Jason Reynolds

A National Book Award Finalist! Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019 A Time Best Children’s Book of 2019 A Today Show Best Kids’ Book of 2019 A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2019 A School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019 A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 “As innovative as it is emotionally arresting.” —Entertainment Weekly From National Book Award finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions kids’ walks home can take. This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy— Talking about boogers. Stealing pocket change. Skateboarding. Wiping out. Braving up. Executing complicated handshakes. Planning an escape. Making jokes. Lotioning up. Finding comfort. But mostly, too busy walking home. Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Look Both Ways

"A collection of ten short stories that all take place in the same day about kids walking home from school"--

I read this book for a school assignment this quarter. As someone studying to become an elementary school teacher, I enjoyed the perspective it gave me on the students I could teach. It also reminded me we never know what is happening beneath a person's surface. I would recommend that teachers (and non teachers) read it because a lot goes on after a school day that we do not know about.

Riley

Sarah Sammis

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds is a collection of ten interconnecting short stories that together tell the story of a class given an assignment to imagine themselves as an object.

The book opens and closes with the image of a school bus falling from the sky. It's not until the last story that one can fully understand the context

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comm...

Melissa Palmer

Reynolds tells the story of middle schoolers, one for each of their blocks. The students are telling with bullying, gang violence, poverty, ill parents and more. Quick but powerful.

Marloes

Isabela H 

This is the second book that I've read from Jason Reynolds (the other being Long Way Down) and I definitely liked this book better. I will say that there are aspects of Reynolds' writing that I really really enjoy (especially his little references and cool little details spread through the stories) but neither of his books that I've read so far have drawn me in, reading them was still work. 
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories that can each stand alone but tie together beautifully, because that was my favorite part.

Abby Byers

Nadine 

10 short stories giving the back story of kids after they leave school. 
Best paragraph - the one talking about all the things a school bus can be to those in it.

A timely reminder of how little we know of the inner and outer and private lives of our students

Caroline Lewicki

This was a really great story for kids about perspective. Each chapter shows a student or group of students leaving school and what/where their walk home takes them. It’s an important reminder that we all have a lot more going on than anyone else realizes.

Sahi K

I’m somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5. 

I’ve always wanted to read a Jason Reynolds book because I’ve heard him speak on multiple occasions and he is amazing. So when this book was nominated for the National Book Award, I decided to give it a go without even checking out its premise.

You may think that my rating is low but I assure you that there’s nothing wrong with the book. The writing style itself is wonderful and easy to read, and the different narrators for each of the stories in the audiobook do their job beautifully. This is definitely one of those books whose experience is enriched in the audio format. The stories themselves are happy, sad, funny and everything in between; while also dealing with important topics like bullying, homophobia, death or cancer in the family etc in a simple and easy to understand manner. I didn’t realize this was a middle grade book until I was almost done with the first story, and that’s probably the main reason I couldn’t connect with it personally. 

To conclude, I think this book is a very good choice for young readers or anyone who is more accustomed to reading middle grade books (hence able to rate and review them more accurately). I think it might also be an interesting book to read along with your kids and help them understand the various issues that are talked about in it. And I would definitely recommend the audiobook because it’s narration is perfect.

Jennifer Dieter

I don’t know why it took me so long to read something by Jason Reynolds, but wow! Loved this intertwined set of stories as the last bell of the day rings at school. It’s funny and sad and heartfelt and all full of surprises. And Reynolds masterfully wrote a lot of characters and dialogue that was realistic and distinct, which is not an easy feat.

Jeni Enjaian

I knew that I would love this book. I have yet to read a Jason Reynolds book that does not absolutely satisfy. I also thought for sure that this book had made the list for SCLA but no. They missed out...or perhaps they will nominate it next year.
Reynolds wove these short stories together so they just touch off each other in a way that really tells the story from that of an observer. He does what a people watcher would but the stories go just a little deeper.
I absolutely loved this book.

Lynn Braden

Ten interconnected chapters told as one story of a group of middle school students as they deal with real world problems in their everyday lives. Jason Reynolds uses realistic dialogue and unique descriptions to bring the characters and their stories to life. Lyrical language makes for some interesting reading interwoven into stories about life from cancer to overcoming a fear of dogs. Overall, a very enjoyable read. 4 1/2 stars.

Becca Futrell

I received an ALC of Look Both Ways from the Libro.FM Influencer Program in exchange for an honest review!

To start with, the audiobook is A+. A different voice reads each story & it really adds more life to this book! 

Look Both Ways is a collection of 10 tales that link together a neighborhood. Each story is completely different, however, characters from one tale might be mentioned in another. I honestly don't have much to say about this read, besides the fact that its equal parts heartwarming & equal parts heartbreaking. I definitely recommend this read!

Katy B

Not my favorite Jason Reynolds book, but still fun. I like when books have stories where characters keep making appearances and things loosely tie together. That was a fun element of the book. A decent read.

Look Both Ways A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

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