"On Bronson Street, in the projects of Toledo, Ohio, in a small house occupied by a family of fourteen, Tom Seeman starts a very important list--"Animals I Want To See One Day"--and what begins as a dream of travel to far-flung places becomes a roadmap out of Tom's poverty-stricken neighborhood to Yale, Harvard, and beyond. But despite Bronson Street's hardships and crime, it's also something of a mythical street, populated by unforgettable people who share food, protect each other, and give surprising gifts of beauty and merriment, proving that the bonds of community and friendship--often across racial and social lines--can bridge any divide and transcend what many of us are taught to believe about each other. Woven with threads of humor, nostalgia, and lyricism, these pages explore the magical territory of childhood and are packed with keen observations about life, love, and the power we have to liberate ourselves from inherited boundaries"-- Inside jacket flap.