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Reynolds speaking at Oregon Association of School Librarians

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Reynolds speaking at Oregon Association of School Librarians

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I was fortunate enough to get to see Jason Reynolds as the keynote speaker for the OASL's Fall Conference. Reynolds was ill and feverish, but still got on stage and gave an incredible speech about his history as a reader and how he became a writer. It was inspiring, and I was excited that a handful of my students were able to experience him in action!

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This is an image of the Brooklyn neighborhood Bedford Stuyvesant. Reynolds first novel takes place here and is an important representation of the urban setting of many of his novels.

Photo credit: Gabrielle Sierra

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This image is Jason Reynolds reading from his novel Ghost at the National Book Awards finalists reading. This image shows his dedication to sharing his work with a wide audience at every possible venue.

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I may be a bit biased in my assessment, as I used When I Was the Greatest as one of the first books I teach in the school year. As a hook book, the novel is a wonderfully catchy story from the very beginning. We both listened to the audio books and read the text. My students loved both formats, and this novel served as a solid foundation for story arc, characterization, and identifying figurative language.

I would say this is a 50/50 split, because the writing and storytelling is highly engaging and enjoyable for independent reading or SSR, but is also highly effective for instruction as Reynolds is an excellent storyteller who grapples with relevant themes in language that is appropriate for the classroom.

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Reynolds is primarily writing to a high school audience (ages 14-18). The majority of his protagonists are high school students that face situations that are quite relatable to students. Most of his stories are set in cities and address the situations that come along with living in a city. More than that though, the characters in his book experience the wide range of situations that life will throw at people: family members dying, friendships tested, going to parties, falling in love, listening (and not listening) to parents advice.

Some of the major topics and themes that Reynolds discusses in his book revolve questions identity, family, grief, loss, friendship, morality, doing the right thing, and growing up.

Reynolds has been creating middle reader books as well. His Track series and As Brave As You have younger protagonists that face many of the same situations as his other books, but are dealt with a softer touch and more accessible language.

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Reynolds has come to be considered one of the hardest working authors in the YA world right now. He has 4 new books coming out in the next two years, and has over 100 speaking engagements a year. It's his love for children, however, that led him to this place. Reynolds says,  "I got into this to serve children. I love children dearly. But I also intend to be great. There are no other options. There are no other options.” He tells The Daily Show's Trevor Noah similar things in their recent interview.

Early on in Reynold's career, he teamed up with We Need Diverse Books to expose as many young readers as possible to the wide range of diverse experiences in our country.

This year, Reynolds was named Spokesperson for Indies First, an organization created by Sherman Alexie in 2013 to support local independent book retailers.

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In 2015 Reynolds won the John Steptoe award for new talent for his first novel When I Was the Greatest.

In 2016, he won a Coretta Scott King honor for both The Boy in the Black Suit and All American Boys, which he co-wrote with Brendan Kiely.  In 2017 he has again received a Coretta Scott King honorable mention for his book As Brave As You. In 2018, he again received a Coretta Scott King honorable mention for his novel Long Way Down.

In 2018, his novel Long Way Down won a Newberry honorable mention. This novel was placed on the National Book Award long list.

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Reyonlds, J. & Kiely, B. (2015). All American Boys. New York: Atheneum Books for Young        Readers.

This novel switches between two points of view, Rashad and Quinn. Rashad is an African American teenager, who is an artist and also a member of his high school’s JROTC. After a long week, he changes out of his uniform into a hoodie, jeans, and some nice sneakers; he’s set up to go to a party with his three friends, English, Carlos, and Shannon. On his way to the party, Rashad stops at a local minimart to get some chips and a pack of gum. He reaches into his bag (which has his ROTC uniform in it) to grab his phone to call his brother. There is a woman near by who trips over him. The storeowner thinks Rashad is stealing; there is a police officer in the store that thinks Rashad is messing with the lady. The cop takes action, wrestling him to the ground outside the store, beating him up after Rashad is handcuffed. The point of view switches to Quinn, the neighborhood’s favorite son, whose war hero father was killed in combat in Iraq, who is gearing up for the same party with his friends. Quinn sees everything the cop does to Rashad. The problem is that the cop is Quinn’s best friend’s older brother.

