It Ain't All for Nothin'

by Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

Life in Harlem isn't easy, but Tippy and his grandmother are doing okay. Then Grandma Carrie gets sick, and Tippy goes to live with Lonnie, his father. Lonnie's got his own thing going on, and he doesn't have much room in his life for a son he barely knows -- unless, that is, Tippy is willing to walk the far side of the fine line between right and wrong. Grandma Carrie always said if he had Jesus in his heart there wasn't anything to worry about,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064473112
• ISBN13: 9780064473118
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.4" x 7.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

"It Ain't All For Nothin"

Book Review of "It Ain't all for Nothin" The book "It Ain't All For Nothin" (1978) by Walter Dean Myers is a fiction story about a father named Lonnie and son, named Tippy. Is where Tippy goes through the roughest time adjusting to living with his father Lonnie. Why? Because his father Lonnie abuses him physical and mentally; also he has no steady job. So he steals and robs other people for a living with the help of his friends. And this isn't how Tippy's grandma raised him to live. But he have no where to go after his grandma become ill, and unable to care for the state think? While reading this short novel I give it two thumps up. This novel is very good. It shows readers what a struggle it can be to live with an abusive person-Especially when you're used to doing the right thing and now you can't even be yourself anymore. It Ain't All For Nothin reminds of another novel I read last year. Black Girl Lost by Donald Gainer. Both novels...are two young black kids who are in an abusive home. [ With no one to rely on in the time of need have despair.] Until one day God must have known this was enough on their tiny hearts and sent someone their way for salvation. But the only thing different about that Tippy in ItAin't All for Nothin is a boy and his father Lonnie abuses him. Sarah, a character in Black Girl Lost is being abuses her mother and her drunk male friends. The novel's conflict is very dramatic in some of the chapter. Sometime the character Tippy would describe the beating his father would give him. For instance Lonnie thought Tippy would rat him out to the cop about a robbery he made Tippy be part of, so he beat Tippy like he was a man his age. I became upset and angry not just with this one occasion there are many more. But looking from Lonnie's point of view,I can't understand his frustration of having to step up his responsibility of being a man. And he can't meet the standard of being a real man because he hasn't been in Tippy's life. So he gets high and drunk to relief his frustration. But taking out on his son is not the answer. This novel is an easy reading. It doesn't have any weakness in the story and throughout the story it remains the same with its main purpose to grab the viewer's eyes. The book is for anyone who is interested in (reading the novel). It Ain't All for Nothin by Walter Dean Myers is very nice piece writing and could be read by many age groups. It probably would open up some people maybe parents who act beat their kids. The is help to non violence for everyone the world. Sweety Pie

Alvin's Review

Hi my name is Alvin Fortson and I read the book It Ain't All For Nothing. I think this story is very good because in the story they do things that people do in everyday life and that is why I like the story. The book is about a boy that has no mommy because she died when he was first born. The book takes place in Harlem with a boy name Tippy. He lives with his dad. Now he has a drinking problem and he steel money from people so he can smoke weed. I like this story because some of the things in this story happen in everyday life.

an emotional book

I'm a seventh grade student from Sampson G Smith and I read this book in my language class. I disagree with the others reviewers because the book was beautiful and very thoughtful. It's about a 12 YEAR old child named Tippy and it takes place in Harlem and it talks about how doing stuff that you think is wrong is bad and it seems like our world. Tippy was living with his grandmother but she got sick and had to go to the hospital. Tippy starts living with his father and get put on welfare. His father Lonnie is an alcoholic. They lived in a two room apartment. Lonnie has two friends named Bubba and Stone. At first Lonnie was a bad parent but then when you get in the middle he starts to change. This book is really interesting because it's really most about how things in life like problems are really complicated and you going to have to deal with it. The most likely part I liked was the one where Lonnie has tears running and he says goodbye. The one I didn't like was when Tippy gets hit a lot of times. I think other kids should read this book because it really deals with the pressure you go through and it's mostly like when you need to go to get help, go ahead.

Corey's Review

I'm a 7th grade student in N.J and I read this book in my language class. I disagree with what the reviewer "Bored Stiffless" said. This book is about a 12 year old boy named Tippy who lives in Harlem with his grandmother. They live in a 2 bedroom apartment. One day grandma Carrie gets sick and Tippy has to go live with his father Lonnie, and they have trouble living in the ghetto. I liked this book because it was a good book for middle school kids to read. I didn't like this book because it had a lot of crime scenes. I wouldn't recommend this book for other 7th graders because it has a lot of bad language.

INSPIRATIONAL!

I began reading this book with my Mom when I was about 10 years old. This book had to be the most vivid and engaging book I had ever read. I began to read all books by this author. This book depicts reality in it's truest form. And for those people who have never been exposed to urban culture, this book gives some insight to what life was like during the 70's and even today. The main character is a 10 year old boy being raised by his grandmother. He experiences different pitfalls through the circumstances he goes through. This book would be excellent for middle school children, especially in the inner city. It can also benefit students in suburban areas who need to learn about urban life. thogh it deals with poverty, it is not about being poor . Although it deals with drugs and crime, it is not about either of those. It is about a ten year boy who remembers the teaching of his grandmother and makes the right choices in spite of the odds being against him. He overcomes his enviroment to escape the trappings of the ghetto. A favorite choice amongst middle school and high school students.