As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds

As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds is a wonderful novel that tells a story of family, forgiveness, and what it really means to be brave.  In this award winning novel, the incredible Jason Reynolds helps teach the reader about the importance of family and the bonds we share.  He teaches us about forgiveness and learning how to let go of the past.   Maybe most importantly, he shows us the real meaning of bravery and how we all show it in different ways.  You will love seeing the dynamics of this family as they grow and change and figure out how to answer the questions that are being asked.  

Reynolds tells us the story of two brothers, Ernie and Genie, from Brooklyn.  When mom and dad need to take some time to figure out their marriage, the two boys end up spending a summer with their grandparents in Virginia, grandparents that they barely even know.  The country living is a shock from the very start, but the biggest shock comes from the discovery that their Grandpop is blind.  As the summer moves on, the boys become more comfortable in their summer home and begin to enjoy the country life.  But a series of accidents will make their time in Virginia more difficult.  As their summer winds to a close, they will learn that there is a lot more to being brave than they ever could have imagined.  As usual, Jason Reynolds has given us a beautifully told story that will deeply engage the reader into Ernie and Genie's world 

From Amazon:

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?