All American Boys
By Jason Reynolds and
Brendan Kiely
Recommended Grades 7 – 9 and older
All American Boys
“Rashad is absent from school again
today.” At the local high school this heavy sentence is written on
the ground where everyone walks, where everyone will see it and be
reminded. Rashad should have been there, attending classes,
basketball practice, junior ROTC, and having fun with his friends.
Instead he's in the hospital, suffering.
Paul is a local police officer who's
younger brother goes to that high school. Paul decided that Rashad
was shoplifting. Then he thought Rashad was resisting, so he
violently arrested him. In fact, Paul used his fists so violently
that he put Rashad in the hospital with serious injuries. It was all
a tragic mistake that sets in motion so many life-altering
consequences throughout the community.
Rashad is an active and happy sixteen
year old and yet he knows he's
sometimes been treated differently, with prejudice because he's
black. And so has his older brother. When he regains consciousness at
the hospital, he's surrounded by his parents and brother. He slowly
reacts to the growing accusations in the community that the officer's
act was racist. Friends, teachers, the basketball team,
acquaintances, strangers, everyone takes sides as the news spreads
the story. Then the video from the corner store goes viral on social
media. And then, there's the eye witness.
Quinn is also on the basketball team.
He happened to be at the store when Rashad was attacked and witnessed
it all. The violence shocked him, even more terrifying when he
recognized that the officer was Paul. Quinn knew Paul so well, at
least he thought he did. They live on the same street. When Quinn's
father had been killed in Afghanistan, Paul had taken Quinn to heart
almost like a father figure. Quinn had never seen Paul like this, or
had there been hints of this before? Quinn is white, like Paul but
suddenly he's questioning his loyalties in the midst of erupting
racial tensions. “I could stay here or I could move all the way to
California and I would still be white. Cops and everyone would see me
as an All American Boy.” Quinn has discovered that all
American boys are not treated the same.
What is so incredible about this book
is the realistic descriptions of the variety of different characters'
thoughts, actions, and reactions. There are incredible insights and
glimpses into their personalities and why they react the ways they do
to the painful arrest and the resulting events. Even Rashad's parents
each have surprising responses. It's not just the characters and the
story that are so page turning. It's the art of the writing, where
you are hanging on every word, the alluring rhythm of the sentences,
and the compelling turns of phrase.
All
American Boys
is a 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the
Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature.
The authors have great respect for their readers, and give them a
realistic, tense story that is thought provoking and conversation
starting. The characters are memorable, and many feel like people
that you want to be friends with.
Jason
Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and the National
Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He is a Newbery Award
Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, National Book Award Honoree, a
Kirkus Award winner, a two time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an
NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott
King honors. He's author of many books, as well as poetry. Find out
more about this engaging author at JasonWritesBooks.com.
He will be the keynote speaker at the Pacific Northwest Writers
Association Virtual Conference's Young
Author's Day on Saturday September 26th.
Brendan
Kiely is The New York Times bestselling author. He received a Coretta
Scott King Author Honor Award, the Walter Dean Myers Award, the
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, and was selected as one of the
American Library Association's Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults.
Find out more at Brendankiely.com
