Forged by Fire
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year
1997
ISBN
9781442489141
Pages
151 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Teenage Gerald, who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, faces the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved. When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and from their mother, whose irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together. As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation. Sharon M. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Family violence; Legal guardianship; Family member death; aunt raising nephew; abusive mother; abusive step father; sexual abuse; death of an aunt
Main Character
boy
Race/Ethnicities
African American
Family Formation
mother, aunt, step father
Awards
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 1998, Winner, Author
Parents' Choice Award, 1997, Gold, Story Book
Young Hoosier Book Award, 2001, Winner, Grades 6-8
Keywords
fire; prison; drugs
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Draper, Sharon M., "Forged by Fire" (1997). Diverse Families. 1059.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1059