A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich

A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich, Alice Childress, Avon Books, 1982.

This story is written through narrations from the perspective of the different characters in the life of Beniie, a 13-year-old black boy who shoots heroin.  Benjie doesn’t believe that he has an addiction, but the pain he causes the other characters through his drug use is obvious in their narrations.  His best friend is a good student, and although he gave Benjie his first joint, he shies away from drugs and focuses on his schoolwork.  According to his teachers, Bernard Cohen and Nigeria Greene, he was a great kid before he started doing heroin.  This story follows Benjie’s struggles with drug use and the pain that it causes his family and friends.  He fights his relationship with his caring stepfather and family and distances himself from those who truly care about him, but it isn’t until he is turned in that he must truly decide whether he wants his family or his addiction. 

This story has many themes that are teachable in a middle school setting.  The dichotomy between the black and white teachers in Benjie’s school highlight differing racial relations and viewpoints in society.  Through the individual narrations, the reader can see the thoughts of the two characters and can see both sides of the discussion.  The struggle with Benjie’s drug addiction can also be discussed, as well as Benjie’s family relationships.  Consequences of his drug use such as distancing from friends and family are evident in the story.  His success in school also begins to decline, which only serves to further his family troubles.  Overall, despite the interesting themes and exciting plot line, I would be weary teaching this story.  Although this book has many teachable themes, there was some foul language and heavy moments that may be inappropriate to middle school students.  The dialect that the book is written in might also be slightly difficult for students to understand, although it could be easily explained if read in class.  I think that this book would be teachable to older students in the middle school; it would definitely be more appropriate for eighth graders rather than sixth graders.  It is a short book and can be read rather quickly.  The themes are rather heavy and there is a decent amount of language in this book, but it could be teachable if handled carefully.