{"id":36907,"date":"2019-11-25T23:43:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T03:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36907"},"modified":"2019-11-25T23:43:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T03:43:42","slug":"review-of-look-both-ways-by-jason-reynolds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36907","title":{"rendered":"Review of Look Both Ways, by Jason Reynolds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Look Both Ways<\/p>\n

A Tale Told in Ten Blocks<\/em><\/p>\n

by Jason Reynolds<\/p>\n

Simon & Schuster Audio, 2019. 4 CDs.
\nStarred Review
\n2019 National Book Award Finalist
\nReview written November 22, 2019, from a library audiobook<\/p>\n

This book is a set of overlapping stories about lots of kids, all of them walking home from school. The audiobook version is read by too many people to list at the top of this review, so I\u2019ll list them here: Heather Alicia Simms, Chris Chalk, Bahni Turpin, Adenrele Ojo, Kevin R. Free, JD Jackson, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, David Sadzin, and Jason Reynolds. Something odd that all the stories have in common is the mention of a school bus falling from the sky.<\/p>\n

School\u2019s important in this book, because the kids are leaving school, but our heroes and heroines are walkers. They do get passed by buses and talk about buses and think about school buses falling from the sky, but most of the action happens once school gets out, in the ten blocks near the school.<\/p>\n

I think it was a little more difficult to notice details that overlapped between stories when listening. If I\u2019d had the print book in front of me, I would have leafed back to make sure I remembered when a name popped up again. But I did enjoy the variety of narrators, so I think it was worth listening. I may not be sure if there was a big picture in this book, but I do know I enjoyed each individual story.<\/p>\n

The stories include things like buying penny candy from a lady in the neighborhood after scrounging change; planning to outwit a new fierce dog that\u2019s popped up on the route home from school; preparing to talk with someone you like; navigating hallways; and figuring out how to protect your mother who\u2019s there to protect others \u2013 and who got hurt doing that.<\/p>\n

These are slice-of-life stories about a lot of different kids, and there\u2019s something here for everyone to like. Some of the stories do have hard things, but through all the stories, there\u2019s an infusion of joy and a splash of friendship. Everybody\u2019s got someone looking out for them.<\/p>\n

As usual, Jason Reynolds is writing about a black neighborhood, and that makes me happy \u2013 but there\u2019s nothing here that kids of any ethnicity won\u2019t enjoy. I\u2019m also glad that this isn\u2019t an issue book. It\u2019s a book about kids being kids together during that daily activity \u2013 walking home from school.<\/p>\n

jasonwritesbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/look_both_ways.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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