©2025 Fable Group Inc.

The Jungle Kids

By Ed McBain
The Jungle Kids by Ed McBain digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The author of the 87th Precinct series presents the story that inspired The Blackboard Jungle and eleven other tales of tough, troubled kids on the city streets.
 
Inside the concrete walls of Bernard High, brutal young men scrap for survival, fighting with their wits, their knives, and their guns. Brawls are common in the hallways, and more than one student has been carried out on a stretcher this year. Now, Mr. Kemp is the next target. A mild-mannered teacher in far over his head, he’s about to be thrust into the middle of a string of muggings happening right inside the school. It’s a jungle in there, and Kemp is at the bottom of the food chain.
 
A tale of animal justice in a school ruled by the power of the switchblade, “The Jungle Kids” is an incredible story. Along with “To Break the Wall,” it served as the inspiration for The Blackboard Jungle, the novel about a cutthroat inner-city school that was adapted for the screen and made Ed McBain a household name.
 
With twelve stories of crime, violence, drugs, and gangs, most of which were originally published in the legendary pulp magazine Manhunt, this collection showcases city life through the eyes of disaffected teenagers. What could be more terrifying?
 

Download the free Fable app

app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities
app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

No Reviews

About Ed McBain

Ed McBain is one of the many pen names of legendary author Evan Hunter (1926–2005). Named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, Hunter is best known for creating the long-running 87th Precinct series, which followed an ensemble cast of police officers in the fictional city of Isola. A pioneer of the police procedural, he remains one of the best-loved mystery novelists of the twentieth century. Hunter also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Marsten, Hunt Collins, John Abbott, Ezra Hannon, Curt Cannon, and others.
 

Start a Book Club

Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!

FAQ

Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Do you sell physical books too?

Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

Error Icon
Save to a list
0
/
30
0
/
100
Private List
Private lists are not visible to other Fable users on your public profile.
Notification Icon
Fable uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB