The Crow, The Tree and Spittle Lee the Fighting Bee is a fable that warns children against the perils and life-long repercussions of joining a gang. The author hopes to open the eyes of boys and girls to the horror of his own ordeal and prevent them from making the same mistakes. The book is very accessible with a strong moral message. As with the crow and the bee, the question is, “What can I do to make a difference?”

About the Author

Albert M. Bribiesca was born in northern California, but spent his early years in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles. Bribiesca started hanging out with gangs when he was a teenager and was incarcerated for the first time when he was thirteen. He was in and out of prison for the next several years, finally receiving a twenty-five year to life sentence for a gang-related murder. While incarcerated, Bribiesca changed. He started to read, study, and write, realizing that the world was a big place and he had a place in it.

Bribiesca wrote The Crow, The Tree and Spittle Lee the Fighting Bee hoping to keep kids from making the same mistakes he made. He may not be able to save them all, but even one would make this effort worthwhile