The House That Crack Built

By Clark Taylor

Book Overview

With a beat reminiscent of hip hop or rap music, a well known nursery rhyme is brilliantly transformed into a powerful poem about the tragic problem of illegal drugs and its victims. From the harvesting of the coca plants to dealers and gangs to the innocent crack babies born everyday, cocaine's journey is starkly traced from beginning to end. The rhythmic text, which is realistic but not moralizing, will appeal to teenagers and adults. But it is also accessible for even very young children, making this a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, caregivers, and everyone else who is looking for a way to broach this difficult subject. A list of organizations is provided for those seeking help for a loved one or a way out for themselves. A forword by children's advocate Michael Pritchard teaches us that we are all victims of this debilitating drug but reminds us that we also have the ability to change our world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811801233
• ISBN13: 9780811801232
• Release Date: July 1992
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 7.8" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 12 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7

Customer Reviews

The House that Crack Built

I use this book as part of a unit on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for my 6th grade health class. I teach in a suburban school, Grades K-6 where 6th grade students are building on the what they learned in 4th and 5th grade on the topic. The House That Crack Built provokes student into serious discussion of illegal drug trade, sale, and use. Through these discussions students look at the various people in the book and how...

taking responsibility for our own actions

i use this book continuously when working with patients with substance abuse. i have found it helps them to think about how our actions effect others... about how buy crack just isn't bad for the addict, but destroys the whole community. i read the other reviews about this book. the ones who are pessimistic, don't seem to be getting the point. the overall theme is taking responsibility for our own actions and considering the...

A simple, yet powerful story of cause and effect.

We already know that crack is bad for us. Do we really think about how many people are affected by the drug? Who really benefits? The stark reality of the pain caused by crack is depicted in this simple style reminiscent of The House That Jack Built. The book is thought provoking. The sing-song repetition helps the reader see the progression of pain. This is a great book for beginning a discussion on drugs and their...

Who Built This House?

Indeed, the market is saturated with texts documenting the rise of drug use in this country, subjecting readers to endless charts and statistics. Taylor's wonderfully written book of verse strikes home because of its simplicity. Readers are showm the progression of crack cocaine from the coca field to an inner-city alley. Using simple rhymme scheme, Taylor leaves readers with the message that many people, and therefore every...