Customer Reviews

The Bully (Bluford High)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever had to deal with a bully? Darrell has to deal with a new home, a new school, and a new bully named Tyray. Tyray forces Darrell to pay him every friday. Tyray complains how he doesn't like collecting it everyday so he decides to just collect $10.00 every friday at the end of the week. Tyray has threatened Darrell that if he doesn't pay Tyray that Tyrary would hurt Darrell..... bad! Everywhere Darrell goes Tyray goes to follow Darrell around and bully him. Along with bullies at school Darrell is also trying to help his little cousin when he faces a bully, and his bully is in his own family! The book The Bully by Paul Langan is a book of growing confidence and trust. Once you start this book you can't put it down until it is finished. This is a long book, but don't let that hold you off, it will seem like it took you two days to read it!!!

The Bully proved very popular among my middle school students (remedial reading). Most were really into the book, and most finished it although many had never read a book before this school year. I'm sure they were drawn in by the threat of violence and by the gritty realism that related to their own lives. I was disappointed by a couple of things - e.g. the bully was bested through a reciprocation of violence. But the things that disappointed me seemed to make the novel even more fulfilling for the students, and their positive response was what kept them reading. Recommended!

Struggling readers need to be able to relate to the texts they are reading. It's probably the most important tool we can use when trying to pull kids back into books. The Bully has it. Even if the reader has never been bullied, all young readers can easily relate to Darrell's feelings of loneliness and worry. We've all been there from time to time, especially in the unsettling years of middle and high school. Paul Langan and Anne Schraff have done an excellent job of writing a book that is easily accessible to the struggling reader without ever talking down to them. The Bully is a book they can confidently carry around and read in public without ever having to worry about having a book that looks like it's been written for little kids. Nice job all the way around on this one.

Chris Bowen

Author ofOur Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

the book has been helpful in our small group of middle school inner city boys. we are using it to discuss a variety of topics and behavior related to bullying.

since it is out of print it was VERY helpful buying it from amazon.com. they were in great condition, delivered quickly, and helped our groups get started earlier!

I loved this book! I thought that Darrell would never find any friends in his new school, Bluford High. I felt sorry for him for being bullied by Tyray, but I was happy when he stood up to him. I would have done the same thing to a bully in my school. But, overall I absolutly recomend you read this if you have any problems with a bully or if you know someone that is, or if you just like to read than read this book.

My name is Darrell Mercer. My mom and I live in A small town we don't have a lot of money. My uncle want us to come stay wit him and his kids because there is a good job waiting for his mom so they have to move. And I have to go to a school called Bluford High.

I have to find a way to survive in high school. Knowing that I am one of the little kids in school I have to survive a school full of bullies. There is a boy named Taray and he is one of one of the biggest students in the school and think I am the perfect target to bully.

Here I am in front of Bluford High firs day no friends yet. I I meet Taray and he is bullying be already. My uncle is always getting on me because how little I am for my age .I really like this girl in my class I am scared to tell her but there is only one problem Taray like her to. I got to find a way to defeat him. There is all kind of sports I can join to gain weight, strength, and self confidence. I will will show him whose boss and join a club and get stronger and beat him up. I think knows a lot of people now that I am in a really cool club. I and the girl I like is going to go to the school dance together but we can not be seen together or else I will get beat up. But we are caught dancing in the middle of the dance floor and I have to hide. But I guess it is too late now I am stuck in the trash in the restroom. I know I just have to get him back

I feel that this story remind me of my little sister because she use to get bullied at school but not anymore because my sister and brother go to school wit her now.

My option on this book is never try to get back at someone for something they did the time will come when that person will get something coming there way when the time is right.

I recommend this book to teens that like books like this .

Paul Langon showed me in this book The Bully the setting, plot, conflict, characters, point of view, and theme. The theme of the this book is about a boy named Darrell Mercer who lived in Philly but moved to California because his mom had lost her job and they became very poor. So Darrell's uncle Jason moves them to California with his famil and gave the mom a new job there she was making more money. Darrell was very mad at his mom because he didn't want to move it was his freshman year in high school . Darrell problem was that he was really skinny and short for his age he looked more like a 5th grader than a 9th grader. So Darrell first dat in California he walked to a corner store where he ran into a boy named Tyray He was large for his age. Darrell found out that they where freshman's in went to Bluford High the new school he was going to start going to so they told Darrell he better start bringing them $10.00 a week Darrell was scared so he decided to pay them. Later that day Darrell meet a girl named Amberlynn he thought she was the prettist girl he had ever seen Darrell found out they she also went to Bluford High. On his first day he found out he had 2 class with Amberlynn amd 3 with Tyray . After his first day he was sad because he went through a hole day with out anyone talking to him. Darrell ran into an old lady at the store she told him she had a grandson named Harold that went to Bluford High so the next day when Darrell went to school he wanted to look for Harold. Darrell found Harold and they became best friends Tyray was still bullying Darrell it had gotten worse because Tyray found out that Amberlynn liked Darrell and Tyray became very jealous. Darrell could not take being bullyed anymore so he wanted to join the wrestling team so he could build confidence and become stronger. Darrell had started to get muscle's at his first match he lost by two point's. The next day at lunch Tyray was made because Darrell didn't pay him his $10.00 they got into a fight Darrell won and Tyray was suspended for bullying. After the fight Darrell had seen that he was not alone anymore he had a girlfriend Amberlynn and a bestfriends Harold. Darrell was not ever bullyed after that anymore

I think this book is a must for teachers who have middle school boys strugglng with literacy issues. Not only African-American children can relate to this story but immigrant/refugee children as well. The students are outsiders who struggle to fit in and often are limited in knowledge and the culture. Often they are placed in struggling schools and neighborhoods. Parents work long hours and are even more isolated from the culture they live in. This book helps kids, especially boys relate.

The Bully by Paul Langan is an awesome novel. This book is very descriptive and has great details. While turning each page you feel a rush of excitement flow through your body. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting to read this novel again. The Bully is a great book so if you have to write a book review, I suggest you choose this book. The suspense is so will leave you biting your finger nails.

Moving from your home to a place you now have to call home. Wouldn't you miss your school, your friends, and the place you were you grew up? Well this is how Tyray felt when he had to give all of those things up because his Uncle offered his Mom a new job with better pay.Tyray and his mom moved in with Uncle Jason's family in California. There they would start a new life. Instead of going to his school in Philadelphia, and hanging out with his old friends he would have to go to a new school in California and make new friends.

"I'm never going to grow." Having no inner or outer strength Tyray thought he was doomed. While going to the grocery store for his mom, Tyray tried to make some new friends by doing what his mother always told him. If you don't smile you'll never make friends. "That didn't work out very well. Tyray had just made a new enemy, a bully named Travis. Tyray's new school would also be the school that Travis (the bully) would be going to.When school started Tyray's hopes went down.

Every day Tyray would be bullied by Travis. Tyray would be pushed around, throwen in the trash cans, and embarrassed in front of the girl he loved. After all of the pain, Tyray decided that he would go to a teacher for advice. But when he went to his English teacher for advice, the teacher just gave him a book to read. "How can this book help me with my problems", he thought.

Finally after he decided to read the book, he realized that the character had the same problems he did. He also realizeed that the character had no inner or outer stength just like him. So he decided to jion up for westleing. There he gained both inner and outer seength. Weeks after joining he faced the bully. I recommend this book for all ages. Even if you are a asult you may also have a bully. If you need help I suggest you read this book

"The Bully" by Paul Langan is the story about a quiet teen named Darrell Mercer. Darrell is nervous about moving to California with his mother and attending a new high school. Anxiety over transferring to a new school is a common issue with high schoolers, but the reader learns quickly that Darrell is different. While attending his previous high school, Darrell never had to stand up for himself and was `protected' from bullies by his friend. Now a new student at Bluford High, the 15 year old that has a physical build of a 12 year old becomes a victim of bullying. Tyray Hobbs and his gang of followers bully Darrell daily out of his lunch money and destroy his self-esteem.

Life at home isn't any better. Darrell's mother is pre-occupied with her new job and his uncle believes the solution to all of Darrell's problems is for him to just `toughen up.' When Darrell's English teacher Mr. Mitchell gives him the book, "The Hamlet" to read, things begin to change. Darrell joins the wrestling team and his self-confidence and popularity improves. His classmates give him a new respect for trying and shows interest a classmate, Amberlynn. Despite these social gains, Darrell continues to be tormented by Tyray and he makes a decision: run or fight. In a climatic cafeteria scene, Darrell finally stands up to Tyray, breaks his arm and embarrasses him in front of the entire school.

Despite the predictability of "The Bully" I really liked it. Langan captures the voice of teens and their experiences effectively in the story and I believe this is why books written by him are so popular with pre-teens and teens. Readers can really experience the pain of bullying and cheer Darrell on as he makes accomplishments on the wrestling team. This book could be used with boys beginning in 7th grade as a platform for discussion on the subject of bullying. Kids that read this book will definitely relate to this story and either place themselves in the shoes of Darrell or Tyray.