Dear Martin

Dear Martin, A novel written by Author Nic Stone. She's known for other great books like odd one out, jackpot and clean getaway, she writes books for Teens. Dear Martin is about a 17 year old boy named Justyce McAllister we’ll just call him Jus. Jus was a senior in highschool but he wasn’t like most kids in his neighborhood of Atlanta Georgia Jus found a way to cut all the negative things out from around his life like drugs and   gangs and got a full ride scholarship to an Ivy league school. 

           

Life in Atlanta wasn’t so easy for Jus, yeah he went to really fancy school and had friends, but he never felt like he fit in. Justyce wrote letters to Dr Martin Luther King sometimes asking for help, or just telling him about his day or what he just went through. Jus couldn't figure out why people looked at him and treated him differently because of his skin even some of his so called friends. Throughout the book Jus was figuring out how to deal with racism and discrimination in a time where racism is completely outlawed, like when Jus got arrested for try to help his drunk girlfriend get home and a Police Officer profiled him as threat and humiliated, assaulted and arrested Justcye. The theme of the book is “Follow your heart, not your head”, Jus realizes that any situation he gets into like participating in a crime or choosing the right girl regardless of what your mom thinks you need to follow your heart. 

I Liked this book because it was very relatable and real and even had parts that could make you laugh and cry. I recommend this book for any teen who feel like an outsider or anyone who wants a taste of what the real world is actually like.

Book Review by Teddy F.

Long Way Down

Long Way Down was written by Jason Reynolds. One thing about his book is the way he wrote it. The way he wrote it you can read this book in an hour but it has so much detail and you understand each single word. Long Way Down is like a suspense book and the theme is violence and also revenge.

Long Way Down takes place in a hood where crime is an everyday thing. One day Will and Shawn were at the park and something went down and Will is trying to get revenge on whatever went down. Will goes through some stuff on getting his revenge and a lot of conflicts with a lot of characters throughout the book. One of my favorite textes in this book is “NO. 1:SCREAMING” this is my favorite because he starts explaining the rules that they have in his neighborhood.

I love this book it’s really fast paced and and I understand each and every word. I can say this book is written for people that had past family members killed also all types of readers. This is a type of book all readers would love. You should chose this book really easy and interesting.

Book Review by Jose T.G.

The Bully

The Bully is written by Paul Langan. This book is a coming of age story and overcoming your fears as you read through the story you will follow the main character Darrell as his life changes in very big ways.

The story is about a boy from Philadelphia, named Darrell Mercer, that makes a huge move across the US to California starting at a new school with a new bully that Darrell has to face without having anybody that he had back in Philadelphia. 

The stories overcoming narrative is very compelling one huge quote that stood out to me while I was reading was “A man’s gotta stand up when someone else is in trouble, even if it means he might get himself into trouble.” that line really stood out to me because as much as it related to the character and what he was going through I know I’ve been in situations where that has happened and it is really awesome that I can really relate to the story in a different way. 

I believe that a lot of people can relate to the character if not maybe even learn from that character to overcome your fears and to not allow people to walk all over you. If you're looking for an underdog story that relates to a lot in the world and something you can learn from I’d recommend The Bully for you.

Book Review by Adrian S.

The Skin I'm In

The book I am reading is called The Skin I’m In by Sharon G.Flake. This book is realistic fiction and young adult literature. She also wrote Money Hungry, Begging For Change, Who Am I Without Him? Even though her books are fiction she is able to provide a setting plot,conflict and ect… to make her books the same realistic and real life problems and solutions.

           

This book is about Maleeka, who is in seventh grade who grows up without a dad, and she gets picked on by others and bullied everyday. She also is betrayed by people she thought were her friends. A new teacher, Miss.Saunders comes along at school and she gets picked on by kids and adults because of a big scar on her face. Miss.Saunders helps Maleeka along the way find her one true identity.  

This book was my favorite one out of all the books Sharon G. Flake has written, I could relate to the main character Maleeka. If you ever been bullied or treated differently for having a darker skin complexion, and being made fun of the clothes you wear, or even looking certain way than others, this book would be a great book for you to read and you won’t regret reading it.

Book Review by Irene H.

Riot

The book I chose is called Riot and it was written by Walter Dean Myers. Myers has written some very good stories; his most popular book is called Monster which has won multiple awards. He mainly published his books in the late 1900’s and in the early 2000’s. This book takes place during the Civil War and it is historical fiction. 

This is a story that takes place in New York City; the main characters are Claire and Priscilla. Claire's mother is an Irish woman and her father is a black man. Conflict arises when rioters start attacking black people and looting black owned stores. Most people don’t know that Claire is even part black, but a girl named Maeve finds out that she is part black and from then on considers her an enemy and hates her just because of her ethnicity.

I do like the storyline of the book and the plot but, the way the book is written is somewhat confusing due to the fact of it being in dialogue. Furthermore I think this book was written for an adult audience, I do believe most people would enjoy this book just purely based on how the book moves along with its story. I would strongly recommend anyone and everyone to pick up this book because it tells of a time in history when our country was more divided than ever.

Book Review by Luke N.

Schooled

The book that I'm reading about is called schooled by an author named paul langan. Paul langan is 47 years old he wrote more than 20 books, and over 10 of the book was in the bluford high books such as the gun, the bully, survivor, and fallen in most of the bluford books the characters are connected in some way.   

Lionel is a freshman in highschool he was 15 years old he loves to play basketball he hopes to play in the nba one day.  but there is a big problem he doesn't like school and he doesn't  know how to read he plays for his highschool “he’s very good but the teachers are trying to hold him back because of his bad grades”  his dad tells him it’s not worth his time and wants him to only finish school. His friends want him to stay with him and drop out of school.

I like the book because it's similar to a lot of teens, including me, we all have  a dream that seems good but we would need to go to school to do are dream jobs a lot of us think about dropping but won’t because we want to make are family happy and work are dream jobs. I think it's about teen because that's the things that go through are minds. More people should read this book because it tells you what to prepare for when you drop out it's not a good life on anybody.

Book Review by Ke'Shawn W.

March

In a nation segregated by race, we must stand together to make a change. ‘March Book One’ By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell is a graphic novels that tells a true story about the journey John Lewis made to help end Segregation in America. John lewis is a congressman who was a key member of the civil rights movement.

March is about the civil rights movement told through the eyes of John Lewis. After following the word of Martin Luther King Jr. and Jim Lawson, He decides he has to do more to bring equality to african Americans. Fighting against the law and other racist American, John lewis does whatever it takes to desegregate America. Following his role models Lewis decides non-violent is the only way to protest.

I really enjoyed reading March. March is a quick read with a great history lesson and a great message. If you are a fan of graphic novels this is a must read. This is an amazing book if you’re looking for a quick read or looking to broaden your mind about the civil rights movement.  

Book Review by Angel P-S.