"There Are No Children Here" is a sad book by Alex Kotlowitz. It is the story of Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, two black brothers, growing up in "The Other America."

In the Preface Kotlowitz explains how he met the brothers during the summer of 1985. He was working as a freelance journalist and was writing the text for a photo essay by a friend on poverty for "Chicago Magazine." Lafeyette who was ten years old made a statement that jolted Kotlowitz. "IF I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver." Not When but IF.

When Kotlowitz approached LaJoe, mother of the boys about writing a book about the boys and other children of the neighborhood, she agreed and her comment gave him the idea for the title. "But you know, there are no children here. They've seen too much to be children.

The book follows Lafeyette and Pharoah over a period of two years as they struggle with school, attempt to avoid the lure of the gangs and mourn the deaths of friends. It begins with the summer of 1987. Pharoah is nine and Lafeyette is nearly twelve. They lived in Chicago in the "Hornets" or the "projects." It's real name is the Governor Henry Horner Homes.

Their mother La Joe aged thirty five received Aid to Families with Dependent children. Something I found astonishing is that many women were grandmothers by their mid-thirties and great grandmothers by their mid-forties. Another astonishing statement mad is that the death rate of newborn babies exceeded infant mortality rates in several Third World countries, including Chile, Cuba and Turkey.

La Joe had eight children, all by the same father. They were married but not living together. The three oldest had dropped out of school and had been in jail at least once. Then came the two boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah and a set of four-year old triplets.

There is so much in this sad but very revealing human-interest book that there is no way that I can tell you everything that you might find of interest that is included in this book. Plus it would spoil the surprise for you. Hopefully the items that I do include will give you a feel for what this book is about and will help you decide whether or not you would like to read this book for yourself.

One "amusing note" was when a group of Soviet housing officials visited Henry Horner in October 1955 while it was still under construction. They were appalled that the walls in the apartment were of cinder block. They wondered why the walls weren't built with plaster. I. K. Kozvilia, minister of city and urban construction told local reporters that they would be thrown off their jobs in Moscow if they left unfinished walls like this.

Of course the Chicago Daily News objected to that and said that "In the American way of doing things, there is little use for luxury in building subsidized low-cost housing." Kotlowitz continues to describe the wretched conditions under which the people were living. It makes me wonder which caused which. On the one hand you have the wretched living conditions. Yet the frequent gang shoot-outs so eloquently described in this book do not lend themselves to quality surrounding. Even a luxurious apartment complex would not stay luxurious very long with bullets frequently spraying the walls. The drug paraphernalia littering the landscape of the projects would not add to the attractiveness of River Oaks in Houston Texas or Beverly Hills in California.

Unfortunately the projects were feeling certain consequences that come with bad choices including the high rate of absentee fathers. Having six pregnancies (the triplets verses a single was obviously not a result of choice) when finances are already tight and living conditions not-so-great is not the way to go. People can always analyze their financial situation and stop at one or two when there is still enough money and space to provide a quality life for their children. Though living in the projects would be totally obnoxious, still, it would be easier to raise two children there verses eight. Plus if the other families would follow suit..

Many shocking and revolting descriptions of gang life in the projects and regular shoot-outs are described where gang members shoot at each other from high rise apartment buildings with no concern about the possibility of those bullets hitting innocent children on the playgrounds outside. Project children are schooled on how to dodge the bullets that regularly whiz by whether they are inside their own apartments or outside.

The importance of a good teacher, even in such terrible surroundings is noted in the person of Ms. Barone, known for her rigid discipline and high energy, who took a liking to Pharoah. Another teacher Mrs. Everage did the same for Lafeyette.

A haunting and revolting effect on the young children is discussed. Richey, a friend of Pharoah's had been with Bird Legs (name used in book) when he was brutally shot to death as a result of an obnoxious gang war. A seasoned psychologist or well educated lay person would recognize clearly the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. You hear about this with young soldiers who face death all around them but at least they are defending their country. PTSS in an eleven year old boy though who has seen quite a number of kids his own age die, including his cousin, all for the "glorious" purpose of defending some gang's rights to be destructive is totally ridiculous and is a terrible waste of a young person's life!!

Another shocking description that was revolting to me was that of young children as young as four or five years old, arriving at their neighborhood preschool program with their baseball hats turned to the left showing allegiance to the Vice Lords or to the right for the Disciples. As a grandmother of an almost-four year old granddaughter, I sure can't imagine her with a baseball cap showing allegiance to the gangs. YUCK!!

In conclusion Alex Kotlowitz explains how he gained the information for writing this book. He spent a great deal of time hanging out with Lafeyette and Pharoah. Their mother La Joe also helped him by being a second pair of eyes and ears plus meeting with him regularly during a three year period. He mentions many others that he interviewed such as friends, neighbors, even attorneys and various Chicago Housing Authority Officials, plus local politicians. Even many court records were examined for information included in this book.

Kotlowitz states that there were some who accused him of breaking his part as a Journalist by becoming too involved with the Rivers family. Though it was not part of the deal, he used money from this book to send the two boys to private school and to help the family otherwise. As he reminded himself and others, they were children and he valued their friendship and wanted to help. I applaud him and hope that their lives are better as a result.


This is a well written, well researched book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the social issues of today. I can't help but shake my head as I read this book and wonder how anyone could thrive, much less keep their sanity in such a horrible place like this. I am very thankful that my granddaughters are not growing up here!!


Recommended: Yes