Secrets in the Shadows

Bluford High #3

by Anne E. Schraff, Paul Langan (Editor)

This book focuses on Roylin Bailey, a Bluford sophomore who appears in A Matter of Trust. Roylin makes a terrible mistake: He steals money to buy a gift for the girl of his dreams and finds himself in a nightmare he cannot escape.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, African American, Childrens, School, Young Adult Contemporary

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Anne Elaine Schraff grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from California State University at Northridge and taught high school for ten years.

Anne paid her way through college by writing short stories for magazines. Since college she has written hundreds of stories and over eighty books including historical fiction, biographies, science books, and her favorite, fictional books for young people. She is published as both Anne Schraff and Anne E. Schraff.

Her background, which she describes as "multicultural, lower middle-class neighborhood, including African Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Filipino Americans," is her greatest inspiration when writing.

Reviews

[Hakeem Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roylin had met this girl and he fell in love with her. He wanted to buy her something nice. He wanted to buy her a necklace that cost $300. He did not have enough money so he took some money from his neighbor Mr. Miller while he was sleep. Then he buys Korie the necklace and she freaks. All of a sudden Tuttle tells Roylin that Mr. Miller is dead. Roylin can't believe that he’s dead and now Tuttle made him his slave and if Roylin doesn’t listen Tuttle will tell the police. He feels bad so he talks to his friend Cooper. Cooper came up with a idea to see if the body that Tuttle buried was really Mr. Miller. Cooper and Roylin dug up the body and they found out that Tuttle was lying and that it wasn’t really a body it was just pure sand bags and sand in the sack. After they saw the sandbags the confronted him and asked him where Mr. Miller is and he said he is at a nursing home and also he said that it was just a joke and he was trying to teach Roylin a lesson but since Tuttle tried to teach Roylin a lesson Cooper taught Tuttle a lesson. After that day Roylin went to go see Mr. Miller at the nursing home and he was so happy. So, since Roylin did what he did he said he wasn't going to tell Mr. Miller .He was just going to make up for what he did by buying him lots of things and taking him places.

[Shawtylowelch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Roylin who meets a girl named Korie that he really like so he started talking to her and found out that her birthday was coming up soon so he wanted to buy her something expensive so that he could win her heart when he went to piggy bank he found out that he had less money than he needed to buy her the necklace she wanted so he took desperate measures and took money from his old friend while he was sleeping when he came back he found out he had died overnight and t...more This book is about a boy named Roylin who meets a girl named Korie that he really like so he started talking to her and found out that her birthday was coming up soon so he wanted to buy her something expensive so that he could win her heart when he went to piggy bank he found out that he had less money than he needed to buy her the necklace she wanted so he took desperate measures and took money from his old friend while he was sleeping when he came back he found out he had died overnight and the mean super had saw him when he did it so then he started getting many nightmares of the old man because he taught that he was responsible for his death but then one day he finds out something that frees him from his gulity suspense ...less

[Nancy Cervantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

[Hugocnca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Secrets in the Shadows is the sequence to A matter to Trust. This book does not talk about Darcy Wills life anymore but now about Roylin Bailey. He is another student at Bluford High. His life is different but the same in a way to Darcy's life. It is different because Roylin works to help supprt his family but Darcy doesn't.In another way their the same because their dads are not with them.
Well it all starts out when Roylin sees a new girl called Korie Archer. He like falls in love with her and does everything to catch her attention. He catches her attention but while he does, he takes her to a jewelry store in which he buys her a $300 necklace later on.
So Roylin could get the money, he stole from his friend. Then later on he is told his friend dies from a heart attack because he saw his wallet and found the money lost.He feels bad so he talks to his friend Cooper. HIs friend saids they have to dig up the corpes. They do and figure out Roylin's friend did not die. So then he asks the guy who told im that his friend died to tell him were his friend was at and was told his friend was at a nusring home.
At the end Roylin changes and forgets about Korie and moves on. He becomes friends with more people and help out people that are at the nursing home.

[EJayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book. i cant believe that tutter would like about such uh thing though. but cooper is really smart and cooper is the best friend that anyone can ever have. what type of joke is telling someone that the most important perosn to you is dead? thats not something you can joke around about and to top it off you lie and you say that you killed them. like wow i cant love with myself if someone told me that the only person that loved me and the only person that was my friend died because i stole money from him/her for a girl/boy. there was 2 lessons learned in this book. 1) Never ever turn against the ones that love you to get something for a girl that you just met, Never ever do it because once you give them what you want their on to the next one. 2) When people say that they`re your friend and they have stood next to you for awhile. trust them and believe them. believe that they are going to be there. tell them everything and at the end of the day happiness is qonna come true. anyways im really glad that Rouylin changed his ways. Maybe after all he isnt like his father. this is a really good book and i cant wait to read the next book in the bluford series. =)

[Jaqueline]

This book is about a boy named Roylin that he didn't want to be like his daddy, but sometimes he didn't realize that whatever he did it was just like his daddy. On time this new girl came to his school and he thought that the girl was the only one that he wanted for him. So because of the girl he had to do bad stuff that always change him in many different ways and also because he was hurting him self. His friend made him realize that the girl didn't need him and that he can found somebody else that can Love him. He realize that he need some help and that he needed someone to talk too. This is a great book. If you want to find out more about this book read it and tell.
Read the book: Secrets in the Shadow!

[old account · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was a good book about this boy named roylin he stole his neighbor's money and his neighbor was a good friend to him then the janitor told roylin his neighbor had a heart attack because his money was gone but the janitor really just put him in a nursing home just toget roylin to do his work for him

[Katiria8f]

i find this book very interested because its almost like a puzzle. what i mean by that is similar to solving things.

[Delray Beach Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets in the Shadow by Anne Schraff
Bluford High Series # 3


Roylin Bailey was 17 years old. He had a pretty good job as a waiter at the Golden Grill restaurant. He wanted to help his mom because she was not making enough money to support the family. While Roylin was sitting in his history class, he saw a beautiful girl sitting a few desks away from him. Her name was Korie Archer. Korie was somebody Roylin expected to see on the cover of a magazine, not sitting in his classroom.

Other students treat Roylin like a loser. So, to get his revenge, he sometimes taunted kids so they would feel as bad as he did. Roylin was in shock when he saw that a beautiful girl like Korie would treat him like winner instead of a loser everyone thought he was. Roylin wanted Korie to like him even more, so he told Korie that he had a lot of money and he could even get her a birthday present since Korie's birthday was going to be in two weeks.

What Korie wanted was really expensive and Roylin didn't know how he was going to get the money. In a moment of desperation, he steals $200.00 his best friend, thinking he had died.
Now he could buy Korie, the girl of his dreams, what she wanted. Later on Roylin finds out that he made a huge mistake by stealing from his best friend just to please a girl. Roylin want to get out of this mess. But how?

Other titles in the Bluford High Series in order:

1. Lost And Found Anne Schraff
2. A Matter of Trust Anne Schraff
3. Secrets In The Shadows Anne Schraff
4. Someone To Love Me Anne Schraff
5. Bully Anne Schraff & Paul Langan
6. Payback Paul Langan
7. Until We Meet Again Anne Schraff
8. Blood Is Thicker Paul Langan & D.M. Blackwell
9. Brothers In Arms Paul Langan
10. Summer Of Secrets Paul Langan
11. The Fallen Paul Langan
12. Shattered Paul Langan
13. Search For Safety John Langan
14. No Way Out Peggy Kern Paul Langan
15. Schooled Paul Langan
16. The Test Paul Langan
17. Pretty Ugly Karyn Langhorne Folan
18. Breaking Point Paul Langan
19. Promises to Keep Paul Langan
20. Survivor Paul Langan

For more information about the Bluford High Series visit the fan page at: https://www.facebook.com/Bluford.Series

Reviewed by Lunise P.,TAB@DBPL Reader Advisor since 2012

[Aaron Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, "Secrets in the Shadows" by Anne Schraff was a very intense book. I like how the author puts a lot of meaning into the book, and makes you FEEL what the main character, Roylin, is going through. He's going through a very hard time, his father walking out on him, being cheated on by his "girlfriend," and his best friend dying because of him. This book has a lot of emotional conflict going on in Roylin, and I like the detail that gets put into every sentence, and really paints the picture in your head. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, but short book to read.

