Chameleon by Charles R. Smith

From the Publisher

In his first novel, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner evokes the bittersweet summer of transition for an L.A. teen.

Shooting the breeze with his boys. Tightening his D on the court. Doing a color check — making sure nobody's wearing blue or red, which some Crip or Piru carrying a cut-down golf club would see as disrespect. Then back to Auntie's, hoping she isn't passed out from whiskey at the end of the day. Now that Shawn is headed for high school, he wonders if he'd be better off at the school in Mama's neighborhood, where he'd be free of Compton's hassles. But then he wouldn't be with his fellas — cracking jokes, covering each other's backs — or the fine Marisol, who's been making star appearances in his dreams. Dad says he needs to make his own decision, but what does Shawn want, freedom or friendship? With teasing, spot-on dialogue and an eye to the realities of inner-city life, CHAMELEON takes on the shifting moods of a teenager coming of age.

Children's Literature

Smith scores with basketball players in this urban coming-of-age story. Shawn is an innocent 14-year-old hero who must choose between his personal safety and living his life unafraid. He and his boys spend their summer in search of courts where they won't have to deal with rival gangs. They do daily "color checks" to ensure their appearance is neutral; no red or blue clothing allowed. It's a long hot vacation with little money for food and fun, and they amuse themselves by discussing martial arts and girls. As shy Shawn develops a romantic interest, he slowly gains the social skills to pursue his crush. He also hides a family secret, and when it's ultimately revealed, it frees him to make his decision. As life goes on, he knows he can meet any challenge with the help of his friends. Detailed descriptions of moves on the court may not appeal to readers who don't play basketball, but the story is sure to ring true for anyone facing that last endless summer before high school. Reviewer: Tina Dybvik

VOYA

Against the backdrop of a hot summer in south central Los Angeles, fourteen-year-old Shawn and his three best friends wander the space between childhood innocence and the growing understanding that their lives are about to change. Shawn ably navigates three different worlds: evenings in Carson with his mother, daytime in gang-infested Compton with his friends, and alternate weekends at his father's hilltop home with an ocean view. Each setting plays a role in shaping his life. Over the course of the summer, Shawn must choose where he will attend high school. Will he opt for freedom and peace in Carson or friendship amidst random violence in Compton? The narrative pace of the novel mirrors the relaxed rhythm of four teenagers on a hot summer day. Generally slow moving with occasional bursts of action and drama, the tempo nicely matches and illustrates a moment in Shawn's life. The reader meanders alongside Shawn through the days and weeks, having experiences, growing closer to friends, and learning about choices and consequences. By the end of the book, Shawn knows much more about his friends and himself; thoughtful readers will as well. Although dialogue with his father can get a bit didactic, the interactions among the four teenagers comprise the bulk of the novel and ring true. Smith writes a peaceful urban novel filled with laughter, love, and quiet revelations, which make it worth reading. Teens will also appreciate the daily adventures and hilarious banter of the four friends. Reviewer: Amy Fiske

KLIATT

Smith has written many books for children, one of which won the Coretta Scott King Award, and others that have been ALA Notable Books. Chameleon is about a boy, Shawn, in the summer before he starts high school. While his mother works, he spends his days with his aunt, an alcoholic, lovingly caring for her, and hangs out with his friends on the streets. Shawn's mom goes to a nearby college and she gets ideas for books for him to read from her English professor. Shawn has already read some great African American literature, and is working on The Autobiography of Malcolm X this summer. Both parents are devoted to him, even though they are divorced, and they give him the choice of choosing to stay in his neighborhood to go to that high school, or to enroll in the high school near his aunt, where he could be with his summer friends. It's a decision that weighs heavily on him. After reading a series of exciting mysteries, I find this novel almost quiet in contrast, but nonetheless moving. There's lots of basketball, there is street violence even though the boys try to avoid any confrontation with gang members, but in the main it is a story of a thoughtful, kind boy feeling his way toward adulthood. He loves his parents and is responsible, even while confronted with the dangers of LA streets. It begins with some fun street talk among friends: "Ya mama so tall, she tripped on the curb and hit her head on the sun." There are occasional earthy moments—these are boys, after all. Reviewer: Claire Rosser

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8

It's a typical summer for 14-year-old Shawn. He's hanging out with his friends and avoiding confrontations with the roving gangs of Crips and Pirus, who think they own the streets of Compton, where his aunt lives and where he goes to school. But as he gets older and life on the L.A. streets starts to get more dangerous, Shawn begins to think that he'd fare better in the suburb where his parents live, even though he'd be a latchkey kid. And after a particularly vicious fight with a group of older gang members and some embarrassing scenes with drunken Aunt Gertie, Shawn's parents agree that he should attend his local high school in the fall. Is Shawn willing to trade his friendships with his loyal boys, not to mention a budding relationship with Marisol, in exchange for calm and stability in a new school where he knows no one? This episodic tale moves at the pace of the longest, hottest days of summer-slow, slow, slow. Despite the gritty and realistically drawn inner-city setting, most readers won't be able to maintain their interest through endless descriptions of minor incidents that never seem to build to anything substantive. Even the story's climactic fight fails to spark any real movement in the plot. Smith does a commendable job evoking the sights and sounds of street life, but without strong plotting, this meandering novel doesn't satisfy.-Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City

Kirkus Reviews

A teen explores his colors and himself in this snapshot of one summer in the city. Fourteen-year-old Shawn is doing exactly what he wants to do during the summer: shooting hoops and sitting on stoops in Compton. When he's not hanging with his crew, Shawn's watching over his alcoholic aunt, avoiding gang colors and wooing the beautiful Marisol. High-school selection, puberty and social influences are all ahead of Shawn during this transformational summer. Bouncing Shawn's attention between food, friendship, girls and literature, Smith successfully mines the mind of many a teenager. However, his habit of mentioning an issue on one page only to examine it on the next reduces dramatic tension and leaves readers feeling as though the author doubts their ability to comprehend foreshadowing-possibly a holdover from his previous works for younger children. Dual households, first crushes and gang violence receive honest treatment, though Shawn's aunt's drunken hysterical comes across as cheap. Smith's debut into young-adult fiction holds great promise for further transition. (Fiction. YA)

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