, a future. 3. My last and most emotional remembrance about this book is that NO CHILD should have to live the way these children lived. When I was growing up, my thoughts were "When I grow up..." These boys' thoughts were "If I grow up..." What a sin.

Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, is a novel about two young African American boys who are stuggling past hardships in order to survive in the inner city. Alex Kotlowitz captures the moments of brightness and hope through the meticulous portraits of the characters. Many strengths exist in the book in regard to plot yet there were also some petty weaknesses. Alex Kotlowitz was able to lure readers into his novel by allowing us to feel sympathy towards the characters due to the pain and suffering they faced. Racism, poverty, and violence were a reoccurring theme throughout the entire story emphasizing the problems faced on the other side of the world.
The weaknesses of the book resulted from Alex Kotlowitz's in depth explanation of the different projects near the boys home, which went on for several chapters. Besides these weak points, Kotlowitz allowed the readers to see how the particular surroundings had affected the kids. Alex Kotlowitz was able to entice the reader to become involved in the novel due to the storyline, which could be easily comprehended by any individual. He focused on the violence, poverty, and racism faced by the two young boys, which is a pertinent issue that many still face today. Through conflicts and hardships, Pharoah was able to figure out what he intended to do with his life, but Lafie unfortunately gets lured into gangs. The gang shootings and deaths that had become regarded as part of normal life made Pharoah more vulnerable, and he slowly drifts away into his own world. Lafie feels as if it does not matter whether you are good person or not because death was unevitable in his community, and therefore he loses hope in life.

THE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE A Division of Random House, Inc., 1991
Alex Kotlowitz 14.95, pgs.298, ISBN: 0-385-226556-5
Have you ever heard gunshots or witnessed a murder? If so, you can envision what life is like for Lafeyette and Pharaoh growing up in the tough side of Chicago. Life is hard growing up at Henry Hernor Homes, where fights break out, drugs are sold daily, gunshot reverberates through the building, murder, and more. Family troubles are extremely hard. Terence, one of the oldest sons, whose going thought heaps of trouble with the law was sent to jail for eight years for robbery and theft. Lajoe, the mother, believes that her two younger sons, Lafeyette and Pharaoh would be pulled away by drugs and gangs or maybe end up in a casket. Its hard for children to spend time being a child around these neighborhoods because they witness so much that they have to let childhood go and protect themselves. " I'm tired, Mama..." said Lafeyette who fell to his knees one day, he was tired of the streets.
The author, Alex Kotlowitz, shows what most people doesn't know about-------poverty. He points out violence and racism in our country. This book There Are No Children Here give some happy times and some sad times that brings tears to your eyes. I as a reader would recommend this book to those who would want to read about how life is a struggle for a family living in the projects.
- Sabrana R. Boyd

THE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE A Division of Random House, Inc., 1991
Alex Kotlowitz 14.95, pgs.298, ISBN: 0-385-226556-5
Have you ever heard gunshots or witnessed a murder? If so, you can envision what life is like for Lafeyette and Pharaoh growing up in the tough side of Chicago. Life is hard growing up at Henry Hernor Homes, where fights break out, drugs are sold daily, gunshot reverberates through the building, murder, and more. Family troubles are extremely hard. Terence, one of the oldest sons, whose going thought heaps of trouble with the law was sent to jail for eight years for robbery and theft. Lajoe, the mother, believes that her two younger sons, Lafeyette and Pharaoh would be pulled away by drugs and gangs or maybe end up in a casket. Its hard for children to spend time being a child around these neighborhoods because they witness so much that they have to let childhood go and protect themselves. " I'm tired, Mama..." said Lafeyette who fell to his knees one day, he was tired of the streets.
The author, Alex Kotlowitz, shows what most people doesn't know about-------poverty. He points out violence and racism in our country. This book There Are No Children Here give some happy times and some sad times that brings tears to your eyes. I as a reader would recommend this book to those who would want to read about how life is a struggle for a family living in the projects.
- Sabrana R. Boyd

The book, There are No Children Here tells the story of two young boys as they grow up in the Henry Horner projects on the Southeast side of Chicago. This book, though gruesome at times, truly captures the often edgy feeling that occurs in impoverished urban areas, such as the one that There are No Children Here takes place in.

