There Are No Children Here

The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America

By: Alex Kotlowitz

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

This New York Public Library selection, as one of the 150 most important books of the 20th century, is a true-life portrait of growing up in the Chicago projects.

This national best-seller chronicles the true story of two brothers coming of age in the Henry Horner public housing complex in Chicago. Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers are 11 and nine years old when the story begins in the summer of 1987. Living with their mother and six siblings, they struggle against grinding poverty, gun violence, gang influences, overzealous police officers, and overburdened and neglectful bureaucracies. Immersed in their lives for two years, Kotlowitz brings us this classic rendering of growing up poor in America’s cities.

©1991 Alex Kotlowitz (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A triumph of empathy as well as a significant feat of reporting.” ( Los Angeles Times)

“Alex Kotlowitz’s story informs the heart. His meticulous portrait of the two boys in a Chicago Housing project shows how much heroism is required to survive, let alone escape.” ( New York Times)

Eye opening

A good book of learning the struggles of living in Chicago intercity. A great book that will inform and also humble you to really be thankful for what God has blessed you with in your own upbringing.

Reality in the Projects

Where does There Are No Children Here rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is high on the list of non-fiction. It is a though provoking piece on public programs in this country and the bureaucracy that is one of the main reasons for its failure.

What about Dion Graham’s performance did you like?

Dion's reading of this book appeals to me because you are getting the story without the emotion that could cloud the facts.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book elicited feelings of hopelessness.

Great Narration!

Narrator brought the story to life for me. l have to imagine it was better than actually reading it myself.

Amazing Book

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the struggles of those who live in South Side Chicago.

well done

narrator was great. overall very interesting in a "removed" sort of way. journalistic approach might be easier to absorb in written form.

Great heart wrenching read<br /><br />

Good read a little lengthy, bot worth it. It should be on the read list.

Great story about sensitively written characters.

Great snapshot of one complex family's real and poignant challenges of living in 1980s Chicago public housing. There was a good balance between their individual stories and historical / journalistic reporting about conditions, politics and issues of the millieu. I want to go online now to see if there are any articles or updates available on how the main characters have got on since the time of writing. Sensitively written, great quality audio makes for an enjoyable listening experience.

Amazing book with harsh realities of then and NOW

If you could sum up There Are No Children Here in three words, what would they be?

Today's harsh reality

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

This book was just so real and true. I just finished reading on 4-29-15 during the riots going on in Baltimore following the killing of Freddie Gray. This book was set in a time where things were going on then that are STILL going on today!

Which scene was your favorite?

The entire book. I loved it

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many moments. It was so detailed . Craig gettingt he community to come together at a peaceful moment and dance to music was pretty uplifting though.

Any additional comments?

This is a must read. It will open your eyes !

Life in puberty

This is so revealing! really understanding of life in the projects though I've heard/read bits and pieces of life there; but for me, i was tearful, it is quite sad that fellow humans are forced, and destined to live this way. Wow, the mental trauma on children, surely no children lives in the projects!!

A Story of Temptation and Perseverance

I received this audiobook for free as part of my Audible Plus membership.

Written by Alex Kotlowitz and narrated by Dion Graham, There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America primarily follows Lafayette and Pharaoh Rivers as they grow up in Chicago. Kotlowitz covers themes of poverty, gang violence, drugs, mortality, fatherhood and prison without getting overly graphic or crude. Despite some heavy-handed exposition and meandering plot lines, Kotlowitz provides a compelling narrative. Graham supports the work with strong narration, even if the production values are sub-optimal. This book is recommended for anyone interested in American society during the mid-1980s.

Lafayette was 10-years-old and Pharaoh was 7-years-old when Kotlowitz began chronicling their lives in the Summer of 1985. The boy's oftentimes absentee father, Paul, was a drug-addict who would occasionally stay with the family at their apartment in the Henry Horner Homes, which was a public housing complex in Chicago, Illinois. They were primarily raised by their mother, Lajoe, while various extended family members lived with them. Kotlowitz followed the boy's at school, at home and on the streets. They faced various challenges, including consistent neighborhood shootings, deceased friends and the allure of gang life. Although Kotlowitz only follows the boys for a short-time, the work provides a snapshot of lives dense with danger, temptation and opportunity. The work ends with an epilogue discussing the boys lives one year after the bulk of the reporting took place.

Kotlowitz's narrative asks the reader to contemplate their own lives during the ages of Lafayette and Pharaoh Rivers discussed in the book and to examine where the might be given similar circumstances. It's inspiring to hear how these boys largely persevered through so much opposition. This is where the book succeeds, when it focuses on the boy's emotional and mental development and transformation. The work falls a bit short when it spends large sections discussing the backstories of the city, gangs and public housing. It loses some of it's humanity and heart. Although those sections are important to understand the boy's situation and circumstances, they could have been delivered in a more concise and compelling manner. The larger themes of poverty, gang violence, drug addiction, crime and parenthood are interlaced throughout the boy's experiences. They didn't necessarily need to be discussed in such detail outside of that. Despite these shortcomings, There Are No Children Here succeeds in delivering an engaging picture into two young lives.

Dion Graham's deep-voice and flowing narration provides a strong backdrop for Kotlowitz's writing. He maintains a consistently serious tone, which matches the dark and mature themes discussed in the book. He comes across as emotionless at times, but this coincides with the journalistic focus of the narrative. He provides clear pronunciation, and he voices the characters in a convincing manner. There are some odd noises in the recording, and it's clear where some sections have been cut and edited. Nonetheless, these issues don't detract a great deal from the overall production.

There Are No Children Here is an emotionally-charged and compelling work. Despite some rambling, Kotlowitz's does a great job painting a clear image of Lafayette and Pharaoh Rivers. The work is easy to listen to thanks to Graham's strong narration. It an excellent choice for those interested in any of the themes discussed.