“Playground” is a well-written, engaging story. The main character, Butterball, has had a rough year. Like many teens, he is desperately searching for acceptance. He wants nothing more than to be “the big man on campus”. However, it seems at every turn an obstacle lies in his path. He is overweight, new to his school, and has anger issues he can’t even begin to explain. After jumping an “ex” friend on the playground Butterball’s life becomes more and more complex. The reader is left wondering for most of the book why the assault occurred. When we do learn what prompted Butterball’s anger “Playground” becomes even more intriguing. This coming of age story has a twist dealing with acceptance that I think few will see coming.
The book is told in the first person with a great amount of detail going into exploring where Butterball is coming from. Teens will be able to easily relate to Butterball’s feelings of isolation and peer pressure. I can honestly say I was more than pleasantly surprised by 50 Cent’s writing ability. I did not expect this book to be nearly as good as it was.
Also, from the standpoint of a middle school English teacher I was slightly concerned about the content being inappropriate for my classroom library. “Playground” does have some cursing, but never uses the “F” bomb. It never delves into sex and the violence is limited. I feel comfortable recommending this book to my students and putting on my classroom shelf.
I highly recommend “Playground”.
