Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Short stories done Reynolds-style, so obviously they're moving and funny and REAL. I cried twice and laughed more than that. Glad he's doing more middle grade.

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.

I loved that each chapter followed a different kid/ group. We get to know who they are and what drives them. They all feel like real middle school kids facing real issues. The school bus falling from the sky is a nice connection between all the chapters. We see some kids show up in other chapters and we have some inside knowledge about the . In the end, it is just a day, but wow, what kids face on just a day.

I've had this book waiting for me for well over a year. That's ridiculous. I knew it would be good, and it was...goodness, it's a Jason Reynolds book...it's a sure thing. I just couldn't bear to pick it up and read it knowing I didn't have another Jason Reynolds book to look forward to.

So what is Look Both Ways? It's stories about kids that all walk down the same streets and live around each other and have interconnected lives. It's stories about the troubles of human life and the ways things get better just by connecting. And sometimes worse. But then better again. Real life, you know.

What are the stories about it? Boogers. And kids who draw on the back of your one good shirt for private school. Standing on a box at 3:33 pm each day to tell jokes. Putting some grease on to shine up for that girl you like. Stealing coins. Skateboarding. And a bus that falls from the sky. Looking both ways. And don't forget: How you gon' change the world?

As a love of Jason Reynolds and someone who used to walk home from school, I was expecting to love this book. It was good, and I liked it, but that's about it. The story is a good reminder for everyone that you never know what someone else is facing, even people that you just cross the street with. It was also a good reminder of how connected we all are - if you've lived long enough somewhere and you get to talking to someone else who lives there, you'll probably find that you've got something in common based on where you live, like an extremely kind crossing guard who helps make sure everyone gets where they're going, safely.

Not as emotional (for me) as other Jason Reynolds books, just a nice sweet set of connected stories. I appreciated the differences in all the characters and the styles of each story. I thought this was a great reminder that adults don't always know what's going on with kids and to remember to be kind.

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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A school bus is many things.

A school bus is a substitute for a limousine. More class. A school bus is a classroom with a substitute teacher. A school bus is the students' version of a teachers' lounge. A school bus is the principal's desk. A school bus is the nurse's cot. A school bus is an office with all the phones ringing. A school bus is a command center. A school bus is a pillow fort that rolls. A school bus is a tank reshaped—hot dogs and baloney are the same meat. A school bus is a science lab—hot dogs and baloney are the same meat. A school bus is a safe zone. A school bus is a war zone. A school bus is a concert hall. A school bus is a food court. A school bus is a court of law, all judges, all jury.

Winesburg, Ohio