A journalist who follows the lives of two young boys, Pharoah and Lafeyette Rivers, writes the story. The story follows them as they grow up, learning to live their lives in a troubled area, and daily live in fear of not seeing the light of the next morning.

`"If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver"'(13). That is one quote in particular that stuck out in the text, because it really established the feeling of fear that people cope with regularly in the projects.

Although the ending is not quite the happy, tidy one that people enjoy reading, it gives the reader a real view of what life is like a very different world than most of us are used to. The end is truly more of a beginning, because it is the foundation for what the two boy's lives will be, just like many others in the Henry Horner Projects.

One very positive thing about the book, There are No Children Here is the strong characters. Kotlowitz very well molds the personality each of the characters possesses. One particularly well-defined character was the mother, LaJoe Rivers. Throughout the entire book it is easy to see that she indefinitely is trying to make the most for her family under less than perfect circumstances. "A shy, soft spoken woman, LaJoe was often known for her generosity...Many young men and women called her `mom'" (10).

Aside from having well defined characters, Kotlowitz paints a very accurate picture of what the projects are like, surely due to his extensive research. He also has strong descriptions of events that occurred during his stay in Henry Horner development.

This book is very well written, but there were some problems. The story paints such a vivid picture, that at times, it becomes to gruesome to read. I often found myself having to set the book down and consider what I was reading. It is difficult for the reader not to become emotionally attached to the characters in the book, which is why this book is not to be recommended to the overly sensitive.

Some of the images in this book are not pleasing, such as this particular incident Kotlowitz described. "Apparently the man everyone was assaulting had fondled an eight- year- old boy in a vacant fourth- floor apartment. No one thought to call the police" (225). There are many events like this in the book.

I think the readers who express dismay at LaJoe and Mr. Kotlowitz for the lack of personal responsibility potrayed in the book are not completely off track; rather, they might be missing the point. The children, like Lafayette and Pharoah, are the victims and the ones for whom our hearts should ache. I live near public housing in Chicago, and I'm not sure what's worse, thinking that the children have to live there, or thinking that they've no place else to go. It's a third world nation in our own back yard and the children are there through no fault of their own. Yes, Mr. Kotlowitz had an agenda, but I truly believe it was an agenda of a better quality of life for America's children. When children in the ghetto see and deal with violence everyday and receive no understanding or services or tools to deal with that violence, how do we expect an escape from the violence to be so easy? Lafayette is the same age as I am and I can't help but wonder where and how he is today.

There Are No Children Here

This book is about two young boys trying to get passed the ghetto, and harsh life. The two boys are Lafayette and Pharaoh. They live in the Henry Horner projects. They are trying to get passed the everyday violence, hatred, and crimes that go down in the projects. They would do anything to have what other people have like a nice, clean home, some good clothes, a car for the family, and a good education. These boys don't have these things along with several other children living in the ghetto. They struggle so much to succeed in life. In the book they go through a lot of bad times and hardly any good ones. They support each other and they won't let each other fail without trying at first. It is not often that they have positive attitudes. Most of what they do and think is negative. Their behavior comes form their surroundings. Maybe if their surroundings were a little more decent, they would turn out better in live. I would recommend this book to people who have what these children don't so they can realize that they shouldn't take things for granted. I would give "There Are No Children Here" four stars out of five.

In this book, Alex Kotlowitz's portrayal of two inner city youth's was phenomenal. His writing ability brought to life the hopelessness, pain, and resilience of two young boys who are faced daily with drugs, violence, and poverty that middle class American cannot fathom...even in their darkest nightmares. One cannot possibly read this book and not see the inequities to America's poor. While reading about the lives of these two boys whose odds are stacked against them, one wants to reach out to them and protect them from the lack of privilege that we, ourselves, receive automatically. Scary to think that this is just a minute representation of the inner-city black youth that is faced with situations that I, as an adult, could not conceivably endure short-term much less throughout my entire upbringing. These two boys, Lafayette and Pharoah (and so many others) have demonstrated more courage and resilience that most contend with during a lifetime. May God Bless Them

