Books published by publisher Townsend Press

Tarah Carson has hidden the secret for years. No one—not her mother, her friends at Bluford High, or even her boyfriend, Cooper Hodden—knows what her uncle did to her years ago. Tarah hoped to keep it that way. But an upcoming reunion is forcing Tarah’s past into the present. And Uncle Rudy, the man who scarred her for life, is returning. Haunted by memories, Tarah plans to avoid him at all costs. But when her decision threatens to cause even more suffering in her family, she must face her past and biggest fear—alone.

The compelling sequel to The Gun/Payback...No one likes Tyray Hobbs. Once a feared bully, he’s become an outcast. At Bluford High, his peers taunt him for how he treated them. At home, his parents punish him for the trouble he’s caused. Unable to escape his reputation or his past, Tyray is desperate. And when an unlikely friendship develops, he clings to it like a lifeline. Now that connection is threatened, and Tyray faces his toughest decision yet. Will his next move lead him to ruin or redemption—or both?

We asked ten African American men from a wide range of backgrounds this question: If you had a chance to speak to the young Black men of America, what would you say?The essays in Brother to Brother are their answers. In this book, you will read the frequently encouraging, sometimes angry, occasionally sad, often challenging, but always thoughtful words of these ten men, including . . . • Kenyon Whittington, an abused and abandoned child who not only overcame his own harsh circumstances but now serves as a guide to others;• Fluke Fluker, a one-time juvenile delinquent, later Marine Corps sergeant, and founder of an organization that turned one failing Los Angeles high school around;• Joseph Marshall, Jr., whose success in touching the lives of San Francisco gang members has earned him an Oprah “Use Your Life” award;• Elijah Anderson, a distinguished sociologist whose study of the Black community is world-renowned;• Joe Davis, a former junkie and drug dealer, now a mental health therapist who works tirelessly to end the kind of senseless violence that put him in a wheelchair.These men and others are waiting for you in the pages of Brother to Brother. They reach out to take you by the hand and say, “Sit down, my brother. Let’s talk.”

Hakeem Randall can't take it anymore. First he learns that his father is sick and his parents can no longer afford their home. Then he must leave his friends at Bluford High and move to his uncle's house in faraway Detroit. Things go from bad to worse when Hakeem is forced to share a small bedroom with his moody and secretive cousin, Savon. Once childhood friends, the two quickly become enemies. Now the are ready to go to war with each other, and the outcome of the battle promises to change their lives forever.

No Way Out follows Harold Davis, a Bluford freshman who has appeared in The Bully and Someone to Love Me. In this tale, Harold is trapped. Medical bills for his sick grandmother are piling up, and a social worker has threatened to put him in a foster home. Desperate for money, he reluctantly agrees to work for Londell James, a neighborhood drug dealer. The choice leads him into a world of dangerous streets where no one is safe. Will Harold escape the violence that surrounds him, or will he become its next victim?

As you read Ten Real-Life Stories, you will meet a fascinating variety of people. The one thing they have in common is they are real. So are their stories. Here are a few of the people you will learn about:Vingo, a man released from prison, going home to a wife who may not want him.Richard, a little boy who “invented" a father to hide his embarrassment.Paul, so afraid of bullying that he betrayed a friend at school. Lupe, a "retarded" girl who wasn’t.Ben, whose mother would not allow him to fail.Marvel, who fooled everyone into believing she could read.Jean, who found that education could counter the hard blows of life.

There's no backing down for Lionel Shephard. With a dream of joining the NBA, all he wants to do at Bluford High is play basketball. But everyone's trying to stop him. His father thinks basketball is a waste of time; his teachers don't know he can barely read and threaten to fail him; and his dropout friend Jamar wants him to quit school. Unsure where to turn, Lionel must make a choice. Will he pursue his dream or get caught in a nightmare?

Vicky Fallon can't take it. Her father has lost his job. Her parents are constantly fighting, and her troubled little brother is out of control. Once an honor student, Vicky is quickly falling behind in her classes at Bluford High. Now her teachers, friends, and new boyfriend, Martin Luna, want answers. Pressured from all sides, Vicky knows something is about to snap. But the explosion that hits her home is worse than anything she could imagine.

In Great Stories of Suspense & Adventure, six spine-tingling experiences await you.•You'll visit a sun-baked garden in India, where silent death lurks in the tall grass. •In the peaceful English countryside, you'll be given a gift too terrible for words. •On a lush plantation in Brazil, you'll battle an army of tiny soldiers who turn a man into a skeleton in the blink of an eye. •On trial for your life, your fate will hang in the hands of a friend who just might wish you dead. •Deep in the frozen Yukon north, you'll confront a danger that's beyond human understanding. •On a tropical island, you'll meet a charming fellow who loves to hunt—and he has you in mind as his target. Note: The classic stories in this Townsend Library collection have been carefully edited to be more accessible to today's students.