A local teacher’s new book Chaining, is a Philly-based science fiction novel for tweens and teens.
Kyle Jordan, a chemistry teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, has written and published a new fiction book that touches on the trauma some kids experience growing up in urban settings.
In Chaining, Jordan puts us at the epicenter of West Philadelphia; on the wide 63rd street block. The lives of the characters draw us in; but it is their backgrounds and upbringings that act as magnets. This forces a tight bond as their fights become our own. The mixture of science and innovation, slang and location, are all the legs that hold up a mirror. The reflection is of ourselves, asking the question, “what in my own life would I like to break away from?” Jordan, who passionately argues the idea of using the past as a stepping stool, simply answers with: Nothing.
Jordan grew up in West Philadelphia, raised only by his grandmother and says his experience growing up without parents was difficult.
“All while trying to become a man, I watched the men I looked up to either murdered or thrown in prison. Still, I managed to break through generational curses — but not without the help of therapy, God, and the drive to be great,” he says.
“Chaining is my way of helping black youth know that they can break through any chain they are latched to,” he says.
Chaining is currently being read as part of the curriculum at Mastery Charter Schools: Prep, Gratz, and Douglas. Chaining is available on Amazon.
