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Tyrell (by Coe Booth)

common sense media says

Graphic portrayal of homelessness; best for older teens.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this book about inner-city life is a better fit for older teens. Tyrell does his best to help his family and keep his younger brother out of foster care, but his story is full of gritty details. Indeed, Tyrell is loaded with sex, language, and drugs, all of which are engaged in by the main character, who is 15. Swearing (including the "N" word, used colloquially) is frequent, as are sexual encounters between teens and sometimes between teens and adults. Most of the characters, including the main character and his mother, use marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol, and some secondary characters use and sell harder drugs; adults (including parents) give alcohol and marijuana to minors.

Educational value: This book can help teen readers confront a series of questions, such as what they would do if they were in Tyrell's situation? Is there an easy moral solution? Families interested in broader discussions may want to examine our "Families Can Talk About" section.
Positive messages: This award-winning book provides an honest look into the harsh realities that many kids face growing up poor in the inner city. 
Positive role models: The main character, though skipping school and engaging in a variety of petty crimes to survive, draws the line at drug dealing, despite pressure from his mother. He comes up with a solution that he hopes will help his family escape their situation (and keep his younger brother out of foster care).
Violence: Some fights, spousal abuse, discussions of why women "sometimes need to be beaten."
Sex: None described, but young teens (13 and up) have sex, oral sex, masturbate, make out, strip, do lap dances. Adults leer at teens and have sexual encounters with them. Prostitution and pimping.
Language: Use of four-letter words and other swearing (including the n-word, used colloquially) is near constant.
Consumerism: Several fast food restaurants mentioned repeatedly, electronics brands, video game consoles.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters, including teens, smoke tobacco and marijuana, drink and get drunk; references to harder drugs. This behavior is not glamorized, but it is prevalent in the world Tyrell inhabits. A parent even encourages her son to sell drugs (he refuses).

More on Tyrell

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about Tyrell's life in the inner-city. What other movies or books do you know that take place in a similar environment? What are some of the things that are common in inner-city stories? How is this one different?
  • Do you think this book was meant for teens growing up like Tyrell -- or for kids living in different types of environments? Who did the author write this book for?
  • This book won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Why do you think it received that honor? Are you more interested in a book if it has won an award or earned good reviews -- or do you like to make your own judgments?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Nothing is working for Tyrell. His father has been sent to jail again, and his mother, unwilling or unable to take responsibility for the family, has lost their apartment, leaving them homeless. Unable to get homeless housing because of the mother's previous attempts to scam the system, Tyrell, his self-centered mother, and his younger brother end up being placed in a single room in a roach-infested motel with no provision for food, and seemingly no way out. Tyrell, trying the best a young teen can to provide for his family and keep his brother out of foster care, drops out of school.

Though he is not above petty crime to buy food, Tyrell resists his mother's efforts to push him into selling drugs. Instead he pins all of his hopes on planning an underground party -- with the money he can make there he hopes to get his family an apartment. But to pull it off he has to rely on others, few of whom are reliable, and most of whom are only out for themselves.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This powerful and gritty first novel by Coe Booth, a former crisis-center worker from the Bronx, clearly and grippingly portrays the reality of millennial inner-city life: the hard and limited choices, the despair, the waste of human potential, but also the relentless and determined efforts of some to take even one small step on the road out. Despite its difficult content it should have a place in any high school or college class on modern social problems.

Everything rings true here -- events, characters, attitudes, even the use of dialect. Booth never makes an awkward slip, and Tyrell's voice resonates in the reader's head like that of a real person. Even the ending remains utterly true and faithful to the situation and characters. This is a very auspicious debut.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Coe Booth
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: October 1, 2006
Number of pages: 310
Hardcover price: $16.99

This review was written by Matt Berman
 
 

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What parents & educators say

15

Most useful reviews by all members

writer1718
teen, 18 years old
 
I love the book. It teaches you about other people's struggles.

garry207
teen, 16 years old
 
ITS .......
omg this is the best book ever i nvr read till this book

iAMtheEMM
teen, 16 years old
 
You Have to Listen; But Hearing the Truth is Hard.
This book is an amazing portrayal of what it's like to be an inner city kid. Drinking, drugs, and sex almost always come with the package, and even though it can be a little crude sounding or ghetto, living in an inner city is not all rainbows and flowers. The author did a good job of showing us what it's like to be in a broken family, and Tyrell crosses the line at drugs.

