Jason Reynolds



Biographical Information

Jason Reynolds was born in 1983 and grew up in Oxon Hills, Maryland, which is a working-class black neighborhood of Washington DC.

As a kid, Reynold’s love of rap music inspired h poetry at the age of nine. Reynolds would read the lyrics to the songs he was listening to and see the way they were written down, and realized that songs were poetry. The first cassette tape that he ever bought was by Queen Latifa and he recognizes her for getting him started with writing. One of the reasons hip hop gave him his voice was because it showed him that who he was was ok and that he didn’t need to be ashamed of who he was. This was something that books didn’t do for him. Reynold’s first poem was written for his grandmother’s funeral and was printed in the back of the program.

While Reynolds loved to write as a child, he did not have the same love for reading. He reiterates in countless interviews how he didn’t read a book cover-to-cover until the age of 17. The books that were available to him did not draw him in because they didn’t reflect his story and voice. When Reynolds was a child, during the 80s and 90s, there really weren’t many books about young people living in black communities, which was what Reynolds would eventually go on to write about. Books didn’t affirm who he was because his culture was absent from the stories. Also, some of the big issues of the time that he wanted to learn more about, like HIV and the drug epidemic, were never mentioned in young adult literature. As a writer, Reynolds made it his goal to “not write boring books,” and write about topics that young people are actually interested in.

During high school, Jason Reynolds had his first teacher that encouraged him as a writer. He began to recite poetry for his school and realized that people enjoyed it. (This is something he still does today and is definitely worth watching). Reynolds published his first collection of poetry in the year 2000 called “Let Me Speak.”

Jason Reynolds studied at the University of Maryland, where according to him, he spent most of his time writing and reciting poetry. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and went on to pursue a career as a writer. In an interview with CBS, Reynolds explained that the person who gave the commencement speech at his college graduation told the audience that they would become teachers or lawyers, but would not become writers. Jason made it his goal to prove him wrong, and succeeded (although not at first). After graduating college, Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, where many of his stories take place. While writing, trying to get published, and initially failing, Reynolds managed a retail store and continued to write about his friends and family.

In 2007, Jason Reynolds published When I was the Greatest, his first successful book. Since then, he has won countless awards (see below for just a small fraction of the awards he has won), each book he writes becomes a best-seller and he has become a favorite author of the teenagers who read his books and hear him speak. Today, he lives in Washington D.C. and continues to write poetry. Most recently, The Library of Congress named him the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Themes

Jason Reynolds writes books for kids who don’t think there are books out there for them. His themes are appealing to young people because they address issues that they can personally relate to including: friendship, the past and the way it haunts, grief, loss, fear, violence, perspective vs. reality, masculinity, coming of age, family, and most importantly, race and justice.

Social justice is the most recurring theme in Renolds’ books. He explained in an interview on the Today show that one of the reasons he writes is because books can encourage young people to start conversations on difficult issues. They serve as “incubated and insulated spaces” where the  reader can experience issues in a safe place: topics they are curious about, concepts that make them angry, ideas that make them think, etc. Reynolds explained that his job is not done if his readers do not talk about what they read with others. He wants his readers to engage with others in conversations about books, and ideally, start to take action. He knows that kids are ready and want to have conversations about racial justice.

Many of the themes found in Reynolds’ books relate directly to his own life or the lives of his friends and family. For example, his most recent book, Long Way Down, is about a boy named Will who wants to get revenge on the person he believes killed his brother. At the age of 19, Reynolds lost a friend to gun violence and recalls the deep anger and desire for revenge that he felt. In countless interviews about the book, Reynolds explains how he wrote about the topic of gun violence because it is an issue that impacts so many young people, but is often spoken about in a sterile way, not acknowledging the people involved. Reynolds wrote the book to show the humanity behind gun violence and shed light on the children who are involved, their pain and backgrounds.

Style

“One thing I wish I’d been told in school is that my language is valid.”

Jason Reynolds’ writing style can be described as realistic, raw, emotional, and with a focus on young, black, male protagonists. His mission as a writer is to write interesting books that show the experiences of children and teenagers in black communities. Jason includes the cultural details in his books that he needed to see as an entryway into books. Reynolds is fascinated with language and he writes in the way he naturally speaks. As Reynolds explains it, “if my language is rooted in my culture and if I can put it on a page in an honest way, than that authenticity will ring true to the young people who are reading it.”

Reynolds writes for young people and explains that he does not try to compete with what else might interest kids (video games, cell phones, etc.) For this reason, he “works with the realities of young folks.” He knows that reluctant readers are not going to want to read a very long book, so he formats his books to make them more manageable. His books are divided up into relatively short chapters and he is creative about how he formats pages. Some of his books are written in verse and tell a story (Long Way Down, Look Both Ways, For Everyone). Reynolds also has a rhythm to the way he writes, which is similar to the way someone thinks. He will stretch out words for emphasis, and include run-on sentences to show a chain of thought.

Examples:


 * From As Brave as You: “Genie pretty much became invisible to Ernie because Tess was there, obviously, and that was okay because Ernie became invisible to Genie because, well, Google was there. In-ter-netttt.”


 * From Ghost: "1 WORLD RECORDS CHECK THIS OUT. This dude named Andrew Dahl holds the world record for blowing up the most balloons . . . with his nose. Yeah. That’s true. Not sure how he found out that was some kinda special talent, and I can’t even imagine how much snot be in those balloons, but hey, it’s a thing and Andrew’s the best at it."


 * From Long Way Down:

“I FELT LIKE CRYING

which felt like

another person

trapped behind my face

tiny fists punching

the backs of my eyes

feet kicking

my throat at the spot

where the swallow

starts.

Stay put, I whispered to him,

Stay strong, I whispered to me.

Because crying

is against

The Rules.”

Public Speaking

Along with writing books and poetry, Jason Reynolds appeals to kids by speaking at hundreds of schools each year. It is clear from his writing, interviews, and speaking events that he cares deeply for kids. When he speaks, he talks about topics that the kids want to speak about, and not necessarily just his books. Reynolds explains that he writes (and speaks) with 3 principles in mind: humility, intimacy and gratitude. These three principles guide the way he writes for and interacts with young people. He strongly believes that adults need to admit to kids when they do not have the answers and be willing to learn from young people. He believes that intimacy occurs when people are able to share their stories with one another and be truly heard. Reynolds believes that young people should be thanked for being alive and caring about issues that adults do not. Also, that young people should be taught to be thankful for those that are not like them and that make their world so beautiful. One of his goals by going around and speaking to young people is to show them that it is possible to become a writer. (kids want to be firefighters, basketball players, doctors, etc because they see them around) listen to what kids have to say, build trust

Bibliography


 * When I was the Greatest (2014). This book was Reynold’s first successful book. The books is about three boys that grow up in a neighborhood with a bad name, Bed Stuy, and their interactions with their neighborhood and each other. (This is actually the neighborhood that Reynolds moved to after graduating from college.) The book addresses themes like loyalty, friendship and family. 2015 Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent


 * The Boy in the Black Suit (2016) This book is about a boy named Matt who wears a black suit everyday because he works at a funeral home. His dad is an alcoholic and Matt’s job helps pay some of the bills around the house. One day Matt meets a girl named Lovely who has an even more difficult life than him.
 * AWARDS: CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council), Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Master List, South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee, ALA Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book


 * All American Boys (2017) This book is about 2 boys, one black and one white named Rashad and Quinn. Rashad is the victim of police brutality at the hands of a police officer named Paul. Quinn, a classmate of Rashad,  witnesses the crime, but has been raised by the police officer, Paul, and sides with Paul. The book is about the consequences of this brutality.
 * Awards: CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council), Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Master List, Virginia Young Readers List


 * As Brave as You (2017) This book is about two brothers Genie and Ernie who go to live with their grandparents in Virginia for the summer. The boys learn to adjust to life in the country including finding out that their grandfather is blind, learning about family dynamics and rites of passage.
 * Kirkus Prize Winner, ALA Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (IL)


 * Miles Morales Spider Man- This book is a part of the Marvel series and is about a boy who does not feel that he is meant to be Spider Man. Jason Reynolds wrote this book to address the Spider Man quote: “With great power comes great responsibility.” He wanted a realistic take on that quote to show how a person of color might feel if they didn’t feel if they didn’t think they deserved the super power. Reynolds wrote this book with his brother in mind, because his brother loved comic books, not him.
 * Long Way Down- (2019) This book is about a boy named Will who witnesses the murder of his brother. The entire book takes place in a 60 second elevator ride and is written in verse. The book addresses themes like toxic masculinity, violence, and revenge.
 * ALA Newbery Honor Book, ALA Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, ALA Notable Children's Books, CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
 * For Everyone (2019) This is a beautiful poem that is written by Jason Reynolds about dreams and how they take time and struggle. Please watch the YouTube video of Reynolds reading the poem.
 * Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title, ALA Notable Children's Recording, Amazing Audiobooks for YA, Wisconsin State Reading Association's Reading List, NCTE Notable Verse Novel List
 * Look Both Ways (2019) This is ten stories that happen after the bell rings at the end of a school day.
 * A National Book Award Finalist!, Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, An NPR Favorite Book of 2019, A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019
 * Stamped (2020) This book was written with Ibram X. Kendi (author of How to be an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby) and is a young adult version of his book Stamped from the Beginning. This book describes the history of racism, how people have been fighting racism and identifies common examples of racism in everyday life. Reynolds tells it in a way that is interesting to young people and explains some of the problems with the way we learn about racism in schools.
 * NPR Podcast on Book
 * Teacher’s Guide


