FCF Recommendations: Our Top 5 Jason Reynolds Book Picks

Jason Reynolds is one of our favorite authors for young adults, period. That he has several best-selling YA books tells us we are not his only fans. There is no doubt he is gifted at tapping into the teen mind, but his books transcend the YA book genre and appeal to adult readers as well. So, whether you’re an adult searching for books you’ll love, a teacher on a quest to find books your students will actually read, or a teenager looking for your next favorite book, know you can reliably tap into Jason Reynolds for books that will not only engage your imagination as you read but also prompt you to think about them long afterward.

As teachers, we hit the First Chapter Friday jackpot when we found Jason Reynolds, and because we enjoy his books so much, we frequently turned to him for our FCF activities. Each of Reynolds’ books tells a compelling story, and Reynolds has shared in many interviews his desire to write books for “kids who don’t read.” For the classroom teacher, this is music to our ears, because we are trying to encourage “kids who don’t read” to pick up a book.

Reynolds engages YA readers, enthusiastic and reluctant alike, in large part by using language, sentence structure, and characters that feel authentic to them. Reynolds also writes (and speaks) with a tremendous amount of compassion for young people, particularly young Black men, refusing to paint complex emotions and experiences with a broad brush. We haven’t made it through his entire catalog yet (although we’ve probably read more of his books than other popular authors for young adults), so today we’re sharing five Jason Reynolds books we (and our students) have read and loved. We’re pretty sure you and your students will love these books, too.

Our Jason Reynolds Top 5

All American Boys

Our first encounter with Reynolds was when our school assigned All American Boys for summer reading. The novel begins with the story of Rashad Butler, a Black teenager who becomes the victim of police brutality when his stop at a local convenience store for a bag of chips goes awry. Butler’s story is intertwined with chapters from the perspective of Quinn Collins (written by Brendan Kiely), a white classmate who grew up with the police officer who assaulted Butler and must grapple with the reality of Butler’s experience and the resulting controversy in his town.

The page-turning read draws the reader into an all-too-common story that could easily have been ripped from the pages of their local newspaper.

The Boy in the Black Suit

Not as well-known as other Jason Reynolds books, this novel tells the story of Matt, who gets a job working at a funeral home after his mom dies of breast cancer and his dad retreats into alcoholism.

Matt works through his grief through his job, the people he meets there, and his evolving relationship with Lovey, who has had to develop her own sense of resilience. The book is quiet but beautiful, and we really enjoyed the time we spent with these characters.

Ghost

The first in a series about a middle school track team, Ghost tells the story of Castle Crenshaw (better known as Ghost), who learned how to run when his drunk father chased after and shot at Ghost and his mother as they fled their home. Ghost has a reputation for causing trouble at school, where his temper often gets the best of him, especially when other kids make fun of him for being poor.

As part of the track team, Ghost finds a role model in Coach and support from his teammates Lu, Sunny, and Patina, and as he improves at sprinting, he also finds healing and strength. This engaging novel has the bonus of appealing directly to middle-school students, who can sometimes struggle to find books in the no-man’s-land between middle-grade and young adult options.

Long Way Down

This best-selling YA book tells the story of Will, who must decide over the course of a one-minute elevator ride whether or not he will use the gun tucked into his waistband to avenge the death of his recently murdered brother, Shawn.

Reynolds writes in verse to highlight the oh-so-brief time interval in which the novel takes place, and the choice keeps the reader rapidly turning pages while waiting to find out what happens next. Reynolds puts a human face on debates over gun violence, highlighting the perpetual cycle of violence and revenge many young men find themselves in. Reynolds also adapted this book into a graphic novel with powerful illustrations by Danica Novgorodoff.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

We both read Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped: From the Beginning during the pandemic, as protests swept across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and the experience was transformational for us both. We learned so much from Kendi’s history of racism in America, and it deeply challenged our ways of thinking and motivated us to learn how to move from being “not racist” to actively “antiracist.”

In what is publicized as a “remix” of Kendi’s work, Reynolds makes this history accessible to and engaging for students who often find themselves bored by history and invites them to reshape their understanding of the world around them and who they want to be within that world. Reynolds’ conversational and engaging approach makes for a compelling read of important ideas.

Have your students read and loved any of these titles (or any of the Jason Reynolds books we haven’t listed here)? Who are your go-to authors for young adults? Reach out to us at [email protected] or on Instagram @threeheads.works, and if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our monthly First Chapter Friday Nearpods: we send out FIVE free quick and easy First Chapter Friday activities each month that we think you and your students will love. Looking for other YA books to suggest to your students or use for your own FCF activity? Check out the YA book section of our website for all our recommendations.

_{Thumbnail Photo Credit: Jason Reynolds. Photo by James J. Reddington}