Sunday, August 23, 2020

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

 This book has been getting lots of buzz on twitter this summer.  I decided it would be the last official book I would be able to start and finish this summer sitting by the pool. 

Tyler Johnson Was Here is the story of Marvin Johnson and his twin brother Tyler.  Marvin is a boy in grade 12 who has a bright future.  He is passionate about science and hopes to study at MIT after high school.  However, he is worried about his brother.  Tyler is starting to spend more time with the local gang and when Marvin witnesses his brother passing a small baggie to the head of this gang, he is very worried.  Then, when Marvin follows his brother to a party in order to keep an eye on him, things go bad when the police break up the party and gun shots are heard.  Now Marvin has to confront his mother and explain what Tyler was getting involved with and just hope that he is ok as they have not heard from him since the party.  

This was an interesting read.  Much too mature for Intermediate students, I will be sending this book off to my friend who teaches high school.  Watching Marvin and his mother deal with the affects of police brutality and his brother trying to survive with limited choices was hard to read.   It was an interesting book that puts the reader into situations that we only see on TV.  


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