Customer Reviews

Payback (Bluford High)

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The Gun, by Paul Langan, Townsend Press, 2002, 123 pages, reading level 7.6, is a great book for high school reading students. My students who have read it have loved it! The Gun is part of a 10-book Bluford Series, which chronicles the lives of a group of 9th graders at Bluford High School. The books are of extremely high interest, but are still at their independent reading level. Best of all, if you buy from their website the books are only a $1 each (sorry amazon.com!)

In The Gun, a former bully Tyray Hobbs vows revenge after the "new kid" Darrell he used to torment defends himself and beats up Tyray in the lunchroom in front of the whole school. Faced with the torment of his peers, Tyray decides that the only way he can get back his reputation is to buy a gun and really show Darrell who is in charge. In attempting to purchase the gun and then deciding whether or not to use it, Tyray goes through a lot of emotional heartache and finally comes to terms with the boy he is and the man he wishes to become.
Overall, the book is great. When I brought in this book, my kids were practically fighting over who got to read it first! The issues discussed in the book are ones that my students are familiar with, making the novel both accessible and relevant to their lives. The only area for improvment could be at the introduction of the story, giving the reader a little more information about the main characters Darrell and Tyray. Because the book is part of the series, some deepened levels of theme comprehension depend on having read the books before it, which not all students will have done.

When I read this book I never wanted to stop and put it down. This book taught me alot about life and when I was younger and I use to hurt people feelings and if it were done to me I would think how cruel. The bad thing was the people that hung out with me only did so I won't beat them up. Not only was I a bad influence on myself and really didn't care much for my self-esteem I effected all the other people around me and the environment. I treated my peers so wrong it's unbelievable now just to think what if they hurt themselves because they was always picked on and feel they had no use to be here. Or what if they be one of the people who grow up and decide to be a sniper or something for revenge?

I read The Gun by Paul Langen. The main characters in this book are Tyray, Darrell, Amberlynn, and Harold. I wanted to read this book because my teacher influenced me to read the whole series and said they were great books. In this book, Tyray gets mad and wants to shoot Darrell. Tyray gets the gun from Bones for $50. At the end, he does not shoot Darrell because they became associates. Young teenagers, mostly boys, would enjoy this book. The theme of the book is "what goes around comes around" because in the first book, The Bully, Tyray kept on bullying Darrell, and now in The Gun Darrell takes on Tyray's reputation.

In my opinion, The Gun expresses how young teens today live their life and how they act out so that makes it a good book. It can relate to teens today. One of my favorite parts in the book was when Tyray first got the gun from Bones because it would

leave you in suspense not knowing what would happen next. The second part I really like was when Tyray hears from his brother Warren in a letter, I think that was a good part also because Tyray was sad because he hadn't heard from his brother in a long time.. I don't think the book had any weak parts because it all relates to one thing.

My overall opinion of The Gun was great and it influencing me to read all of the Bluford Series to actually understand them all as one. I do recommend this book because it tells about a today's teen life.

Hasan C.

Tyray was once the boss. He was once feared by all. And now? It's gone. When a much smaller student uses wrestling to take Tyray down, his reputation instantly evaporates. Tyray goes from being the bully to being picked on. He decides that he needs a gun to settle the score and get back the "respect" he had successfully demanded from kids for years.
This book is filled with ethical and moral decisions all along the way and each serves as an excellent conversation starter in the classroom. The book is very effective at giving readers the chance to feel empathy for more than one character and to also allow them to see an issue from several viewpoints at once. I have seen "The Gun" bring a student back to books after not having read a full book in years. An excellent book for the struggling, older reader.

Chris Bowen
Author of Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

I gave this book to a student in my homeroom who is from a minority group in our school and has trouble reading. It meant the world to him. He loves this series and enjoys reading them.

As both a 6th grade teacher and a parent, I had to question this book's appropriateness for 11-12 year olds. I think that the book contains many great themes that are certainly a concern these days with this age group; however, I think that the appropriate age for these books is more like 14+ (8th grade +). It's too easy for an immature, frustrated/ victim to get the wrong message from this book.

