Tyrell is a 2006 young adult novel by Coe Booth. The novel follows the titular character Tyrell, a 15-year-old African-American boy living in a roach-infested shelter in The Bronx. He dropped out of school to help care for his 7-year-old brother, and his mom wants him to sell drugs to help get them into an apartment, but Tyrell doesn't want to, especially because he doesn't want to go to prison like his dad. Instead, Tyrell plans a neighborhood party to help raise money.
.jpeg) First edition cover (publ. Scholastic) | |
| Author | Coe Booth |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Scholastic Press |
Publication date | October 1, 2006 |
| Award | Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature (2006) |
| ISBN | 9780439838795 |
Tyrell won the 2006 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Novel, and Time has included it on their list of the "100 Best YA Books of all Time". Despite these honors, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom has indicated that Tyrell has been frequently banned and challenged in the United States.
Reception
editReviews
editTyrell received starred reviews from Booklist[1] and Publishers Weekly.[2]
On behalf of Booklist, Hazel Rochman described Tyrell as "heartbreakingly realistic", though noted "there are some plot contrivances".[1] Publishers Weekly also found the "plot developments realistic".[2]
Rochman found the first-person narration to be "pitch perfect: fast, funny, and anguised".[1] Kirkus Reviews highlighting that Booth "clearly understands how teens living on the edge—in shelters, in projects, on the street—live, talk and survive".[3] Reviewers found that part of the novel's realism came from the language Tyrell and others in the novel used. Publishers Weekly noted that "Tyrell's frank talk about sex may be offensive for some readers, but only adds to his character's credibility".[2] Rochman similarly mentioned "there’s also lots of use of the n-word, though the term is employed in the colloquial sense, not as an insult".[1]
Awards and honors
editTyrell won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Novel for books published in 2006.[4]
In 2007, the American Library Association (ALA) included the novel on their 2007 lists of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers[5] and Best Books for Young Adults.[6] Booklist included it on their list of the "Top 10 First Novels for Youth" published in 2007.[7] Time has also included Tyrell on their list of the "100 Best YA Books of all Time".[8]
Despite these honors, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom has indicated that Tyrell has been frequently banned and challenged in the United States.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Rochman, Hazel (November 15, 2006). "Tyrell". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ a b c "Tyrell by Coe Booth". Publishers Weekly. 2006-11-20. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Tyrell". Kirkus Reviews. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Awards: The Edgars; L.A. Times; Yale Drama Series". Shelf Awareness. April 30, 2007. Archived from the original on 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2007". Booklist. 2007-03-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Best Books for Young Adults: 2007". Booklist. 2007-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ Zvirin, Stephanie (2007-11-15). "Top 10 First Novels for Youth: 2007". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "The 100 Best YA Books of All Time". Time. Archived from the original on 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Frequently Challenged Books with Diverse Content". American Library Association. 2016-08-05. Archived from the original on 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
Further reading
edit- Blasingame, James, Jr. (Winter 2007). ""What a Man Do": Coe Booth and the Genesis of Tyrell". ALAN Review. 34 (2): 28–33. Retrieved 2023-12-19 – via ProQuest.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Bleeker, Gerrit W.; Bleeker, Barbara S. (2008). "Literary Landscapes: Using Young Adult Literature to Foster a Sense of Place and Self". The ALAN Review. 35 (2). doi:10.21061/alan.v35i2.a.12. ISSN 1547-741X. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.