“He wasn‘t strong because he wasn‘t afraid. No, he was strong because he kept doing it even though he was afraid.”
All American Boys | 
“He wasn‘t strong because he wasn‘t afraid. No, he was strong because he kept doing it even though he was afraid.”
This book would do well in a middle school and high school setting. It allows students to see how other students experience life through societal biases and stereotypes and can increase a sense of empathy for differences in life.
pickThis book has an important story to tell about a complex to-be friend group. In high school Rasham and Quinn are two students just trying to live their life. After a night out at a party, Quinn sees Rashad being brutally attacked by a police officer and does not know what to do. The story unfolds to see how the students and community respond to these actions while the two boys have to deal with their own personal lives as well.
pickThis book is about two high school boys and their journey of becoming friends as they handle racism and police brutality in their community. The book highlights the aspects of racial inequalities and coming together to bring light on social injustices. Overall, the book is very well-written and is very relatable to current world problems that many people face today within their communities.
pickTwo boys in high school, one boy is black, Rashad and one boy is white, Quinn, they are not friends in the beginning. They go to a party with a separate group of friends, Quinn is looking to buy alcohol, and Rashad accidentally trips a woman and spills across the store. Rashad is then arrested and beaten by a police officer. Quinn is faced with what he should do about the way the police officer treated Rashad.
pickTwo boys in high school, one black and one white main character. The boys don't start out as friends. The black student was accused of stealing in a convenience store. The store owner calls the police, and the officer drags the boys out of the store and beats him. There's an inner monologue with the second student about how to proceed after witnessing this beating. This event causes an uproar and a division in the community.
This book shows images of the lives of black men living in a white dominated society. It illustrates their realistic day to day struggles, as well as eliminating social and racial stereotypes.
pickMy #AuthorAMonth selection for the fantastic Jason Reynolds was actually co-authored by him and Brendan Kiely. In the vein of The Hate U Give and I‘m Not Dying with You Tonight, this is a powerful YA about two teenagers (one white, one black) directly impacted by police brutality on an unarmed black kid. It‘s poignant and directly addresses racism and prejudice from various angles.
Really good on audio with dual narrators.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
pickSo-so for the adult crowd but absolutely a pick for the student crowd. I think everyone would benefit from reading this and The Hate U Give.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” - Desmond Tutu
I know I‘m tardy to the party on reading All American Boys by Jason Reynolds but it was a fantastic quick read and provides an eye opening experience for students of all backgrounds. It especially teaches the great lesson of using our voices to fight back against injustice around the world.
pickRead for #BannedBookWeek
Challenged for profanity, drug use, alcoholism, because it was used to promote anti-police views, contains divisive topics, and is “too much of a sensitive matter right now”.
Chaplin says, NO MORE BANNED BOOKS! PROTECT OUR FREEDOM TO READ! 😸💕📚
Banned Books Week: Day 6!
This is another book that made the list of the top 10 most banned books in 2020. This was due to people claiming it 'promotes anti-police views.' Banning these types of books is SO harmful because if we don't read these books and have discourse about all the racial injustices in this country, how are we supposed to learn and make ourselves better?
so-soRead the Kindle version which only came out this year. I found this book to be important and it brought up important issues, was a interesting read but left me feeling a bit flat upon finishing it,
I didn‘t love it as much I wanted to, THUG did this storyline better, although that book gives a different take.
3.5/5
Read for the #PopSugarReadingChallenge2021
pickI‘m on a serious Jason Reynolds kick after finishing his Stamped Remix (which I haven‘t been able to put into words how phenomenal I thought it was, listening straight through twice). This is the story of two high school boys, one black, one white, dealing with the fallout of police brutality. This & the events of this last week reminded me yet again how many more names could be added to this protest sign from last summer. It‘s heartbreaking.
pickBook 14 of 2021. A very powerful story of the impact of police brutality on a community. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @kimmypete1 for everything. I love it all. I adore Jason Reynolds and I have been wanting to read Ta-Nahesi Coates. And, I love decorative pillows and my t-shirt.
Thank you @Chelleo for organizing. I appreciate both of you.
pickAn amazingly relevant book to teach adolescents about social justice. The coauthors seamlessly bring together stories of two teenage boys that I feel are incredibly relatable for some of my own students! A good way to help some students cope with what's going on in the world, find connections to bring themselves into the stories, and spark a dialogue on difficult topics!
pickPainful. And my first 5 star read of the year.
