Jason Reynolds’ website headline reads “Here’s What I Do: Not Write Boring books.” How great is that?
As with everything he does, he seems to be speaking directly to the young people he’s always trying to reach. There’s a reason The Library of Congress chose him as the national ambassador for young adult literature.
Last year I created an Instagram series all about Jason’s incredible work, and different ways you might use it in the classroom. But I’ve heard from a number of folks who aren’t on Instagram, or who’d just like a deeper dive, so today I’ve decided to walk through that series here on the podcast, explaining everything I know about Jason Reynolds’ arc of work and how you can use it in your classroom. As always, I will share my recommendations here with the caveat that you know your students, parents, and community best, so you should preview content before sharing it in class.
Ready to dive in? I’m excited!
I Bet you Already know and Love Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds has been everywhere of late, and the success of his verse novel, Long Way Down, in the classroom, has been hard to ignore.
But there is SO MUCH MORE to his work than that one (amazing) work of fiction. He’s written a rainbow of fiction books, helped adapt Stamped for younger audiences (and read the audio version in his compelling voice), been featured in a documentary, joined several artists for striking collaborations, run a video writing prompt series for middle schoolers, advocated for verse novels in the classroom, shared short stories, and more!
Ooh, and did I mention his podcast, featuring his mother? That’s the one thing he’s done that I haven’t explored yet, but I’m pretty excited to dive in.
Let’s Start with his Books
When it comes to his books, I really can’t choose a favorite.
Ghost is my pick for middle schoolers, with a highly compelling main character, a sports setting (so rare, and so needed!) and a series of three more books to chase it once kids are hooked. You can hear Reynolds read a selection from Ghost below.
Long Way Down is a novel-in-verse that hooks reluctant readers and voracious readers alike in the 9th/10th sphere. It’s the story of one long elevator ride, as a boy wonders whether he should avenge his brother’s death after his murder, and meets the ghosts of friends and family he has lost to gun violence on the way down.
There’s also a beautifully rendered graphic novel version. Take a look at the preview, narrated by Reynolds, below.
All American Boys is a unique collaboration between two writers, telling a complicated story through multiple perspectives of one innocent teen, the police violence he encountered, and the way his story reverberated through the community. It addresses systemic racism from many angles, creating opportunities for discussion and writing for older students.
Ain’t Burned All the Bright is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It’s a short poem, really, just a few lines, but spread across hundreds of boldly defined pages of illustration. Reynolds and his collaborator, Jason Griffin, show what can happen when artists work together, mixing and matching different kinds of brilliance to create something new.
You can get a strong sense of it through the trailer below.
Stamped is the product of yet another collaboration, this time with Ibram X. Kendi. Reynolds’ helped him create a version of his book on antiracism for a younger crowd. I chose the audiobook path and really recommend letting Jason Reynolds read it to you (and finding audio selections to use in class).
Short Stories are always Nice
If you want to include a little snippet of Reynolds and you don’t have time for a full book, his short stories are always an option.
“The Ingredients” is a joyful story inside the anthology, Black Enough. It features a group of kids on the way home from the pool imagining the incredible sandwiches they’d like to make as an after-swimming snack. It’s lighthearted and fun, capturing summer friendship and imagination.
“First Day Fly” (available on Common Lit) features a middle schooler preparing for his first day of school. It describes in intricate detail the effort that he’s put into his first day look, revealing details about his family along the way. It’s a fun read that would fit well early in the year.
How about Writing Prompts?
Reynolds’ video writing prompt series with the Library of Congress is called “Write, Right, Rite.”
You can see descriptions of every prompt along with links on the LoC page right here. As always, you can tell Reynolds knows his audience with fun titles like “Explain love to a magical pet,” “Imagine a remote controls the world,” and “Create a bobble head.”
Plug this series into a creative writing unit, use it as a weekly feature throughout a term, or make it the foundation of a series of vocabulary or grammar practice – there are so many ways you could use it.
Screen “Dear Dreamer,” a Short Documentary about Jason Reynolds
In this documentary, students get a chance to see behind the scenes of some of Jason Reynolds’ history, work in schools, and motivation. They also get to see his (VERY FULL) desktop, which personally I loved. Watch it through, it’s just ten minutes, and see if either the whole thing or a clip from it would be a good fit with any of Reynolds’ work that you want to share in class.
See Jason’s Take on Verse Novels
It took me a minute to understand how great verse novels are, but now I’m fully on board! Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, Megan Freeman, and Lisa Fipps are the ones who got me there, but maybe you’re trying to share your idea for a verse novel book club or a verse novel in the curriculum with colleagues who don’t have time to dive into books like Long Way Down, Starfish, Alone, and The Crossover to see just how great they can be.
Jason Reynolds can help you make your argument when you share this interview over email or at a department meeting as a means to starting a conversation.
Last but Not Least, there’s For Everyone
If you’re looking for a gift for a senior sometime, Reynolds’ nonfiction book, For Everyone, is a beautifully inspiring poetic piece about following dreams.
But you don’t have to buy a copy to share the message with anyone at your school that you want to give it too.
You could share a special card with the QR code to the video version inside or play it in class at the end of the year.
Or you could incorporate part or all of this video version into a poetry unit.
Check it out below.
Now You’re Ready to Mix and Match
So I’ve laid out a lot of options here, like a smorgasbord of Jason Reynolds goodness. Maybe you’ve got room for a verse novels book club, and you want to incorporate Long Way Down inside. Maybe you want to feature Ain’t Burned all the Bright for a book trailer Tuesday. Maybe you’re going to share For Everyone with your seniors in June and put a QR code up to the verse novels interview in your department office to spark conversations. There are so many ways to incorporate a little Reynolds here and a little Reynolds there once you get started! To me, his work is just such a gift to our work, and I’m excited for you to explore.
