Jason Reynolds

An interesting and enlightening read, though it didn’t quite work out the way I had expected (I thought it was more generic in nature. I totally forgot that the blurb mentions its focus on the USA.)

Jason Reynolds declares that this is not a history book. But a great chunk of it is dedicated to US history and how racism and anti-racism became mainstream topics in the country. The range of topics covered is vast: skin colour and religion based discrimination, how racist ideas began, historical racists, contemporary racism, biblical scriptures being used for racist thinking, white privilege, gender discrimination, interracial relationships, segregation, black power… It goes from one hard-hitting idea to another. More importantly, it does so in a chronological order such that the development of these thoughts over the centuries is made vividly clear.

Originally written by Ibram X. Kendi under the title “[b:Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America|25898216|Stamped from the Beginning The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440457523l/25898216._SY75_.jpg|45781103]”, this adaptation by Jason Reynolds brings the ideas to the level of the teenage reader. And this is brilliantly done. He doesn’t shy away from complicated topics, but his approach – combining humour with history – makes this a superb book for its target segment.

I do wish it had been a bit more global in its approach; there was a lot of US history that I couldn’t connect with. (This, of course, is to be blamed on my erroneous expectations. The book didn’t claim that it wasn’t about the USA.) At the same time, there is no doubt that the problem of racism persists in various forms in almost all countries and more such books are required across the globe so that at least the next generation is better equipped to clean the mess made by their forefathers.

My favourite line among many thought-provoking quotes:
“There will come a time when we will love humanity, when we will gain the courage to fight for an equitable society for our beloved humanity, knowing, intelligently, that when we fight for humanity, we are fighting for ourselves.”


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… (altro)

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a beautiful, powerful, painful story in verse. It takes place in the span of only 60 seconds, as the narrator, Will, considers making a violent, dangerous, life-changing decision to avenge the death of his brother. In the one-minute that Will is in an elevator, a gun tucked into his waistband, he "meets" others that he knows that have died to gun violence, and must consider the role of gun violence in his life, and his role in the violence.

This story is beautiful and compelling as it is, but because it is poetry, and it is written in free-verse, the words are especially chosen (and limited) to evoke feelings of fear, passion, triumph, and even revenge in the hearts of those who read it.

This book brings up so many issues that are relevant in the lives of children, especially children who live in communities affected by gun violence. Even those not affected by violence in any way can connect to the text through the poetry. One early line is "but if the blood / inside you is on the inside / of someone else, / you never want to / see it on the outside of / them." This idea of family bond is something most people either have or wish they had, and even if there hasn't been the loss of someone through violence, the relative idea is so powerful.

Because of its being written in verse, I think the story is more accessible, more intense, and more emotional; Reynolds has to be very precise with his language and style.

I think it's a very powerful book.… (altro)

“Dreams don't have timelines, deadlines, and aren't always in straight lines.” (page 76)

A favorite line from a favorite book!

This book is a poem that extends its message to every one, as the title implies. It is written as a letter to the dreamers, the young, the old, and the ones who are still holding out for their dreams. Jason Reynolds knows how to carefully craft his work, playing with words, using rich imagery, and connecting with the reader. This book is a poem of dreams and hope, inspiring the reader to hold onto their vision no matter where they are or how old they get. He reminds us that “our dreams could be as far away as forever or as close as lunchtime.” This is a book that I like to read with my high schoolers at the beginning of the school year to remind us all that we will make mistakes and fumble, but we need to hold onto our dreams.

If you'd like to listen/watch, the author, Jason Reynolds, also produced a short video where he reads/performs the poem!
https://youtu.be/vOHxiN9wsfY?si=yvtRib7AUAxBCVUz… (altro)