In the book The Gun, it is about one kid bullying another kid. The kid's name who gets bullied is Darrell Mercer. The bullies name is Tyrone. It all started when Tyrone confronted Darrell trying to bully him and get his lunch money. They were in the lunch room in front of the whole school. Darrell had refused and stood up to Tyrone. In a quick second Tyrone swung his arm, missing, Darrell comes back, picking him up and body slamming him. When Tyrone hit the ground he yelled "my arm." At this point Tyrone was the laughing stock of the school. Everybody saw him the whole school saw him. Then later is taken to the principal's office. They call Tyrone's mom into the office, and the principal warned Tyrone the next time this happens he will get suspended.

The next day in school everybody is talking about what happen to Tyrone. Every body was talking about how Tyrone got beat up. Tyrone was sick of it, he had to do something fast to get everybody to respect him. So he was talking to one of his friends names Bones. Bones says he can sell him a gun for 150$. There was one girl that went to sit next to Tyrone at lunch. She feels bad that Tyrone was getting ignored and made fun of by everybody. So Tyrone and she started talking. She had a job, and Tyrone wanted to take advantage of her so he can get the money for the gun. When she finds out that Tyrone only wanted her for money she argued with him and didn't talk to him. Then Tyrone got the gun. Tyrone was suppose top meet up with some people behind the Gym. When Tyrone goes there he goes with the gun. When he gets their out of nowhere Crack! Tyrone gets hit and gets jumped they took his money. Then suddenly somebody was coming on a bike. Tyrone gets up and hides. When the person comes Tyrone jumps out and tackles the person. It was Darrell Mercer. Then they start to argue. Darrell said why we can't just be friends. Tyrone wants his respect back, so he is not thinking about anything at the moment. When they stop arguing Tyrone gets mad. He holds the gun up to his head. Darrell said don't do it. In an instant BANG! Before Tyrone could shoot him self. Darrell Mercer tackled him. Then after that day, they were friends. Tyrone became a changed person.

This book that I read is about a boy who comes to this school. And, he gets into a fight with this boy that he always bully's for money and other stuff. The boy finally stands up for himself and starts a fight with the boy. But, when he gets in a fight with him he actually loses the fight and breaks the bully's arm. Since, the bully's reputation was ruined he tries to find a way that he can regain his bully character. So, he decides to buy a gun but, can never find one. Except, he finally finds one and gets in a fight with him again. And, he almost kills him. Later, no one was killed and the two became friends.

*02/20/2007*

The is a book about a boy that is a bully. He was the worst bully in Buford's freshman class. He was six feet tall and had lots of muscles. One day in the cafeteria Tyray stepped over to beat Darrell up right there in front of everyone. But Darrell was fast. The next thing Tyray knew, Darrell had got underneath him, lifted him up, and sent him onto the hard floor of the cafeteria. Tyray tried to cushion the fall with his left arm, but the impact cracked his wrist bone with a loud sound. He was in a lot of pain. His mother got called to the office and he got suspended.

His father didn't know, but he found out later about the suspension. He was very angry about it. "He's in a lot of pain," his mother said

"Woman don't give me that!' Dad yelled. "I'm glad he's in pain, understand? He's done this bullying all his life. Now leave us alone."

Dad grabbed had of Tyray's shirt collar, and lifted in him in the air. "So what do you have to say about yourself, boy?" he growled. Dad flicked his finger into his face briting his lip, Tyray winced in pain. "How come you've been beating' up on other kids?"

"I'm sorry," Tyray gasped, covering his face with his hands...and that the life that Tyray.

By: Joel

THE GUN

By: Paul Langan

This book is very interesting. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is all about a kid (Tyrey) who was a bully and would pick on kids and a kid named Darrel broke Tyrey's wrist. Now he went back to school and no one respects him, because in Tyrey's vision who ever is scared of him he has respect. He thinks the only way to get his respect back is to get a gun.