The Bluford Series Explained

The Bluford Series
Author:	Ben Alirez D.M. Blackwell Karyn Langhorne Folan Peggy Kern Paul Langan John Langan Tanya Savory Anne Schraff edited by Paul Langan
Title Orig:	Bluford High Series
Illustrator:	Gerald Purnell
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Genre:	Young adult, teen fiction
Publisher:	Townsend Press
Pub Date:	2002–2021 (more titles forthcoming)
Number Of Books:	23

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 As part of an effort to promote reading in underfunded school districts, Townsend Press originally made the Bluford Series available to schools for a dollar each.^[3] As of 2018, over 11 million Bluford Series novels were in print.

Synopsis

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

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."

Other mentions

• An August 2022 article from DeKalb County, GA detailing a popular and successful "school-wide reading program" that uses the Bluford Series to promote literacy and classroom engagement.
• An October 2021 article in Medium discusses how the Bluford Series has moved readers of color to "to read, write and imagine".
• The Bluford Series is called "a revelation" and credited in a June 2020 article in Education Week for playing a key role in encouraging reluctant readers to read and finish their first book.
• The Bully, a novel in the Bluford Series, is cited by educator/scholar Gerald Dessus for sparking a lifelong interest in reading and teaching. The article appeared in a February 2020 post in Literacy Now, a publication of the International Literacy Association.
• The Bluford Series is mentioned in a 2018 story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as being a centerpiece to promote literacy in the Atlanta metro area's public schools.
• Survivor was selected by the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) as a 2014 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. It was also chosen as a "Top 10" for 2014 by In the Margins, a publication that seeks books suited to the interests and challenges of marginalized teens.
• Search for Safety was selected by the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) as a 2013 Popular Paperback.
• The Bluford Series was part of a 15-week study on the effectiveness of young adult literature as a therapeutic approach to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. This study was published in the April 2012 edition of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy and showed the Bluford Series to be a powerful catalyst to help students learn constructive behaviors in and out of the classroom. Full citation: Verden, C. E. (2012), Reading Culturally Relevant Literature Aloud to Urban Youths With Behavioral Challenges. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55: 619–628. doi: 10.1002/JAAL.00073
• Breaking Point, The Test and Pretty Ugly were selected by the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) as 2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
• The Gun (published by Scholastic as "Payback") was chosen by the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) as a 2012 Popular Paperback.
• No Way Out and Schooled were selected by the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) as 2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
• Blood Is Thicker was selected by Mayor Daley's Book Club for a citywide reading initiative in Chicago in 2009.
• The Bully has been chosen by districts in multiple states for school-wide reading programs. It is also featured in Books That Don't Bore 'Em by James Blasingame, associate professor of English at Arizona State University and a former editor of The ALAN Review. Blasingame currently edits the "Books for Adolescents" pages of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
• In 2009 and 2010, Accelerated Reader listed the first 15 titles of the Bluford Series in the “top 40” books for both middle and high school struggling readers.
• Over 50,000 reviews for Bluford Series titles are available now on Goodreads. Search results for "Bluford series" (showing 1-20 of 30 books).
• More than 10 million Bluford novels are in print as of 2015.
• The Bluford Series has been credited with helping to popularize "Street Literature" as a genre for young adults. While the Bluford Series lacks some of the explicit content found in adult "Street Lit," its focus on urban life and the challenges of inner city teens has earned it a mention in Dr. Vanessa Irwin Morris's The Readers' Guide to Street Literature and on the website, http://www.streetliterature.com.

Titles

width=2%	No.	Name	width=8%	Published	width=8%	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.

Reading order of the series

Year 1

The Darcy Wills and Classmates Sequence:

1. Lost and Found (Darcy Wills-sophomore-October)
2. A Matter of Trust (Darcy Wills-sophomore)
3. Secrets in the Shadows (Roylin Bailey-sophomore)
4. Until We Meet Again (Darcy Wills-sophomore-June)
5. Blood Is Thicker (Hakeem Randall-Darcy's boyfriend-June)
6. Summer of Secrets (Darcy Wills-July)
7. Survivor (Tarah Carson-August)
8. Shattered (Darcy Wills-junior-September)
9. The Chosen (Darcy Wills-junior-September)

The Martin Luna Sequence:

1. Brothers in Arms (Martin Luna-sophomore-July–September)
2. The Fallen (Martin Luna-sophomore-October)
3. Breaking Point (Vicky Fallon-Martin's new girlfriend-sophomore October)

Year 2

The Jamee Wills and Classmates Sequence:

1. Girls Like Me (Angel McAllister-eight grade-June)
2. Pretty Ugly (Jamee Wills-Darcy Wills' younger sister-freshmen-September)
3. Schooled (Lionel Shepard-freshmen-October)
4. Someone to Love Me (Cindy Gibson-freshmen-October)
5. The Bully (Darrell Mercer-new freshmen-November to January)
6. The Gun (Payback) (Tyray Hobbs-freshmen-late January)
7. Promises to Keep (Tyray Hobbs-freshmen-late January and February)
8. No Way Out (Harold Davis-freshmen-March)
9. Search for Safety (Ben McKee-new sophomore-August and September)
10. The Test (Liselle Mason-January)

External links

• A Black journalist discusses the Bluford Series and its impact on her as an emerging reader, writer, and young adult. Published in Medium in October 2021.
• Description of the power of the Bluford Series to encourage reading among reluctant teens from Education Week in June 2020.
• Description of a literacy program using the Bluford Series in Atlanta, GA from October 8, 2018.
• A Washington Post listing of recommended summer reading for teens from June 2, 2015.
• An interview with Paul Langan, editor/co-author of the Bluford Series from The Juvenile Justice Literacy Project on May 27, 2015
• A review from School Library Journal from May 13, 2013
• A Horn Book article from October 24, 2013
• Bluford Audiobooks
• Brief description of the books in the Bluford Series
• Publisher's website
• A New York Times article from March 29, 2011
• A review of a Bluford novel from Kirkus Reviews

Notes and References

1. Allen, C. Ron. NOVEL IDEA: PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS AN INCENTIVE TO READ South Florida Sun – Sentinel. Nov 17, 2004
2. Web site: About | Townsend Press. www.townsendpress.com.
3. Web site: Library Journal. www.schoollibraryjournal.com.
4. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6455686.html?industryid=47067 Grades 5 & Up
5. Web site: 2012 Quick Picks Nominations. September 29, 2006. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
6. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/quickpicks/09qp.cfm 2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
7. Web site: 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. January 25, 2012. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
8. http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/16/Tampabay/Book_series_creates_r.shtml Mobley, Amber. "Book series creates reading craze" Tampa Bay Times. April 16, 2007
9. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/behind-books-for-urban-students-an-unlikely-author/?partner=rss&emc=rss "Behind Books for Urban Students, an Unlikely Author"
10. Blasingame, James. "Reviews-Books for Adolescents." Journal of Adolescents & Adult Literacy. December 2004. p. 4
11. Web site: SURVIVOR | Kirkus Reviews. www.kirkusreviews.com.
12. Web site: Library Journal. www.slj.com.
13. MultiCultural review. Volume 16, Issues 1–4. GP Subscription Publications, 2007.