Bluford

In order to increase my street cred in the City Schools, I've been reading the Bluford Series. They're rather fun, and feature stuck-up know-it-alls who have to get real living in a tough urban environment. There are drive-bys, drug dealers, thugs, and all the trappings of City life, but none of the violence is garish, and the themes are often redemptive.

I've not yet gotten to The Bully or The Gun, which are most popular with the boys. I'm reading them in sequence because the stories build on each other in a progression. The earlier books are a bit soap-opera-ish, with romantic subplots. The girls of course are drawn to these.

I have to create a month-long lesson plan for my MA Practicum course, and I'm considering using the Bluford series and The Wire. At the same time I'd like to do a unit on Poe, given that the Poe house and Poe grave are within blocks of the school. But Poe is tough for kids who read at a 3rd or 4th grade level.