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Author | Ben Alirez D.M. Blackwell Karyn Langhorne Folan Peggy Kern Paul Langan John Langan Tanya Savory Anne Schraff edited by Paul Langan |
---|---|
Original title | Bluford High Series |
Illustrator | Gerald Purnell |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Young adult, teen fiction |
Publisher | Townsend Press |
Published | 2002–2021 (more titles forthcoming) |
No. of books | 23 |
Website | bluford |
The Bluford Series is a widely read collection of contemporary American young adult novels set in the fictional inner-city high school of Bluford High in Southern California. Bluford is named for Guion "Guy" Bluford, the first African-American astronaut. [1] The series was created and published by Townsend Press [2] and was co-distributed by Scholastic. As part of an effort to promote reading in underfunded school districts, Townsend Press originally made the Bluford Series available to schools for a dollar each. [3] As of 2018, over 11 million Bluford Series novels were in print.
The Bluford Series is set in Bluford High School, the fictional school all the main characters attend. Each novel features a teenage protagonist facing difficult challenges in and out of school. Topics explored in the books include bullying, school violence, teenage pregnancy, divorce, peer pressure, and substance abuse. Despite these gritty topics, the Bluford Series has been praised widely for its engaging stories and responsible handling of difficult subject matter, earning positive reviews in Kirkus Reviews , School Library Journal , and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy . While each novel in the Bluford Series can be read independently, the books are interconnected and represent a span of about two years at Bluford High.
Reception for The Bluford Series has been positive, [4] with the ALA picking many of the books in the series as "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". [5] [6] The ALA also selected Bluford titles as "Popular Paperbacks". [7] Educators in many states, including Florida and New York, have noted that the series has been well received by their student population. [8] [9]
Of Brothers in Arms (Bluford Series #9), the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy wrote that the book's themes were applicable to struggling teens." [10] Kirkus Reviews called Survivor (Bluford Series #20), "a brave young-adult novel" and said the Bluford Series "offers unflinchingly honest plot situations to engage and educate readers". [11] Similarly, School Library Journal called Promises to Keep (Bluford Series # 19), "compassionate, insightful, and educational, along with being action-packed, realistic, and emotionally and psychologically accurate". [12] Favorable reviews for many Bluford titles can be found in Kirkus Reviews. In addition, The Horn Book singled out the Bluford Series as "perennially popular among urban teens" and listed three Bluford titles as "Good YA Urban Novels."
No. | Name | Published | Author | Plot |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lost and Found | 2002 | Anne Schraff | Darcy Wills is the main protagonist in the first book in the series. |
2 | A Matter of Trust | 2002 | Anne Schraff | This is a sequel to Lost and Found. |
3 | Secrets in the Shadows | 2002 | Anne Schraff | Features Roylin Bailey, who first appeared in A Matter of Trust. |
4 | Someone to Love Me’’ | 2002 | Anne Schraff | Features Cindy Gibson from Lost and Found. |
5 | The Bully | 2002 | Paul Langan | Introduces the characters Tyray Hobbs and Darrell Mercer. |
6 | The Gun/Payback [13] | 2002 | Paul Langan | The sequel to The Bully, this book is about Tyray Hobbs and Darrell Mercer. |
7 | Until We Meet Again | 2002 | Anne Schraff | Sequel to A Matter of Trust with Darcy Wills and Hakeem Randall. |
8 | Blood is Thicker | 2004 | Paul Langan and D.M. Blackwell | Sequel to Until We Meet Again, featuring Hakeem Randall after his move to Detroit. |
9 | Brothers in Arms | 2004 | Paul Langan and Ben Alirez | Features Martin Luna, a student. |
10 | Summer of Secrets | 2004 | Paul Langan | Sequel to Until We Meet Again, with Darcy Wills. |
11 | The Fallen | 2007 | Paul Langan | Sequel to Brothers in Arms, with Martin Luna. |
12 | Shattered | 2007 | Paul Langan | Sequel to Summer of Secrets, featuring Darcy Wills. |
13 | Search for Safety | 2007 | John Langan | Search for Safety introduces Ben McKee. |
14 | No Way Out | 2009 | Peggy Kern | No Way Out features Harold Davis from The Bully, Someone to Love Me, The Gun/Payback, and Search For Safety. |
15 | Schooled | 2009 | Paul Langan | In this book, Lionel Shepard, a freshman, is introduced. |
16 | Breaking Point | 2011 | Karyn Langhorne Folan and Paul Langan | Breaking Point features Vicky Fallon, who was also in Brothers in Arms and The Fallen. |
17 | The Test | 2011 | Peggy Kern | The book features Liselle Mason, who appeared in Until We Meet Again. |
18 | Pretty Ugly | 2011 | Karyn Langhorne Folan | This book follows Jamee Wills the little sister of Darcy Wills, who has appeared in many titles including Lost and Found, A Matter of Trust, Someone To Love Me, The Bully, The Gun/Payback, Until We Meet Again, Summer of Secrets, Shattered, "Search For Safety", Schooled, and The Test. |
19 | Promises to Keep | 2013 | Paul Langan | This book follows Tyray Hobbs, a sequel to The Gun/Payback. |
20 | Survivor | 2013 | Paul Langan | This book follows Tarah Carson, a character who has appeared in many Bluford novels like Lost and Found, A Matter of Trust, Secrets in the Shadows, Until We Meet Again, Blood is Thicker, Summer of Secrets, Shattered and Pretty Ugly. |
21 | Girls Like Me | 2016 | Tanya Savory | This book explores the backstory of Angel McAllister, a character who first appears in Pretty Ugly. |
22 | The Chosen | 2020 | Karyn Langhorne Folan and Paul Langan | This book continues the story of Darcy Wills after the events of Shattered, Survivor, and Pretty Ugly. |
23 | Alone | 2021 | John Langan and Tanya Savory | This book introduces fourteen-year-old Michael Tatem. |
The Darcy Wills and Classmates Sequence:
The Martin Luna Sequence:
The Jamee Wills and Classmates Sequence:
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