[Tawi Machamire]

This book is really good because the way the author sets it up, i can imagine everything that's going in the book, in my head. I don't really like a lot of books but the Bluford series really clicks to me. I like how the main character is faced with these problems and is trying his hardest to handle them but they seem to keep getting worse

[Dee Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This 3rd installment in the Bluford High series was another book with plenty of good lessons. I felt bad at times for Roylin. Tuttle was a poor excuse for human being. Storyline with realistic situations & known characters.

[kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

the emotional roller coaster this put me through. honestly, love the moral meaning of this book.

[DillDadd]

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

[Jose correia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Roylin Bailey who went to Bluford Hight. He is about seventeen years old. This story started when he saw the most beautiful girls named Korie come into the room. He said that he never saw a beautiful girl like her. Korie is about sixteen years old. One day he took her to the mol tto show her necklace because Korie birthday is coming up.Roylin promise that he is going to gave her a gift for her birthday. So he went home that day, count how much money does he has and he didn’t have enough money to buy the necklace because the it is $300. He went to his old friend name Mr. Miller to see if he can borrow some money, but when he walk in and he saw the old men was sleep. So he saw his wallet, and he took a couple hundred dollar. He said that hi’s going to return it later on.
In another day he call Korie and asked her to go out , so he can gave her the necklace. Also they can become together. When Roylin went to Mr. Miller house, Tuttle saw that he was stole Mr. Miller money. Roylin didn’t stole the money. He was just borrow it and Tuttle thought that he is stole it. Tuttle is a Janitor in Roylin building. Tuttle told Roylin that Mr. Miller die because he found his money missing and he got heart attack. Roylin didn’t believe that and he been cried every day. He don’t knew what to do with the body, so Tuttle bury him in the basement of Roylin apartment. One day Roylin figures that he want something strength about why Tuttle burry Mr. Miller in the basement. He and Copper went to the basement to unbury him. They open the sheet and the found a sand bags. They waited for Tuttle to know everything about Mr. Miller and why he lie to them. When Tuttle came from gambling one night. Roylin ask him, “Where is Mr. Miller?” and Tuttle didn’t want to answer, but they make him talk. Tuttle said’ that he put him in the nursing home because he was getting old.
Roylin find out that the old men still alive and he felt good about his life. It was his first time that he felt good to be Roylin Barley. After he found out Mr. Miller, he went to visit him and confessing to him about the money that he took. He said that he would try to make him happy as Mr. Miller had make him when he was little boy. Roylin don’t worry about Korie anymore and he forget all the stuff about her. Now he would hangout with Hakeem and Darcy, Cooper one of his best friend that help him to found Mr. Miller. Roylin will do everything about Mr. Miller and they continue to become best friends for ever.

My favorite parts of this book is when Roylin find out that the old men still alive.

[Shaleq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roylin bailey , a sophomore that had a hard life already made it worse for himself as he tried to impress the girl of his dreams . He and cooper became close after cooper helped him out of a hard situation .

