Author
Jason Reynolds
10 books here
As Brave as You
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 770L · 2018
Reynolds' tightest middle-grade work — the dual-brother narration and quiet depth about disability, courage, and family resilience will hit different readers at different ages, and it rewards rereading.
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 780L
A quieter, deeper book than its comic-book premise suggests—Porterfield's voice is funny and honest, and Middle School nails the tension between fantasy-escape and the bravery of living in your actual body.
The Boy in the Black Suit
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 780L
A quiet masterclass in how to introduce grief to kids without sentimentality — Reynolds lets Matt's confusion and small acts of kindness do the work.
Stamped
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 1050L · 2020
The essential YA US history book—Reynolds writes about racism, colonialism, and pseudoscience with fury and clarity, and doesn't let readers (or America) off the hook.
When I Was the Greatest
Middle grade · age 12+ · 750L · 2014
Reynolds's debut is unflinching about urban boyhood—violence, class, race, and friendship all coexist in prose that respects kids' intelligence and doesn't sentimentalize struggle.
There Was a Party for Langston
Picture book · ages 5–8 · 600L · 2023
A vibrant, funny celebration of Black family life that captures the specific joy and sensory overload of a multi-generational gathering without being preachy.
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2020
Reynolds pulls off something rare: a formally ambitious book (ten interconnected monologues) that reads like a page-turner and teaches empathy by making each voice matter equally.
All American Boys
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 820L · 2021
The most honest YA novel about race and policing for this age—Reynolds and Kiely refuse easy resolution and ask readers to sit with discomfort, which is precisely what makes it essential.
Ghost
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 780L · 2016
Reynolds uses spare, rhythmic prose to make grief feel visceral and belonging on a team feel like salvation—a genuinely moving introduction to how sports can heal.
Long Way Down
Verse novel · ages 10–14 · 770L · 2018
A devastating, urgent verse novel about a 15-year-old choosing whether to shoot someone for his brother's death — told entirely in an elevator ride. Structurally brilliant and emotionally unflinching; this is serious literature that respects teen readers' capacity to grapple with real moral weight.