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READING STYLE GUIDE

...with great power

8/1/2017

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Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds

If only life weren't such a strangely complicated pattern,
every person in the world, a single fly stuck to the web,
​And fear is the spider waiting for the right moment to feast."
"Yeah, well let me ask you something, Super Hero...Who's gonna save you?"
...and in today's "strange but true" turn of events: Yesterday I set Miles Morales down on the table. When I returned to retrieve the book, a case for a new keypad was beside it. The shock of seeing these two items together creeped me out. Seriously. I spent the entire day looking over my shoulder.
Read Reynolds's book and you will understand just how freaky this is. I won't give away an important plot point. However, if anyone has an unexplained encounter relating to this book, please share your experience in the comments section.
Maybe it's just me. 
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Full disclosure: I knew nothing about Miles Morales prior to reading this book.  After picking up the novel, I stopped after the first couple of chapters and did some research, learning more about this Super Hero. I found his back story fascinating. Biracial, his mother is from the Puerto Rico and his father is African American, Miles inherits the burden of a family history of crime.

​
​​"Because no matter what you say, you're just like me."
​Reynolds takes this character and adds complexity and depth to the thirteen-year-old who is wrestling to find the balance between his teen life and his super powers (in addition to wall- crawling and unlike Peter Parker, he has the ability to camouflage himself). He's a Brooklyn boy attending an upscale academy where he is besieged by racial harassment. Miles also struggles with  issues such as deciding whether or not to pursue the poetry-loving girl in class. He also grapples with the constant pressure to succeed in school.
"How am I supposed to work to keep some of the weight off my folks, and do stuff like extra credit? It's hard to do extra anything,  y'know?"
​In addition to vividly portaying Miles' inner struggles, Reynolds does a brilliant job of capturing the flavor and charm of the Brooklyn community. I especially enjoyed the dialog overheard when stopping by the barbershop, visiting the bodega, and hanging around the card table.
Reynolds shows his writing chops not only with character development but with a knockout action scene near the book's conclusion. He delivers the goods with heart-pounding intensity. That action left me breathless.
You've done it again, Mr. Reynolds. Another stellar novel to add to your expanding constellation of Middle Grade and YA hits.

Companion Interviews with Jason Reynolds

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Recrafting a Legend with Jason Reynolds
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Author Jason Reynolds Drops by Marvel LIVE! 
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Jason Reynolds: Why Books are Time Capsules
"Do we have a choice?" Alicia asked, snarky.
​"You always have a choice." Ms. Blaufuss winked.
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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