[Sashana Travers · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS book is about a boy named Roylin Bailey who really doesn't have any friends but this elderly man named Mr.Miller. One day he went to school and met and sweet girl named Korie Archer and they really get to know each other.While they're getting to know each other Korie tells Roylin that she wants this beautiful expensive ring because Roylin told Korie he has a lot of money but it was a lie.Roylin wants to buy Korie the ring but he doesn't have the, so he figures he will borrow some money from his friend Mr.Miller.He got the money but he didn't exactly ask him because he was sleep so after he got the money he went to the store and got Korie that ring.He plans on giving Korie the ring on her birthday.The day after the janitor named Tuttle told Roylin that Mr.Miller died from a heart attack when he notice his money was gone and after Tuttle told Roylin,Roylin was hurt and wanted to kill himself.After that incident Roylin told a friend of his,named Cooper about the whole incident and after Roylin finished telling Cooper about the incident Cooper thought it was strange how Mr.Miller woke up and looked in his wallet and had a heart attack from some missing money.So,Cooper figured they would go dig up Mr.Miller's body on Sunday when Tuttle is gone all day.When the day came Cooper and Roylin dug up Mr.Miller's body and unwrapped him out of the sheet and rope and all they saw were sandbags.After they saw the sandbags the confronted him and asked him where Mr.Miller is and he said he is at a nursing home and also he said that it was just a joke and he was trying to teach Roylin a lesson but since Tuttle tried to teach Roylin a lesson Cooper taught Tuttle a lesson.After that day Roylin went to go see Mr.Miller at the nursing home and he was so happy.So,since Roylin did what he did (took Mr.Miller money) he said he wasn't going to tell Mr.Miller.He was just going to make up for what he did by buying him lots of things and taking him places.What I learned from this book is don't lie at all because it makes a huge mess out of your lie.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Secrets in the Shadows" by Anne Schraff, it's about a teenager named Roylin. On the first day of school he meets a new girl named Korie, and he likes her, so he decides to buy her an expensive necklace. Since the necklace costs $300 dollars, and he doesn't have a lot of money, he asked his friends for some. They didn't have any money, so Roylin decided to ask his friend Mr. Miller, who is an elder. When he goes inside Mr. Miller's apartment, he finds his wallet and gets the $300 and leaves. Then he goes into the store and buys the necklace, but the next day he finds out that Mr. Miller is dead. Mr. Tuttle(the manager) said that he had a heart attack because he didn't know where his money was.
Then Tuttle tells him that he saw him take the $300 dollars from Mr. Millers wallet, so that makes him guilty. Roylin is worried and doesn't know what to do. Tuttle says that he has his Mr. Miller's body all wrapped up so that both of them can barry it in the basement. At first Roylin can not believe it, but is very, very worried because he is in trouble. Then he sees Korie kissing with Steve Morris, and he knows that he made a big mistake. Later on, he finds out that Mr. Miller wasn't really dead, he just got sent to live in a retirement home, and that the body was fake.
My critique of this book is that I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, because it was an interesting book. I thought that this book was interesting because it was about a teenager who was in trouble and all because of a girl. I also thought that it was interesting because it showed how he had to deal with his friend being dead. I would recommend this book to people who like books on teenagers.

[Jefry]

This book is about a boy named Roylin Bailey who meets a girl in school and falls in love with her. He is in love with her to much that he basiclly does stupid things. In the begging of the story roylin meet Korie and they start talking and hanging out together and they start going out. Then her birthday comes up and she really want a necklace for her birthday. So then Roylin knows that it costs $300$ dollars. He didnt have enough so he steals from a neighbor called Mr.Miller and he was Roylins only friend. Then he buys korie the necklace and she freaks. All of a sudden Tuttle tells Roylin that Mr.Miller is dead. Roylin can't beleive that hes dead and now Tuttle made him his slave and if Roylin doesnt listen Tuttle will tell the police. The next day when he gets to school he sees Korie with Steve a jock and he got mad and walked away. Later in the weekend he saw them kissing and steve got into a fight with roylin. Steve beat him up and Roylin hit a trash can. Roylin called his friend Cooper Hodden to tell him that his life was falling apart and that he needed his help. Cooper came up with a idea to see if the body that Tuttle buried was really Mr.Miller. Cooper and Rolin dug up the body and they found out that Tuttle was lying and that it wasnt really a body it was just pure sand bags and sand in the sack. At the time tuttle got home he saw they found out he was lying he told them the truth. He begged them not to hurt him. Soon Roylin knew that MR.Miller was at a nursery home Roylin went to visit him with his friends from Bluford high. The next day Korie asked him out but Roylin said no since she cheated on him for Steve.

[Maria Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets in the Shadows by Anne Schraff was an exciting read that kept me hooked and wanted to keep reading till the end because the characters were very interesting.

Secrets in the Shadows is a young adult novel focusing on Roylin Bailey who is coming of problems in a society where people are using him for his money. Throughout the story he has problems with family, relationships, and friendships.

I liked the protagonist, Roylin Bailey, a lot especially as his ideas evolve. As the plot develops, he learns to see himself as a very powerful person and sees others as complicated individuals that are trying to bring him down. Roylin realizes that “Gotta see a man about a job”(60). He thinks that since his dad is in jail due to abusing his mother and Roylin has to basically take his father’s spot and bring everything to the house like food and everything else needed to keep going in life. Later, Roylin also says, “My life is falling apart and I don’t know if I can go on” (94). This shows that he is very disappointed because he saw that his girlfriend had went out with a different guy that was not Roylin.