Here's my list for #bookspin #doublespin and #bookspinbingo with @TheAromaofBooks
I included the challenges/book groups I am reading with.
The opening chapter of this book already has my blood boiling for the millions of black boys who have to live under constant suspicion and threat of bodily harm. The first chapter of this book is everything that‘s wrong with race relations and policing in America. The escalation of violence. Over a (not even stolen) bag of chips! A bag of chips!!! 😡 😤
pickMy latest book from Libby... loved it. Couldn‘t ask for a more timely topic.
Rashad is unjustifiably beaten by a police officer and put in the hospital under the assumption he was stealing.
Meanwhile, a peer, Quinn, has his eyes opened when he sees the footage and decides to take a stand for a cause he never knew needed his and so many others‘ support.
This was a book that could generate so much discussion.
And hopefully: changes.
Back to school mornings. #dailydunkin #readya #teachersofLitsy #nowreading
pickI re-read Jason Reynolds's and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys as part of the Unabridged Podcast Buddy Read this month. I could not have anticipated how much it would resonate as we finished the second half this week.⠀
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The book is told from alternating perspectives. Rashad, a Black teenager, heads to a local convenience store after school, picking up snacks on his way to a party. In the store, a white woman accidentally trips over his bag, ⬇️
The two books I've read by #JasonReynolds. Read tagged book recently so very timely. #AugustAuthors @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
pickHighly recommend. Well written, unfortunately still timely considering it was written 5 years ago, and brought out the feels.
pickEven though this was published in 2015, the story is even more applicable today, and that is a tragedy. My hope is that in another five years this will be more historical than current. If you're interested in the overwhelming need for police reform and equality for all, this book is for you. As someone with obvious white privilege, the message to me is to remember that SILENCE IS VIOLENCE!
"Who am I if I need to be shocked back into my best self?"
pickThis is a perfect book to read right now as we learn to become allies in the BLM Movement. Jason Reynolds is an amazing writer.
pick“If you are neutral in situations of Injustice,you have chosen the side of the Oppressor.”- Desmond Tutu ✊🏻What. A. Book. What an author. What a time to be reading this one finally💙I held off reading this book prior to the events Of the past couple of months because of the uncomfortable/ hard topic. That, my friends, was/is the privilege my skin color gave me. To put aside books about very real issues until I was ready and comfortable. No more.
Watching this discussion from Library of Congress website. Just ordered tagged book as well!
pickThis should be required reading in today‘s middle and high schools. The two narrators and Quinn‘s eventually transformation demonstrates how we can change minds. #BLM
pickReally enjoyed this read along with my hubs. He doesn‘t read a lot of fiction, but we both flew through this story. Told from the POV of two different teenagers (each author wrote on behalf of one boy respectively). The story flowed very well and I didn‘t want it to end.
pickI don‘t want to say too much because this is a #LMPBC book, but this is a pick and one I‘ll especially recommend to the teen friends in my life.
This was also my belated March bookspin book @TheAromaofBooks
Genre: Young adult fiction
Date Started: March 5th, 2020
Date Completed: N/A
pages:316 pages
How did you choose this book: This book was recommended to me by a teacher.
pickExcellent read. I like the duel narratives of Rashad and Quinn and Quinn‘s struggle trying to face reality and accept it or understand it.
This book was representing all the racism that was happening in this world. It was about this black guy getting tackled by a white cop because the cop thought he was stealing but he wasn't. Another teen from the same school named Quinn saw the tragedy happen and he realized that the cop who broke the boys scull was Quins friends. Then the young teens tried solving the problem. THE BOOK WAS AROUND 300 PAGES BUT I ONLY READ 200.
pickI started this today. I finished this today. I could not put it down. Two boys, one Black and a victim of police brutalitu, the other white a witness to the beating who considers the cop to be family. A whirlwind. Really well done. The narratives weaved in and out brilliantly. I loved this. It takes such a great look at race and being a teenager trying to understand and graps whats happening in this country. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickRashad is absent again today.
This book had been on my tbr forever! I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it. It is right up there with The Hate You Give. It should be required reading in high school. Another great example of a story told in alternating perspectives, it tells about Rashad's brutal treatment at the hands of a white police officer.
pickThis book was amazing. Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's alternating voices created REAL characters that anyone and everyone can identify with while reading. This book is not just important for one person to read, but for everyone to read.
