YUMMY: THE LAST DAYS OF A SOUTHSIDE SHORTY by G. Neri

Eleven-year-old Robert Sandifer--nicknamed "Yummy"--made national news in 1994 for shooting an eleven-year-old girl named Shavon on the street in Southside Chicago.  We learn about Yummy's life and what leads up to this murder.  Yummy usually stays with his grandmother who tries to take care of about 20 other grandchildren, so Yummy turns to a gang to find a family.  The story is told through the character of Roger, another eleven-year-old who knew both Yummy and Shavon.  Roger tries to understand what happened.

This graphic novel is a very powerful retelling of this tragic event.  We see Yummy as both a monster and a child, a murderer and a victim.  Only the illustrations are black and white.