Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, National Book Award Honoree, a Kirkus Award winner, a two time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds was named the American Booksellers Association’s 2017 and 2018 spokesperson for Indies First, and served as the national spokesperson for the 2018 celebration of School Library Month in April 2018, sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
Jason’s many works of fiction include When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave As You, For Every One, Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Run series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), and Long Way Down, which received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com
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Books
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Knights Of/404 Ink
Interest age: 9+
Reading age: 9+
The wonderful Jason Reynolds has written this seamless long-form poem about achieving your dreams and reaching your potential. A small but perfectly formed and utterly delightful book: an ideal pick-me-up for everyone.
Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Selom Sunu
Publisher: Knights Of
Interest age: 12-16
Reading age: 12+
Three years ago Ghost’s dad chased him and his mum down the road with a gun. His dad got ten years in prison, and Ghost learned how to run. Ghost has never thought of athletics as a sporting option – basketball is his thing. But now, after challenging a sprinter to a race at the local track, he’s won himself a place on an elite running team.
Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Chris Priestley
Publisher: Faber
Interest age: 12-16
Reading age: 12+
Written in verse, Long Way Down is breathtakingly gripping and spectacular. You almost read it without breathing; the action is so tense, the language so powerful. Give it to every teenager you know!
Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Selom Sunu
Publisher: Knights Of
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Ten short stories about that strange time when school finishes and children of a certain age (usually around ten years old) get to walk home without adult supervision. Jason Reynolds' writing is gripping, direct, exciting and incredibly readable.
Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Selom Sunu
Publisher: Knights Of
Interest age: 11-14
Reading age: 11+
Athletics star Lu is generally pretty sure of himself – who he is and what he’s good at. But there’s suddenly a lot of change in his life. The big end-of-season championships are looming; his parents have dropped the bombshell that they’re having another kid; Coach has got him running hurdles but, after an embarrassing fall, he doesn’t seem able to jump them…
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Knights Of
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
Elite runner Patina is a girl with a lot on her plate and she takes her responsibilities very seriously. The dialogue is crisp, the characters are believable, and it's a beautiful, flawless reading experience that will hook reluctant readers (especially those into sports).
Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Raul the Third
Publisher: Knights Of
Interest age: 8-12
Reading age: 9+
In his imagination, Portico Reeves is Stunt Boy, saving other superheroes from disaster. But when his parents plan to divorce, he needs help from unlikely friends. A child’s-eye view of coping with arguing parents that manages to be fun and funny, with an innovative style that samples different media.
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Interest age: 14-15
Reading age: 14+
When Matt’s mum tragically dies from cancer, it feels like all the joy is sucked out of his life. Then he meets a girl called Love. This is a profoundly beautiful, open-hearted, funny, tear-jerking, readable and relatable story, which explores grief in the truest sense.