Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2017 A Newbery Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Honor Book A Printz Honor Book Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award Wow, all I can say is, wow. This book had me from the first second I opened it. It is just so extremely timely, relevant, and well-written. It is engaging, thought-provoking, and emotional. I absolutely cannot say enough good things about this book! Long Way Down is the story of fifteen year old Will, who is determined to revenge his brother Shawn’s murder. Will is only following the “Rules” passed down through generations before him about what to do when someone is killed through violence in their neighborhood. He finds his brother’s gun, puts it in the waist of his pants, and heads out seeking the person he knows killed his brother the night before. As he begins his journey down to the lobby from the eighth floor of his apartment building, the elevator stops at each floor bringing in a ghost from Will and Shawn’s past. These ghosts include family members and friends who each add a piece to the story of Shawn’s death and some hesitation to Will’s plan. Does he really know who killed his brother? Why is there one bullet missing from the chamber? What will happen if he misses his shot? Can he really do it? These questions hang in the air as Will approaches the bottom floor. This book is so incredibly vivid and it always astounds me how an author can write so much in so many fewer words using verse. One of my favorite things about this book is that it is a verse novel, which makes it so much more accessible for reluctant readers. The themes of this book are so relevant and really shed light on the impact of gun violence in the lives of our youth. It does have some curse words scattered throughout, but they are used within the context of the story (one of my pet peeves is an author throwing in curse words just to use curse words...that does not happen here). This book, in my honest opinion, should have been the Newbery winner. It is so impactful; I immediately came to school and began sharing it with teachers. I can’t wait to booktalk it with my students, as well. I highly recommend Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
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Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly Greenwillow Books, 2017 Winner of the 2018 John Newbery Medal Hello, Universe was just announced as the 2018 winner of the Newbery Medal, one of the most well-known awards for children’s literature. I’ve heard lots of great things about this book, as well as some mixed reviews, and wanted to check it out for myself. This story contains the unique perspectives of four kids, two boys and two girls, on the first day of summer after sixth grade. The main character, Virgil, is a young Filipino boy whose quiet personality doesn’t quite fit in with his outgoing, athletic family. His grandmother, Lola, is his confidant and someone who plays a pivotal role in the story, sharing Filipino folklore that directly relates to the events of the story. Kaori is a self-proclaimed psychic who befriends Virgil as she helps him with how to deal with some of the problems he he is experiencing. She is closely shadowed by her sister, Gen, who is along for the adventure of this story. Valencia is deaf, struggling with nightmares, and secretly desperately lonely. She is, however, incredibly smart and brave, and proves to be a vital resource to the group. Chet is the school bully who has been relentlessly attacking Virgil throughout the past school year. Throughout the story, the lives of these four kids intertwine as each chapter is told from one of their perspectives. You really get a feel for their emotions and motivations in a way that is easily relatable for younger readers. Without giving too much away, after an encounter with Chet, Kaori and Valencia set off to find and rescue Virgil who relies on the knowledge imparted to him by his Lola to survive. So, here’s the honest truth, I did not love this book. I liked it, it was well-written, the characters were well-developed, it had a satisfying ending, etc. It just didn’t “wow” me. When I think of the Newbery award, I think of amazing books that have left a lasting impact on me as a reader, like When You Reach Me and The One and Only Ivan. This one just didn’t do that for me. That being said, it is a good book, and one that I will recommend to students, especially fans of realistic fiction and survival/adventure stories. |
AuthorMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own.
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