Born December 6, 1983 in Washington, DC
Reynolds is a new-age writer for young adults. His novels and poetry are inspired by rap and hip-hop. His first novel When I Was the Greatest (2014) is about the life of an inner-city teen when unfortunate events occur. Reynolds’s distinct voice and his reach to young readers make him a well-respected up-coming author.
Other works include All American Boys (2018), Ghost (2016), The Boy in the Black Suit (2015) and Miles Morales: Spider Man (2017).
A Preview of When I Was the Greatest
“Okay, I got one. Would you rather live every day for the rest of your life with stinky breath, or lick the sidewalk for five minutes?” Noodles asked. He turned and looked at me with a huge grin on his face because he knew this was a tough one.
“It depends. Does gum or mints work?”
“Nope. Just shit breath, forever!” He busted out laughing.
I though for a second. “Well, if I liked the ground, I mean, that might be the grossest thing I could ever do, but when the five minutes was up, I could just clean my mouth out.” In my head I was going back and forth between the two options. “But if I got bad breath, forever, then I might not ever be able to kiss the ladies. So, I guess I gotta go with licking the ground, man.”
Just saying it made me queasy.
“Freakin’ disgusting,” Needles said, frowning, looking out at the sidewalk. “But I would probably do the same thing.”
(Chp1. Pg.1)
Reynolds, Jason. When I Was the Greatest. New York, NY, Simon and Schuster. 2014.
Washington Post article on Reynolds
Write A Revolution 