For this novel, Reynolds teamed up with fellow YA novelist, Brendan Kiely to tell two sides of the same scenario from different racial experiences. The lenses are very different as Rashad views the situation as the victim of violence and racial profiling, while Quinn views it as a conflicted onlooker who could say nothing and do nothing, if he chose that option. Where the novel complicates the matter, is that Quinn is genuinely conflicted with the moral quandary of processing what he saw and figuring out what he should do. He feels like he is betraying Paul (the police officer who beat up Rashad), but he also feels as someone who saw the damage done that he must say something. The situation is also conflicted for Rashad; he is close to graduating and looking to move onto art school, and he just wants his life to be normal. However, his older brother, Spoony, who is an activist, won’t let his brother off that easy. The novel explores the back and forth of doing what is right and the cost that will be paid for that choice.

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Reynolds, J. (2016). As brave as you. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

In Reynolds fifth novel, he takes readers away from the urban centers of Brooklyn, Springfield, and Harlem to the rural environs of North Hill, Virginia. Brothers Genie and Ernie are sent to spend a month with their grandparents while their parents’ work through marital problems. The visit to the South is the boys’ first time out of the city, and at first, Genie is beyond nervous, jotting down a million questions in his beat up little notebook; it’s his way of coping. Ernie, on the other hand is beyond cool, with sunglasses and karate moves, but he too is nervous, even if he doesn’t show it. While visiting Grandma and Grandpop’s, Genie discovers family secrets that his grandparents have been holding on to for years and helps his blind grandfather journey out into the world again (even if it his only his front yard). Ernie falls in love with a neighbor girl who lives down the hill, and on his fourteenth birthday, he accidentally almost shoots his face off.

The story centers on Genie’s anxiousness and how he copes with his incredibly active mind by writing down questions and finding answers to his questions on the Internet. The story also deals with loss and family grudges, as it is revealed that Genie and Ernie’s uncle was killed in Operation Desert Storm, and that their father blames their grandfather for his death. Lastly, this is a story that deals with confessing to wrongdoing, even when it means that the confession will hurt the other people involved. Genie is wracked with guilt throughout the story, and he is scared to tell the truth of his actions, but his moral conscience and his parents disappointing voices play out in his brain, guiding him to do the right thing.

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Reynolds, J. (2015) The boy in the black suit. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This novel also takes place in Brooklyn, New York. The story focuses on Matt in the aftermath of his mother’s death. He is having a difficult time connecting to his friends and other people at school as he processes his grief. Matt can no longer rely on his father, as his dad is self-medicating with copious amounts of liquor. Matt is starting his senior year, and wants nothing more than to get out of his situation. However, he can’t turn to his father for money or help, so he is on his own to figure it out. Matt decides to apply for a job at the local chicken place, but while he is there, he runs into Mr. Ray, who owns the funeral parlor in the neighborhood. Mr. Ray offers him a job, and after some consideration, Matt accepts. On his first day, Matt sits in on one of the funerals and finds solace in so many other people grieving. It’s the first time that he has felt this way since his mother died. As his life begins to find a new rhythm, he meets a girl named Lovey, who is tough and has an even tougher backstory. Matt finds himself growing close to Lovey, even when he doesn't necessarily want that. Through their friendship, Matt figures out major pieces of himself and begins to form a plan for what comes next.

This novel focuses heavily on processing grief and how the loss of family can reshape a person’s identity and how they see themselves in the world. Since his mother’s death, Matt undergoes serious soul searching to figure out how to put the pieces back together. This matter becomes more complicated as his father is struggling to figure out his new identity as well and is incapable of helping Matt. That is where Lovey comes in; she serves as a moral guide and self-love guru of sorts. She is wise beyond her years and in many ways comes to play a critical role as both potential love interest and the wise voice of experience.

