Everyone is getting on Jamal's case. The kids at school are bugging him, his teachers won't leave him alone, and the principal's always giving him a hard time. Even his mama yells at him, upset because Jamal's brother, Randy, is in jail. The only person he can count on now is his best friend, Tito.

But Crazy Mack wants Jamal to take over as the Scorpions' leader and run crack. Jamal doesn't want anything to do with gang life, but he doesn't have a choice—it's the only way to get money for Randy's appeal. And as long as he's got Tito on his side, Jamal knows everything will be okay. . . .

When it was first published in 1988, Scorpions blew readers away. It continues to do so today. This special 25th anniversary edition contains the original Scorpions story, plus an extra Q&A with New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers.