Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers p. 214

Myers tells his story about being a bad boy. He is shuffled around a bit between homes when he was very young but settles with his father and step-mom. She is the only mother he knows so he calls her Mama. Myers always enjoyed reading and writing and challenging his mind so he excelled in his classes academically, but his behavior was another story. His poor behavior and choices stopped him from attending the gifted high school was attending. He received some advice when he was younger and that was to never stop writing, and he didn't. Lucky for him because he is now a very successful author.