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Reynolds, J. (2017). Long way down. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This is a novel written in verse. It follows the story of 15-year-old Will whose world is turned upside down when he finds out that his older brother Shawn is shot and killed. Will thinks he knows who killed Shawn and is bent on taking his revenge. The focus of the book is Will’s 60-second elevator ride from his apartment to the main floor. The elevator stops at each floor and a new figure gets on; many of the characters are people from Will’s life who are dead and force him to question his lust for revenge. The air becomes thick with cigarette smoke, the rasp of voices, and Will’s brain screaming at him pushing him between seeking revenge for Shawn’s death and staying his hand and just grieving. The final stop is the most intense and leaves the reader with so many unanswered questions.

This book is a departure for Reynolds who has not explicitly discussed gang violence in novels; it is always a topic that is at the edges, not the forefront. This is also a departure for Reynolds as the novel is written in verse form, which creates a fast paced and dizzying spectacle of language. Yet again, though, the novel is seeking to figure out how to make sense of loss and how to reinvent identity when parental figures and loved ones are taken out of one’s life. Will veers from pole to pole, trying to figure out the best way forward when the law of the street overshadows muddies the line between right and wrong.

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Reynolds, J. (2016). Ghost. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The first book in the Track series centers on the young Castle Crenshaw. Castle (who calls himself Ghost) and his mom live in the Projects and sleep together in the living room in case they need to make a run for it. When Castle (Ghost) was younger, his father went crazy and tried to kill him and his mother.  The two ran down the street to the Country Market and hid in the back until they felt safe. It’s been years since that night and Ghost still doesn't feel at ease. One day after school, Ghost is walking home and sees a bunch of other kids warming up for track practice. They were good, they were fast, stylish, and Ghost was intrigued. He knew he was fast, but he never thought about being a track star, he always wanted to be a basketball star. He is challenged to a race by another kid and holds his own; the coach recruits him on the spot. The problem is that Ghost only has basketball shoes to train in, so he goes to the local sports store and steals a pair. He knows his mom would kill him if she found out, so he has to hide them from her at all costs.

This is Reynolds’ first middle reader, but he still deals with many of the themes that his older audience books do: family, friendship, doing the right thing, self-worth, and loss. The story is unique in that it revolves around a track team, not a common sport in the world of YA lit. However, Reynolds navigates the sport in a way that is inviting and intriguing. The loss of a father figure plays out in the novel as Ghost’s coach comes to take a central role in Ghost’s life. It turns out that his coach grew up in the same project and had a similar upbringing. Through the strong adult figures in his life, Ghost is able to cultivate himself into a moral and driven person who takes care of his family and the other people he cares about in his life.

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Reynolds, J. (2014). When I was the greatest. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This novel takes place in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant (BedStuy), and follows the life Ali, his little sister Jazz, and their mother Dolores. Early on the novel, Ali meets the new neighbors, Noodles and Needles (who get their nicknames from Jazz). Ali (whose real name is Allen) and Noodles (whose real name is Roland) become best friends instantly and spend their summer days hanging out on the stoop, telling jokes and sharing stories. Needles, who is Noodles’ brother, has Tourette’s syndrome and knits as a way to deal with his tics. The three get invited to a party they know they are too young to attend, but they devise a plan to make it happen. At the party, a fight breaks out and the boys find themselves in the middle of it; they escape with their lives, but their friendship is damaged.

In this novel, Reynolds explores the importance of family in developing moral character and doing the right thing. Even in the moments of going against one’s conscience, the louder voice of parental displeasure looms. This is also a book about friendship and figuring out how to navigate the complicated interplay between family and friendship and when it is appropriate (or is it) to get involved in someone else’s family business. Finally, this is a book about growing up, finding the joy and the good people in neighborhood that is rough around the edges, but full of heart, humor, and normal life.