Blood Is Thicker (Bluford Series, No. 8) [Paperback]

Paul Langan and D. M. Blackwell (Author), Paul Langan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

This sequel to Until We Meet Again follows the story of Hakeem Randall after his move to Detroit. Far from Bluford High, Hakeem quickly finds himself in a world of trouble, and his family is at the center of it. To complicate matters, a new girl hopes to make him forget Darcy forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hurray for the new Bluford books! We have a class set, and kids won't put them down. Excellent books! -- S. Akbari, Media Specialist

We just got the new Bluford books. They're disappearing already! Wonderful stories that make everyone want to read. -- P. Sunderman, Reading Teacher

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Townsend Press (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591940168
• ISBN-13: 978-1591940166
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Langan has taught reading and writing at Atlantic Cape Community College near Atlantic City, New Jersey, for over twenty-five years. The author of a popular series of college textbooks on both writing and reading, John enjoys the challenge of developing materials that teach skills in an especially clear and lively way. Before teaching, he earned advanced degrees in writing at Rutgers University and in reading at Rowan University. He also spent a year writing fiction that, he says, "is now at the back of a drawer waiting to be discovered and acclaimed posthumously."

While in school, he supported himself by working as a truck driver, a machinist, a battery assembler, a hospital attendant, and an apple packer. John now lives with his wife, Judith Nadell, near Philadelphia. In addition to his wife and Philly sports teams, his passions include reading and turning on nonreaders to the pleasure and power of books. Through Townsend Press, his educational publishing company, he has developed the nonprofit "Townsend Library"--a collection more than thirty new and classic stories that appeal to readers of any age.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Bluford Novel, March 29, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Blood Is Thicker (Bluford Series, No. 8) (Paperback)

S. Moore March 29, 2007
Book Review Blood is Thicker

Imagine you are one of the popular kids at school, have a great girlfriend, a perfect life. Then your world crashes down and you are forced to move across the country, This is what happened to Hakeem Randall, the main character in Blood Is Thicker. In this novel Hakeem was diagnosed with cancer, which made him tired frequently. Since he couldn't handle his workload, he moved the family to Detroit where he would work in his brother's store. In Detroit, Hakeem was reunited with his cousin, Savon, who was perceived as a "bad seed" by his father and other adults. In the end, Savon and his father's relationship were restored, and Hakeem and Savon became friends. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories with a happy ending.
I liked Blood Is Thicker because it dealt with people who seemed real. In this book the best thing to happen to Hakeem in Detroit was meeting Anika, Savon's next-door neighbor. When Hakeem was outside, he started to play his guitar, which was his way of letting go of stress. Anika stood in her backyard watching him. When he looked around and saw her, they began to talk and he immediately realized that he liked her. This happened right after he discovered that he and Savon had to share a room. Anika was seventeen, like Hakeem, and was turning eighteen in six months. Since they were about to take her grandmother, who she lived with, to a nursing home, she decided to run away to California instead of going to foster care
This was a good book because it was very interesting. Blood Is Thicker kept my attention throughout the entire time I was reading it. In the book, Hakeem and Savon got into a fight because Hakeem saw Savon sneaking out in the middle of the night. When Savon got home he put a large wad of money in his top drawer. Hakeem automatically assumed that his cousin was involved in the local robberies. When Hakeem confronted his cousin, he became defensive and they quickly began to fight. One day Hakeem decided to follow Savon when he left in the middle of the night, what he found shocked him. He realized that Savon wasn't a criminal he was a really good rapper. When Hakeem was going home, he was about to get jumped by a gang, when Savon came in and saved him. When they got home, Savon's father was ready to kick Savon out, but in the end the two of them reached a compromise.
I also liked this book because it had a great story line. In the beginning, Hakeem had to leave everything he held dear to him in California- including his girlfriend of several months, Darcy. After a few months in Detroit, Hakeem's father went to the doctor to see if his cancer was still in remission. When they found out that it wasn't and that he had gained four pounds, they all celebrated. Then, Anika and Hakeem kissed, which made Hakeem, feel like the move to Detroit was worth it. Savon and Hakeem finally began to act like cousins should. In the end, Tarah, his friend, told him that Darcy's grandmother passed away, and Savon paid for his plane ticket back to California so he could see her. The story ended as Darcy and Hakeem were walking hand in hand down the street.
I recommend Blood Is Thicker, to anyone who loves to read and loves great stories. This novel was so good, in my opinion, because I felt like I could relate to the characters. Even though I've never moved, I have had to go to a new school. Starting over in a new place can sometimes be hard, so I knew how he felt. Savon was misunderstood, and almost everyone has been misunderstood before. When an author has characters that people can relate to, that always helps make the story interesting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blood Is Thicker, February 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Blood Is Thicker (Bluford Series, No. 8) (Paperback)

This book is about a boy name Hakeem Randall.Hakeem had a really good life at his highschool bluford,he had 3 friends that loved him alot and most important Hakeem had a guitar that he took every were with him.Hakeem lived to sing and he loved to play his guitar.Hakeem also had two younger sisters charlene and charmain his mom and his dad.The problems around the house were mostly with his dad for a reason.His dad had cancer and lost his job over the sickness.What bothered Hakeem the most is his uncle James in Detroit was offering him to stay at is house while Hakeems dad cancer will go away.He also needed a doctor to look at him and make sure that the cancer would go away.Hakeem loved his life in California hated to leave his friends and most important darcy his girlfriend that loved him so much.Hakeems dad often told him that he had to be the man of the house and that he needed to work and take care of the family for him.the family decided that they were moving to detroit and hakeem left his friends behind. When hakeem got to Detroit to his uncles house.There was only one problem. Savon. Savon and Hakeem were friend when they were young but its been forever since they have talked.Every since he got ther savon has been pushing Hakeem around all of it has lead to were savon been sneeking out at night and going to rap battles. were they rap for money.One night savon snuck out hakeem followed and Hakeem found out what he was up to in the end Hakeem and savon got friens because of that night were hakeem almost got jumped why its called blood is thicker.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read blood is thicker, November 10, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Blood Is Thicker (Bluford Series, No. 8) (Paperback)

Savon had money and cd's on his bed and nobody knew where it came from. Hakeem thought that was the one breaking into in all the stores because every store was broken into except his own father's store. Is Savon really breaking into all those stores?


In Blood Is Thicker By Paul Langan, Hakeem just was told that his father was sick and now Hakeem is going to have to step up and be a man of the house. Then he finds out that his family is having money problems and hem and his family is going to have to move to Detroit with his aunt. Before all this drama happens his best friend Darcy move to southern California would be thousands of miles away. Now that Dacry is gone who would support hem now?

If you want to find out more about Hakeem not trusting his cousin Savon, then you should read this book. People would really like this book because it's very catching, skocking, and its very surprising. So I really recommend this book to any one who wants to read this book.
By Bryant Smith