Jason Reynolds Quotes
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Having a superpower has nothing to do with the ability to fly or jump, or superhuman strength. The truest superpowers are the ones we all possess: willpower, integrity, and most importantly, courage.
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The truths are universal: Every kid knows fear. Every kid knows family and friendship. Loss, love, laughter. Everything else is just detail.
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Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow. You will never change. You'll never learn.
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The truth of the matter is that chess is not the game of life because life does not ever happen the way you strategize and plan.
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I write every single day.
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We all want to believe in the magic of someone knowing what we're thinking.
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I've been told what I can't do my whole life.
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It wasn't that the teachers were bad. From what I can remember, they were pretty good. It was about the selection of books. It was about not seeing my young life reflected back to me: my family dynamics, the noise and complexities of my neighborhood, the things I loved, like ice cream trucks and Kool-Aid.
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I read 'The Young Landlords' and felt almost a chemical change. What I realized while reading that book was that I could write in my voice, use my tongue, my language, my style, and write a story.
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I have a chip on my shoulder I pet every morning, a constant feeling like I have something to prove. Hearing that the canon can't be diversified, there's no room for more brown faces - that fueled my fire.
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Rappers were my storytellers.
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I know the feeling of confusion and betrayal. I know the feeling of fearing for my life.
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I am a consummate metaphor addict.
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I love, loved, loved 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks.
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I wanted to be Langston Hughes.
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I read tons of books, listen to music non-stop, watch as many movies as possible, catch a play when I can, art shows, concerts, bar talks - I just try to engage in art, which to me is everywhere, as often as I can because narrative lives in it all.
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When I was a kid, I couldn't see life outside ramen noodles and Kool-Aid.
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I believe that every character is a setting, a world with moving parts, and on the other hand, every setting is, in fact, a character - a living breathing thing with personality and backstory. The way stories come to life, at least for me, is when these elements commune in relationship to one another.
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I just want young people to read my books and feel cared for, feel safe, feel like there's someone else in the world who understands - or at least acknowledges - your existence.
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Boston is pretty infamous for race relations.
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If a kid is reading a book about someone who looks like them but doesn't talk like them, we stunt their growth by dissing them.
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Gratitude is one of the greatest gifts we can give. And it's not a gift we often give to children. We expect it of them, but we don't necessarily give it back.
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I try to create characters people want to sit with, even if nothing is happening.
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I try to be an active griever. I feel like we lean on time because of the trope 'Time heals all wounds.' And there is truth to that, but I don't think that it's absolute. I think that to grieve and to deal and cope, you have to be actively processing the information. Have your moments, be broken, and allow yourself to fully express pain.