Monday, February 16, 2009

Tyrell by Coe Booth


I know my students loved this title, so I wanted to read it and see why. Wow. Urban fiction. You gotta love it. Makes me thankful to grow up where I did and how I did. Because Tyrell has tons of crap to put up with and he's only 15. He grew up in the projects in NYC, but his dad's DJ-ing business (plus side jobs) keep landing him in prison. And when dad's in prison, mom is useless. Tyrell is trying to raise his little brother right, but it's hard when living in nasty motels and temporary housing because his mom won't go get a job. Tyrell doesn't want to be a drug dealer or a pimp, but he drops out of school because, well, just because. A party he throws might be the ticket out of temporary housing, but who knows? Tyrell has good intentions, but his decisions are still something to think about. But when you add in how he was raised, and where, it's easy to see why he does the things he does.

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