Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

How I Heard About It:  This ARC, due out in October, came to me via my #bookexpedition Twitter group.  I have been seeing and hearing a lot about Jason's upcoming novel.  Sunday afternoons are a great time to find a comfy reading spot and dig into a novel.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *This novel is a departure from Reynolds' earlier works because it is a collection of ten short stories.

2.  *Each chapter tells the story of a variety of middle-school students.  




3.  *The majority of the story takes place after school as the different characters are leaving school and heading home.  

4.  *The reader gets to know each character as they venture home and "share" what is going on in their life; both at school and home.  

5.  *There are a variety of life-issues presented in each chapter with sensitivity toward the ages of the potential readers of the book.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *When I first heard that Jason Reynolds was coming out with a new novel, I was quite excited.  

2.  *When I found out the book was a collection of short stories, I lost some of that excitement.  I'm not a huge fan of this format.  Just a personal preference on my part.  

3.  *As I made my way through the book, there were some stories I was drawn to more than others.  

4.  *I kept thinking that all of the characters would come together in a more solid way, but I didn't see any major connections.  

5.  *The concept of all ten stories taking place on each of ten different city blocks was unique, fresh, and a step out of the ordinary.  


Who Should Read It:    In my opinion I could see readers in grades six and above enjoying this story the most.  That doesn't mean there won't be some fourth and fifth readers who would find satisfaction with the collection.  Of course adult readers who are fans of Jason Reynolds will definitely want to check out his newest work of fiction in October.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   3 STARS out of 5 Stars!

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