As Brave as You
Book - 2017
Kirkus Award Finalist
Schneider Family Book Award Winner
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
In this "pitch-perfect contemporary novel" ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review), Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award-winning author Jason Reynolds explores multigenerational ideas about family love and bravery in the story of two brothers, their blind grandfather, and a dangerous rite of passage.
Genie's summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia--in the COUNTRY! The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Thunderstruck, Genie peppers Grandpop with questions about how he hides it so well (besides wearing way cool Ray-Bans).
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he's ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house--as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into--a room so full of songbirds and plants that it's almost as if it's been pulled inside-out--he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It's his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie's reluctance, Genie is left to wonder--is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won't do?
Schneider Family Book Award Winner
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
In this "pitch-perfect contemporary novel" ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review), Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award-winning author Jason Reynolds explores multigenerational ideas about family love and bravery in the story of two brothers, their blind grandfather, and a dangerous rite of passage.
Genie's summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia--in the COUNTRY! The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Thunderstruck, Genie peppers Grandpop with questions about how he hides it so well (besides wearing way cool Ray-Bans).
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he's ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house--as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into--a room so full of songbirds and plants that it's almost as if it's been pulled inside-out--he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It's his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie's reluctance, Genie is left to wonder--is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won't do?
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Publisher:
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Copyright Date:
â™2016.
ISBN:
9781481415910
Characteristics:
410 pages ;,20 cm
Comment
Add a CommentListened to this one and Ghost back to back. Highly recommend the audio of both. The narrator (Guy Lockard) REALLY brings the characters in each to life. And what characters they are- even the secondary ones! Loved seeing Genie and Grandpop grow closer over the course of the summer, and experience individual growth at the same time. Lots of laughs, and some tears, too. This would make a great family read. Jason Reynolds- a new fave.
This book is absolutely phenomenal. I adored how inquisitive Genie was and I appreciated the ways that he learned, grew, and tried to right his wrongs.
The plot of this story was so, so good!
It was my favourite book for a while until I read another book...
I can't really remember much from it, but I still remember how I enjoyed reading it a lot! My favourite character was the grandpa, who was blind but still was very funny and understanding, and was extremely intelligent.
I read this book to preview a potential read-aloud book for my younger boys. I loved it! I like the way you can see through the eyes of the main character, Gene. His inquisitive mind and tendency towards worrying about things reminded me of my son. Although the book handled some more challenging topics (the parents taking some time away from the kids to work on their marriage, the adjustment grandpa has had to make to going blind), it was handled in an emotionally gentle way. My older son might engage and ask questions, but the content would not be upsetting to my younger son. Overall a gentle, lovely, engaging story.
Jason Reynolds is an amazing writer with so much voice! I felt like I was right there with the boys as they discovered so much about their family and themselves over the course of a summer.
Strong sense of family ties and challenges, plus a view of a rural community from the eyes of two urban-raised brothers.
I loved the complexity and depth of the family relationships in this book. Reynolds deftly explores big issues through the eyes of a relatable character. Highly recommended for ages 9-13.
Genie is a delight! I loved how he questioned everything and his running list of questions for Google. I think he could have a bright future as a librarian. :)