Stories range from a boy who needs to plot his way home to avoid a dog he's afraid of, to a boy willing to stand up to homophobic bullying being waged against a classmate. While each story is independent, there is some character crossover. Stories are differentiated by the name of the street the students walk on the way home. One story, the one that occurs on Placer St., was particularly touching to me, bringing me to literal tears.
The stories are sometimes sweet, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartwarming and sometimes heart wrenching. The stories reflect middle school life with all its pathos, and extreme emotions, yet are powerful, each in their own way. Jason Reynold's storytelling and lyrical prose are top notch. Some authors just have a way with words: words that make the ordinary beautiful, words that make you take notice, words that paint a picture. Jason Reynolds is that kind of gifted author.
Mark's Book Picks Score: 4
Reading Level: 4.8 • Interest Level: 5-9 • AR Points: 5 • Lexile Level: 750 • Publisher: Atheneum • Pages: 240 • Copyright: 2020 • ISBN: 978-1-481-43829-2 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding
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