I enjoyed following Roylin as he learned about society and himself. I would recommend this book to people who like to read about today’s thing that happen a lot like abuse and people always being fake and people that are using you for your money.

[Tenzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Secrets in the Shadows" by Anne Schraff, it's about a teenager named Roylin. On the first day of school he meets a new girl named Korie, and he likes her, so he decides to buy her an expensive necklace. Since the necklace costs $300 dollars, and he doesn't have a lot of money, he asked his friends for some. They didn't have any money, so Roylin decided to ask his friend Mr. Miller, who is an old guy. When he goes inside Mr. Miller's apartment, he finds his wallet and without asking, takes the $300 and leaves. Then he goes into the store and buys the necklace, but the next day he finds out that Mr. Miller is deaddddd. Mr. Tuttle(the manager of where they live) said that he had a heart attack because he didn't know where his money was.
Then Tuttle tells him that he saw him take the $300 dollars from Mr. Millers wallet, so that makes him guilty. Roylin is worried and doesn't know what to do. Tuttle says that he has his Mr. Miller's body all wrapped up so that both of them can barry it in the basement. At first Roylin can not believe it, but is very, very worried because he is in trouble. Then he sees Korie kissing with Steve Morris, and he knows that he made a big mistake. Later on, he finds out that Mr. Miller wasn't really dead, he just got sent to live in a retirement home, and that the body was fake.

[Patricia Moffo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I think it was a great book because it goes in detail and suspense. For some reasons, at the middle of the book I wanted to quit reading because It was very sad and I didn't want to keep on reading it.
I love this book. i cant believe that Tutter would like about such uh thing though. but cooper is really smart and cooper is the best friend that anyone can ever have. what type of joke is telling someone that the most important person to you is dead? thats not something you can joke around about and to top it off you lie and you say that you killed them. like wow i cant love with myself if someone told me that the only person that loved me and the only person that was my friend died because i stole money from him/her for a girl/boy. there was 2 lessons learned in this book. 1) Never ever turn against the ones that love you to get something for a girl that you just met, Never ever do it because once you give them what you want their on to the next one. 2) When people say that they`re your friend and they have stood next to you for awhile. trust them and believe them. believe that they are going to be there. tell them everything and at the end of the day happiness is gonna come true. anyways I'm really glad that Roylin changed his ways. Maybe after all he isn't like his father. this is a really good book and i cant wait to read the next book in the bluford series. :)))

[Lincy]

This book is really good. This is my first time reading Bluford High and its really good. At first I did think Roylin (the main character) killed Mr.Miller (a friend of Roylin). But when Cooper helps him out (a Friend) he finds out Mr.Miller wasn't dead that he was just in a nursery home. Cooper is a friend that you know you can count on when you have a problem. Especially if its because of a girl like Korie Archer that you spend 300 dollars on a necklace just so that she could leave you for a Kevin.
Korie in my opinion wasn't even worth it in the first place. She just got the necklace then like forgot about Roylin for the rest of the time. Roylin doesn't tell his mom that he got Korie the necklace because she would be really pist. His friends know that there is something wrong with him. They try to help him out but he doesn't listen, even though Cooper warned him in the first place. But you know guys they will do anything for a girl.
I really think Anne Schraff did a great job on this book. My brother is also reading one of her books and he thinks that it is good.

[Jesus_______]

I picked up this book because I like the title and I read the back of the book.

Well a kid named Roylin meets this new girl named Kori. Roylin Bailey is living a nightmare and it's his entire fault. It started when the new student, Korie Archer, arrived in his history class. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and unlike most people at Bluford High, she seemed to like him. Roylin likes her, but he knows she is still way over his league. So, Roylin still wants to win her heart therefore he will take her to a jewelry store. Well, the necklace she wants is 250$. Later that day he goes to an older friends house (Mr. Miller) and he steals the money from him while he is asleep. Next, the janitor saw him steal the money, and he said “Mr.Miller died due to a heart attack.” Well you could go to jail if you rob some ones house and they die from it. At the end of the book, Roylin finds out that Mr.miller was not dead, and now they are best friends. Caught in a tightening web of lies and threats, Roylin is desperate for a way out.

