This past Friday afternoon, Reading 1 students completed reading The Bully by
Paul Langan. This widely acclaimed teen series set in an urban high school
features engaging, accessible writing and an appealing, contemporary storyline.
At the center of this story is Darrell Mercer, a 9th grader at Bluford High.
Darrell and his mother moved to the Bluford area in the middle of the school
year. Physically smaller than his peers, Darrell quickly becomes a target for
Tyray Hobbs, the freshman class bully. A new life. A new school. A new bully.
That’s what Darrell faced when he and his mother moved from Philadelphia to
California. After spending months living in fear, Darrell is faced with a big
decision: he can either keep running from this bully—or find some way to fight
back. In the end, Darrell finally finds the courage to fight back.
After completing this book, the Reading 1 class discussed the issue of bullying
and how the events in this book relate to their own lives. The students enjoyed
this book and were able to relate it to their lives in one way or another. In the
next week they plan to view the movie that goes along with this book and compare two. Many students said
they have previously read Bluford Series books and would enjoy reading more of them in the future.