Jamal Hicks is having a hard time in school, what with Dwayne always pushing him to fight and the principal, Mr. Davidson, always on his case. He has a tough time at home, too, worrying about how hard Mama works and trying to get money for an appeal for Randy, his older brother, who is in jail for holding up a delicatessen. And he has a hard time on the street, with the Scorpions.
Randy was the leader of the Scorpions, and he wants Jamal to take his place until he gets out; but the Scorpions, especially Angel and Indian, don't like the idea very much. The only one who likes it is Mack, the crazy weird kid on dope who was Randy's best friend. Mack gives Jamal the gun....
The only one who understands is Tito, Jamal's best friend. It is Tito who shares long walks from Harlem to the boat basin; who argues about which of them will have the bigger boat when they're rich; who admires Jamal's drawings. It is Tito who joins the Scorpions when Jamal takes over, in spite of his fear, so he can look out for his friend. Then Angel and Indian challenge Jamal's position as leader of the Scorpions, calling him out to a showdown in the park. But when Angel pulls out a knife, Tito acts to save his friend and nearly destroys his own life. The trouble is, even though Jamal can see that everything about the gun is bad, a part of him that is small and afraid still wants it.
In this poignant story, Walter Dean Myers creates likable and sympathetic characters whose lives are tragically changed when they acquire a gun.
—from the dust jacket
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