Sunny

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds (2014)

Reynolds’s debut novel tells a nuanced coming-of-age story in a low-income and predominantly Black New York borough. This is not a romanticized portrait and does not shy away from representing the harsher effects of poverty alongside heartfelt depictions of friendship, family, and community. The story captures the multidimensional nature of life in African American communities.

• When I Was the Greatest on SuperSummary

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (2015)

This modern-day narrative tells the story of an incident of police brutality through the alternating voices of two high school students, Rashad and Quinn. While Rashad and Quinn never actually meet in the novel, their lives intersect in a powerful way after a violent act of racism rocks their hometown of Springfield, Illinois.

• All American Boys on SuperSummary (2015)

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds (2015)

This young adult realistic novel follows the main character, Matt Miller, through several months of his senior year after the death of his mother. His grieving process is complicated by his father’s lengthy hospitalization after an accident, which leaves Matt to cope with his sadness alone. Matt discovers unexpected comfort, however, in new friendships.

• The Boy in the Black Suit on SuperSummary

As Brave as You Are by Jason Reynolds (2016)

This middle-grade novel follows brothers Genie and Ernie who are staying with their grandparents in the Southern US. The novel—which includes themes of bravery, masculinity, and guilt—won several awards, including the Kirkus Award, the NAACP Image award for children’s literature, and the Schneider Family Book Award, which recognizes superior depictions of disability in children’s literature.

• As Brave as You Are on SuperSummary

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (2017)

This young adult novel is in free-verse and follows Will Holloman, a Black youth struggling to make a decision after his brother Shawn is shot dead in the street. Will plans to seek revenge, but before he can leave the elevator of his building, he is greeted by a series of ghosts who complicate his perspective on Shawn’s death and the idea of revenge. Long Way Down became a New York Times bestseller and received several prestigious honors in young adult literature.

• Long Way Down on SuperSummary

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds (2019)

A National Book Award finalist, Look Both Ways chronicles 10 stories of adolescents attending Latimer Middle School. The stories take place within 10 blocks of the school as each character journeys homeward at the end of the school day. Reynolds employs his familiar use of shifting perspectives to offer a nuanced look into life as a young adult.

• Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks on SuperSummary

Track by Jason Reynolds (2016-2019)

Each novel in the Track series follows a different character, each of whom is on the Defenders track team but comes from a very different background. Each protagonist has a unique reason for competing. In chronological order, the installments are Ghost (2016), Patina (2017), Sunny (2018), and Lu (2019).

• Ghost on SuperSummary
• Patina on SuperSummary