When I Was the Greatest
From Carnegie winning author, a coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighbourhood lines - illustrated by award-winner, Akhran Girmay.
A lot of the stuff that gives my neighbourhood a bad name, I don't really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing.
Nah, not his thing. Ali's got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there's a dude looking for trouble - and, somehow, it's always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy's gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it's all small potatoes; it's not like anyone's getting hurt.
And then there's Needles. Needles is Noodles's brother. He's got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It's cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn't mean anything by it.
Yeah, it's cool . . . until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to be . . . somewhere they never should've been - where the people aren't so friendly, and even less forgiving.
'A funny and rewarding read.' Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review
'Fiction with heart . . . unexpectedly gorgeous.' Booklist
'Moving and thought-provoking . . . defies readers' expectations.' Kirkus
Jason Reynolds is a critically acclaimed and multi award winning writer and poet. He currently holds the position of National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in the US, and is the author of several books including All American Boys, Boy in the Black Suit and the Carnegie Medal award winning Run series. Born in Washington, DC and raised in neighbouring Oxon Hill, Maryland, Reynolds found inspiration in rap to begin writing poetry at nine years old. He focused on poetry for approximately the next two decades, only reading a novel cover to cover for the first time at age 17. Long Way Down was Jason's first novel to be published in the UK.
jasonwritesbooks.com
@jasonreynolds83
Akhran Girmay is a FAB Prize winning illustrator. His illustrated edition of the award-winning All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely is publishing in 2021. Akhran lives in Bristol.
akhrangirmay.com
@akhran_girmay