 * Our Story. Our Way. (2009) This is a book of poetry written by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin who illustrated the book. The Amazon summary explains: Our story. Our way. A poet. An artist. One black. One white. Two voices. One journey.


 * Track Series: This is a series of books about a track team. Each book features the character that it is titled after.
 * Ghost (2016) This is a story about a boy named Castle Cranshaw whose life is transformed after joining a track team.
 * Patina (2017)
 * Sunny (2018)
 * Lu (2019)

Criticism

To find criticism on Jason Reynolds is VERY difficult (even when you start digging into the comments section of Amazon reviews or YouTube). Jason Reynolds is a relatively new writer when looking at his more successful books (When I was the Greatest, his first bestseller, was written in 2014).

Because Reynolds writes about violence and  police brutality, he has received pushback from parents on his books. For example, a North Carolina middle school assigned the book, All American Boys as a part of their summer reading program, and received complaints from police officer parents that the book would show them in a negative light. Also, his book When I was the Greatest features a knitted gun on the cover. This book has received complaints from parents that the cover is inappropriate.

References


 * 1) CBS This Morning. (2017, October 24). Author Jason Reynolds talks new book, gets a call from Queen Latifah. YouTube. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://youtu.be/lC6W88wgYDY
 * 2) CBS in the Morning. (2020, January 13). Jason Reynolds, the new national ambassador for young people's literature. YouTube. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5JNTbSCnnw
 * 3) The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. (2020, March 12). Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi - “Stamped” and the Story of Racism in the U.S. | The Daily Show. YouTube. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D6Ge1VXySo
 * 4) The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. (2018, January 23). JASON REYNOLDS - SERVING YOUNG READERS WITH "LONG WAY DOWN". The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from http://www.cc.com/video-clips/avk8pe/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-jason-reynolds---serving-young-readers-with--long-way-down-
 * 5) Enni, S. (2019, October 8). First Draft Episode #214: Jason Reynolds. First Draft. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.firstdraftpod.com/episode-transcripts/2020/2/4/jason-reynolds
 * 6) Fleming October 24, A. R., & Fleming, A. (2017, October 24). Author Jason Reynolds Writes Books He Wanted to Read Growing Up. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://people.com/human-interest/jason-reynolds-author-long-way-down/
 * 7) Jason, R. (2011, November 1). A brief timeline of my career (so far…). I Am Jason Reynolds. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://iamjasonreynolds.com/2011/11/01/a-brief-timeline-of-my-career-so-far/
 * 8) León, Concepción De. “Jason Reynolds Is on a Mission.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Oct. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/books/jason-reynolds-look-both-ways.html
 * 9) Lesley University. (2018, November 28).  'Writing Books for Kids Who Don't Read Books' with Jason Reynolds. Lesley University Podcasts. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://lesley.edu/podcasts/why-we-write/writing-books-for-kids-who-dont-read-books-with-jason-reynolds
 * 10) Library of Congress. (n.d.). Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Library of Congress. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://guides.loc.gov/jason-reynolds/about
 * 11) Schnelbach, L. (2017, October 06). Ta-Nehesi Coates and Jason Reynolds Talk Black Panther and Miles Morales. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://www.tor.com/2017/10/06/ta-nehesi-coates-and-jason-reynolds-talk-black-panther-and-miles-morales/
 * 12) Simon & Schuster Books. (2016, May 23). ALL AMERICAN BOYS co-authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely on making a difference. YouTube. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZCG0LzHezw&feature=youtu.be
 * 13) TodayShow. (2020). How to speak to kids about race relations in America. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://www.today.com/video/how-to-speak-to-kids-about-race-relations-in-america-84231749827?cp_type=end