Zelda Chandler
parent of 16 year old
 
To be truthful - this book bored me. There was lots of swearing, references to drug and alcohol use, and criminal activities. The story line was - to me - kind of slow moving and the characters were realistic but, not part of my reality. I read it as a required part of a graduate class I'm taking.

Silverwillow
teen, 17 years old
 
I love this book. It relates with me in so many ways and it also helped me to be aware of the world we live on which one is realistic...and it has so many questions to ask but few answers to find. In my opinion, this is a very educational book, it will help teenagers to appreciate more what they have.

yanna565
teen, 16 years old
 

sabrina zamudio
teen, 14 years old
 
LOVE IT LIKE IT READ IT NOW!:D
(:OMG THE ONLY THING I HAV TO SAY IS READ TYRELL ITS WROTH THE TIME:))))

....Da-EcuA-ki ...
teen, 16 years old
 
TYRELL ROCKS
this book is the best i meet the maker of this book in a feild trip this book ROCKS THANK YOU COE BOOTH

DavyS.r.B
teen, 17 years old
 
I Think 14 Years Should Read It...Only If Amture Enough..I Read This Book At 14 And Am Not Involved In Drugs Or Drinking
I Love This Book Its Great..And Its Swagga Rite

 
perfect for teens and up
It shows people what Tyrell has to go through in life. Many other people are like tyrell no-a-days. So what if it has bad words, violence, or sexual things in it. That's how the real world is, and people need to know that. They need to be strong enough to face it. Most kids are like Tyrell in many ways. for example, most kids are having sex, all kids are cursing, some are doing drugs or alcohol, and most kids are getting into fights or arguements. it's the truth and we need to face it and try to help them. all im saying is, this book is real and it's not one of those fairy-tale stories that are blinding people. chances are, if you think your child isn't already open with you about this kind of stuff, than their probably doing it. talk about it with your teen and ask your teen to explain if she/he agrees with the decisions Tyrell makes.

xxashley54xx
teen, 15 years old
 
the best book ever
tyrell was the best book ever

beast21
teen, 14 years old
 
perfect for anyone who is muture enough to handle it
I absolutly love this book i admit that it may be inipropriate at times but it also gives teenagers something to relate to and understand

theheroman122
teen, 16 years old
 
The Main Character WWE
I Bet The Main Character Will Be WWE Superstar: MVP

deyonsha
teen, 18 years old
 
its oka for kids but they need to be in thier preteens

Carrisaxoxo
teen, 16 years old
 
Nice book : )
I absolutely love this book : ) I just got done reading it last week and was soo mad when I finished it because i did not want to put it down. I hope there is a sequel or something. I do not recommend 12 yr olds and under to read this book though.

Nleah94
teen, 17 years old
 
Most young teens already know about or have been exposed to many things in this book. This is educational for the teens that haven't to show what real life in the ghetto is like for young men trying to make it. It just so happens that some parents really don't like this book because it doesn't sugar code enough....I guess....don't shelter the kids forever, BE REAL!

812moongirl26
parent of 16 year old
 
This book is full of disrespect for others and garbage.

 
many people can relate
i love this book. im 13 but i relate to almost everything in this book. i would recomend this book to any age child that is in any type of situation as the characters in the book or me. to tell the truth this is my favorite and best book i have ever layed eyes on!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!i jus got done finishin readin it a week and a half ago and its like all i wanted to do was keep readin and readin and readin even in the tub.... it made me really upset win i had to stop........

Forevergeeklove
teen, 17 years old
 
I Loved This Book It is really interesting and parents need to read the book before they judge it because it's really not that bad

Fliptop
adult
 
Fliptop's Review of Tyrell...
When I read the first sentence of this book, it intrigued me to continue. This book I believe is very educational, because it talks about a differernt culture, and real life ituations. Sure the drugs and messages and role models are not appropriate or children under 15, but if you are a muture, intelligent human being, this book is worth the try...!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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