[Alexia Alston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book im reading is ok so far but i think thats so great that he is doing that for a girl. If someone would have done that for me then i would be very happy. The boy name Roylin is trying to do everything in the world to get that necklace. The part im on now is that he took money from his grandfather but not his real one and he went to the mall and bought it but Roylin took two hundred and fiftydollars and he got it the next day he went to school and told himself that he should had never did that. After school he went back to Mr.miller that was his fake grand father name and the man name Tuttler told him that the man died last night because he woke up and seen that all the money was gone. Now Roylin is mad an now he cant wait to give the girl her present.The plot about my book is that the boy is boy trying to help his girlfriend do the paper thats do sometime tomorrow. This is starting to get a really good book roylin is trying to get korie back because they she is trying to go with the boy name steve.

[Ralphie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Roylin Bailey who goes to bluford high. His experience at bluford was terrible until he met the beautiful Korie Archer. She is to Roylin the most beautiful girl at bluford. His life was perfect until he wanted to give a gift to her. He didn't have the money so, he took some from his friend Mr. Miller. Then when his landlord Tuttle, sees him taking the money he lies about Miller's death and he said it was because of Roylin when he took the money.

I can connect to Roylin's life because he has a hard life without his father around he has to support his family. And with tuttle framing him with murder, his life is stressful enough. Like myself without my mother around anymore, I have to help my grandma with my father always working, it can be pretty hard.

I give this incredible book 5 stars because of it's suspenseful parts and edge of your seat plot. I highly recommend this book to peo[ple that like a good drama.

[Darnaysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It was a guy named Roylin Bailey and he doesnt really have friends except for and old man named Mr.Miller. Roylin likes a girl named Korie. He goes out his way to but her something nice so she can like him. Bt the thing is Roylin doesnt have any money to buy her the necklace he seen in the store so he goes to his friend Mr.Miller apartment an was going to ask for the money but he was sleep so he took the money. When he left out the apartment Mr.Tuttle the janitor was watching him. Mr.Tuttle is so mean. Mr.Tuttle tries to trick Roylin into thinking Mr.Miller was dead so he can get Roylin to get his work. They said they would burry him in the basement. When Roylin fnally told his friend Hakeem he told him had to go open the bag. When They opened the bag there was nothing their. It was all a trik just to get Roylin to do Mr.Tuttle's work. Mr.Tuttle really put him in an old folks home. And Roylin goes to visit it his bstfriend all the time.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why I picked it up: I’m doing a Bluford book group with some middle school students and read several in the series so I would be familiar with them and could pick one title for us to focus on.

There is a new girl in school and Roylin has fallen instantly in love. Somehow, though, she thinks he has a lot of money and hints at a necklace she wants—an expensive necklace. Roylin does not want to disappoint her, so he steals the money from a kindly neighbor and events spiral out of control.

This one was ridiculous, and not in a good way. I am okay with slightly unbelievable plots, but believing a negligent landlord and digging a hole in the basement?? Ludicrous. If I gave this to any of the teens at my library, I would expect to never see them again. I like the series for a realistic (if a little simplified) look at urban life, but this installment is an embarrassment to the series.

Contains: stealing

[None None · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting to me, the first time I saw the book I knew something intence was going to happen in that book. The book was about a tenn boy who faces problems with his family and school. luckliy he had one good friend who cared for him when he needed the kindness, but because of peer peasure he does an act that he regrets and realizes how folish he was to even think of doing that. But when he went to resolve the whole situation with his good friend he finds out a cold secret that makes the guilt inside of him grow every minute. Later on the book things become more interesting and more questions add on to the situation he was in.
This book had taught me somethings about preasure and how to deal with it, it also showed me the dangers and out comes from it, i would suggest this book to anyone but most to people who needs a solid example of preasure.

[Anaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Roylin who meets a girl named Korie. He really liked her, he started talking to her and found out that her birthday was coming up soon, he wanted to buy her something expensive so that he could win her heart. When he went to piggy bank he found out that he had less money than he needed to buy her the necklace she wanted, he took desperate measures and took money from his old friend while he was sleeping. When he came back he found out his friend had died overnight.Rolylin started getting many nightmares and felt bad about what he did. I feel this book was very stereotypical like how every body pictures a black boy, they picture black young men either stealing, killing someone or doing something bad for someone they care about or they either live in the hood but other than that it's a good book and I recommend it