THE BULLY

A teenage boy must overcome fear and self-doubt to stop being bullied in Langan’s YA novel, one in a series.

The Bluford High series delves into the interconnected stories of teenagers at a California high school who are dealing with difficult, sometimes-dangerous situations in their lives. (Popular with teen readers since 2001, the series, written by various authors, now consists of 24 novels.) This outstanding installment is an illustrated version of one of the first books in the series, featuring illustrator Purnell’s notably expressive pencil sketches. The narrative centers around Darrell, a 15-year-old Philadelphia transplant new to Bluford High. Looking young for his age, and having been bullied in the past, Darrell dreads going to a new school where he’ll have no friends. His mother’s advice is well meaning but clueless: “Just put a big, friendly smile on your face your first day there, honey, and by the end of the day you’ll have at least one nice friend.” His first day instead proves to be a disaster when he attracts the unwelcome attention of a bully. Darrell hides what’s happening to him, wanting to protect his hardworking single mother from worry. The situation soon becomes a nightmare as Darrell is forced to hand over his lunch money daily and take whatever cruelty the bully and his cronies dish out. The descriptions of the mockery and physical intimidation Darrell endures, and his shaking humiliation, are gut-wrenching. (When the bully calls him small, dumb, and poor, “the words were like sharp knives. Darrell knew they were true.”) Darrell’s discovery of his strengths doesn’t happen overnight; his growing self-awareness only comes after suffering dread about the new school and making awkward missteps that single him out as a target. His decision to stop appeasing the bully is a realistic evolution sparked by a sympathetic teacher, a book, an unexpected sport, and a new openness to friendships. The author underscores Darrell’s growth through his responses to a macho uncle whose two sons—one a bully-in-the-making, the other the sensitive target—mirror his own plight.

An authentic, relatable teen protagonist, an all-too-real issue, and illustrations that resonate.