W. D. Myers’s Monkeyman is a quiet, bookish senior high-school student who steps in to prevent two “lady” members of a street gang from slashing the face of a girl he knows. The rest of the gang is honour-bound to extract payback. Instead of hiding, he challenges one of them to meet in a park. As a large crowd gathers to watch, Monkeyman does something that surprises everyone. Three weeks later, he is fighting for his life in hospital. At the time, the narrator thinks Monkeyman’s actions in the park were stupid. Years later, he/she thinks differently. More…

The ‘Treasure’ in this Walter Dean Myers story comprises press clippings and an old harmonica that Lemon Brown gave his son before he went off to war. Their value lies in the memories they represent. Meeting Lemon teaches protagonist Greg about the human side of homelessness, and that not all match the stereotype of being dirty, lazy or crazy. He also learns to be more appreciative of his father’s efforts to build a career after having to leave school at thirteen. We are left wondering if it will also result in Greg trying harder at math. Themes: father-son relationships, homelessness. More…

There are two “dreams” in this inspirational story by W. D. Myers. The first is a father’s dream that his son follow in his footsteps and become a competitive basketball player; the second is the boy’s dream to be able to overcome his disability and return to the game. The “pushes” come when the boy is invited to join a wheelchair team, and the father overcomes his feelings of guilt and decides to help the team. Themes: guilt, courage, maintaining a positive attitude, family, father-son bonding, team spirit, how trying and doing one’s best is more important than winning. More…