Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

by G. Neri • illustrated by Randy DuBurke

ISBN 978-1-58430-267-4

Neri•

DuBurke

Lee

&Low

Books

$16.95 U.S.

Eleven-year-old Roger is trying to makesense of his classmate Robert “Yummy”Sandifer’s death, but first he has to makesense of Yummy’s life. Yummy could be astough as a pit bull sometimes. Other timeshe was as sweet as the sugary treats heloved to eat. Was Yummy some sort ofmonster, or just another kid?As Roger searches for the truth, he findsmore and more questions. How did Yummyend up in so much trouble? Did he really killsomeone? And why do all the answers seemto lead back to a gang—the same gangRoger’s older brother belongs to?

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

is a compelling dramatization based onevents that occurred in Chicago in 1994.This gritty exploration of youth gang lifewill force readers to question their ownunderstandings of good and bad, rightand wrong.

G. Neri is an award-winning writer,filmmaker, and new media producer fromLos Angeles, where he also worked withinner-city youth. He is the recipient ofthe International Reading AssociationLee Bennett Hopkins Promising PoetAward and his debut book, Lee & Low’sChess Rumble, was recognized as anALA Notable Children’s Book. Neri nowlives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with hiswife and their daughter. You can find himonline at gneri.com.

Randy DuBurke’s books for youngreaders include Lee & Low’s Catching theMoon, a Bank Street College Best Children’sBook of the Year, and the graphic biographyMalcolm X. His work has also appeared in DCand Marvel comics, The New York Times, andMad magazine. A native of Brooklyn, NewYork, DuBurke now lives in Switzerland withhis wife and their two sons. His Web siteis randyduburke.com.

Jacket art © 2010 by Randy DuBurke

LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc.95 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10016leeandlow.com

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

by G. Neriillustrated by

Randy DuBurke

Lee & Low Books IncNew York

Yummy_Int:Layout 1 6/10/10 4:45 PM Page 1

To J.F., for pulling me from the slush pile with this one and seeing it all the way through.And of course, for Maggie and Zola, who keep me sane.—G.N.

To my two wonderful sons, Sakai and Matthias, and my equally wonderful and lovely wife,Olivia. Special thanks to Christy Hale and Laura Reder—R.D.

Text copyright © 2010 by G. NeriIllustrations copyright © 2010 by Randy DuBurke

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced,transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or byany means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,without written permission from the publisher.LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., 95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016leeandlow.com

Manufactured in the United States of America by Worzalla Publishers, June 2010

Book design by Christy HaleBook production by The Kids at Our HouseThe text is set in Opti Kartoon and Evil GeniusThe illustrations are rendered in ink

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1First Edition

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataNeri, Greg.Yummy : the last days of a Southside Shorty / by G. Neri ; illustrated by Randy DuBurke. — 1st ed.p. cm.Summary: “A graphic novel based on the true story of Robert ‘Yummy’ Sandifer, an eleven-year-oldAfrican American gang member from Chicago who shot a young girl and was then shot by his owngang members”—Provided by publisher.ISBN 978-1-58430-267-4 (pbk.)1. Sandifer, Robert—Comic books, strips, etc. 2. African American youth—Illinois—Chicago—Biography—Comic books, strips, etc. 3. African American youth—Illinois—Chicago—Social conditions—Comic books, strips, etc. 4. Gang members—Illinois—Chicago—Biography—Comic books, strips, etc.5. Gangs—Illinois—Chicago—Comic books, strips, etc. 6. Violence—Illinois—Chicago—Comic books,strips, etc. 7. Chicago (Ill.)—Social conditions—Comic books, strips, etc. 8. Chicago (Ill.)—Biography—Comic books, strips, etc. 9. Graphic novels. I. DuBurke, Randy. II. Title.F548.9.N4N47 2010305.896’073077311092—dc22[B] 2006017771


Robert “Yummy” Sandifer was a real person. He was born in 1983 andlived in the Roseland area of Chicago. At just eleven years old, Yummybecame a poster child for youth gang violence in America after a seriesof tragic events led to his appearance on the cover of TIME magazine inSeptember 1994. The essence of Yummy’s story presented in this bookhas been re-created based on public records, media reports, and personalaccounts. A certain amount of fictionalization was necessary to fill ingaps, condense events, and represent what Yummy might have beenfeeling. Roger, the narrator of this story, was invented to guide us, ameans of trying to make sense of the madness that hit Roseland in thesummer of 1994. I invite you, like Roger, to sort through all the opinionsthat poured in from the community, media, and politicians, and discoveryour own truth about Yummy.

—G.N.


4

CHICAGO, my hometown.

We call it Chi-town.

where Bulls rule the city . . .

And Al Capone was a real gangsterwho lived and died here.


my grandma says that Just a few blocks away frommy house Muddy Waters invented Chicago Blues.

It’s also the place where Oprahbecame one of the richest andmost famous people on TV.

Chi-town has the tallestbuilding in America.

And the busiest airport too.

There’s also a big schoolsouth of my neighborhood.They say some greatpeople went there. Theyeven won some big prizes.

But in my neighborhood,life ain’t so sweet.

5


6

I live on Normal Avenue.

But I guess “normal”is different todifferent folks.

In this neighborhood, if you go out atnight, you might get yourself shot.

But this ain’t no movie.

Sometimes it feelslike a war movie.

This is my neighborhood—Roseland—home sweet home.

And what I’m gonna tell you happened for real.


7

I knew this kidnamed Yummy. . . .

But sometimeshe sure didn’tact like it.

His real name wasRobert, but the kidsin the neighborhoodcalled him Yummyon account of heliked cookies andSweets so much.

He was my age, 11 yearsold. He was just a littleguy, what we call ashorty, 4 feet tall andmaybe 60 pounds heavy.


8

Yummy belonged to a gang called the Black Disciples. and anyone who wasa rival on one of their streets, was gonna hear from the Black Disciples.

could get caught up in gang business.

Even kids just playin’in the streets,

minding their own business,

They ran the neighborhood.


9

For a shorty like yummy, blastin’ a Disciples’ enemy wouldmake him look real good to the higher ups in his gang.

so that’s what yummy tried to do. . . .

IF YOU WANNAADVANCE, YOU GONNA HAVE

TO PROVE YOURSELF.

THEY GONNA MAKEME REGENT FOR THIS!

BANG!BANG!BANG!


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Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty