Bad Boy: A Memoir 
As a boy, Walter Dean Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously-he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer. But growing up in a poor family in Harlem, his hope for a successful future diminished as he came to realize fully the class and racial struggles that surrounded him. He began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and his books for comfort.
In a memoir that is gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. Here is the story of one of the strongest voices in young people's literature today.
Reviews
young walter roams the neighbhoods of Harlem of New York. in the 1950's and 60's as a curious and intellegent young boy. the book has multiple settings but a good portion is in Brooklyn and the other parts in New York.
walter himself is the obvious main character. as a child he was adventurous but very prone to peer pressure at school. At home he loved to read. as he grew up throughout the book he gaines maturity and intellegence along with some responsibility as any growing person does. As we all know walter dean myers, being an African American auther, has dark skin. He also has dark brown eyes and is around six feet tall.