Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee

A graphic novel based on the life and death of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year-old gang member from Chicago's Southside who was killed by his own gang members.

Eleven-year-old Roger is trying to make sense of his classmate Robert "Yummy" Sandifer's death, but first he has to make sense of Yummy's life. Yummy could be as tough as a pit bull sometimes. Other times he was as sweet as the sugary treats he loved to eat. Was Yummy some sort of monster, or just another kid?

As Roger searches for the truth, he finds more and more questions. How did Yummy end up in so much trouble? Did he really kill someone? And why do all the answers seem to lead back to a gang-the same gang Roger's older brother belongs to?

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty is a compelling dramatization based on events that occurred in Chicago in 1994. This gritty exploration of youth gang life will force readers to question their own understandings of good and bad, right and wrong.

Author: G. Neri
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Published: 08/01/2010
Pages: 96
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 8.80h x 6.40w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9781584302674
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.4
Point Value: 1
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 139540 / Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty


Award: Coretta Scott King Award - Honor Book
Award: Virginia Readers Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award - Nominee
Award: Rhode Island Teen Book Award - Nominee
Award: Cybils - Winner
Award: Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice - Nominee
Award: Street Literature Book Award Medal (Slbam) - Winner


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/19/2010
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2010
Booklist 08/01/2010 pg. 55
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2010 - Book Of Special Distinction
School Library Journal 09/01/2010 pg. 180
Voice of Youth Advocates 10/01/2010 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2010 pg. 98
Library Journal 11/15/2010 pg. 56
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2011 pg. 13
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2011 pg. 107
Publishers Weekly Best Books 11/08/2010 pg. 28

About the Author

G. Neri is an award-winning author, including a Michael L. Printz Award for his contribution to The Collectors anthology as well as an Eisner nomination and Coretta Scott King Honor for Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty. He has written many books for young people, including Ghetto Cowboy, which was made into the movie Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba, debuting at #1 on Netflix. His books have been translated into multiple languages in more than 25 countries. In 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from SUNY for his literary output. Mr. Neri lives on the Gulf coast of Florida. For more information, visit gregneri.com.

Randy DuBurke is a full-time artist, whose work has appeared in books for young readers, DC and Marvel comics, The New York Times, and MAD magazine. A native of Brooklyn, New York, DuBurke now lives in Switzerland with his wife and their two sons. His website is randyduburke.com.