Alex Kotlowitz's novel was written during the middle and late 1980s. It accurately and truthfully describes the living conditions that existed in a Chicago housing project. He details a three year period in the lives of ten year old Lafayette and seven year old Pharaoh which includes their special adventures on the railroad tracks and their constant fear of gang violence and death. The family is caught up in a "culture of poverty". Mr. Kotlowitz includes many, many true characters including the then mayor, housing execs, politicians, police, and gangbangers in the book. But the beauty of the book is the close bond between the brothers in the mist of surrounding chaos. Today Lafayette is still adjusting, but alive. Pharaoh has graduated high school with the help of Mr. Kotlowitz's, and his mother, LaJoe is well. They have since move from the housing projects, but still reside on the westside of Chicago. Mr. Kotkowitz lives in a suburb outside of Chicago. I was police officer in those projects when this book was written.

Mr. Kotlowitz has brought to the eyes of this very sheltered and unsuspecting reader the real truths and horrors of the projects. Through the personal experiences of two brothers, both children, Kotlowitz portrays a vivid picture depicting the "slums of America". From personal observations it's easy to see that this book stirs both good and bad emotions in whoever reads it. Should I feel sorry for the young mother, LaJoe, who has eight children, as well as grandchildren, as well as friends of boyfriends of the children living in her three room apartment all surviving on welfare, or should I condemn her for the not so smart decisions she made? It's easy to point fingers when I don't have the evidence, but after reading this book, I've had to reevaluate my thoughts about the projects and whose fault it is that people live there and get lost in the downfall of their civilization. In conclusion, I suggest this book to everyone, in hopes that their eyes are opened as much as mine were.

"There Are No Children Here" is an extraordinary book about living in the projects of chicago. This book is dated since this project got knocked down years ago, but it does not make the story any less relevant. It's about two boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah, and their families living day to day just trying to survive. You get into this story quick and stay there. It's a good read. I recommend it.

As a previous sociology major, I'm surprised this was never on a syllabus of mine. Alas... years later I've discovered T.A.N.C.H, and cant believe i went all this time without reading it. It's heartbreaking and eye-opening. There are a lot of facts/history (Chicago, prison system, HUD etc.) that make it even better. Definitely recommend!

Make no mistake: this book should be read and contemplated from cover to cover. I am horrified to see some of the reviews given of this book such as given by Mr. Galt, and the unidentified 'reader' who should be too ashamed to reveal who he really is. Read the reviews by the above individuals, and stare into the face of brass hard cruelty and ignorant misunderstanding.
Kotlowitz's book is a look into the lives of two young boys growing up in the hard parts of Chicago, and very sucessfully displays many of the struggles that happen in such areas. The book goes into depth into the lives of the individuals who the book is centered on, and really gives an inside out look at the situation that way too many people are forced to grow up in: in the 'other America' that too many of us are content to ignore. The strong reactions by some (such as Mr. Galt) to this book gives good illustration to what Jürgan Moltmann wisely points out, that "[t]he people who enjoy the modern world because they live on `the sunny side of the street' fear the downfall of their world..." (Moltmann 1996, 135). Kotlowitz brings us into the the 'dark side of the street' to see the view of the world from the eyes of two young boys.
Read this book for yourself and make your own final judgements, but in my opinion and many others, this is an excellent read.

There are No Children Here is an excellent depiction of life in the inner city projects. This book is about two boys growing up among the drugs, gangs, and violence of a Chicago Housing Project. The boys must grow up fast and learn how to deal with daily shootings, friends dying, drugs, as well as watching friends and family succeed only to fail because life will not let them become more then just a poor, black person living in the Projects. This story gives an accurate description as to the daily life in a housing project. The reader gets to understand what it is like to watch friends die, put a child in prison, watch the father disappoint his children when he comes around, as well how the government reacts towards the citizens in poverty. By focusing on the children the author captures the heart of the reader. It would be hard to live a life like this as an adult, but a child cannot stay a child in these conditions.

Being born in public housing among gangs, drugs, guns and death does not allow for a childhood - thus the title, which tells the lives of those children who survived living in Chicago's Roseland community. The boys portrayed in the book were kids who lived in the public housing and they shared their methods of survival. An enlightening read.

This book broke my heart by providing an honest and straightforward account of what these children have to endure to survive. The one thought that kept going through my mind was why keep bringing more babies into this cycle of abject poverty and violence?