Staff Review: As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
By: Emily Burton
Genie and his brother Ernie are headed to Virginia where they’ll spend a month with their grandparents. Genie, an inquisitive and energetic boy, is excited about meeting his paternal grandfather for the first time and his inquisitive mind is shocked into overdrive when he discovers his grandfather is blind!
How does grandpop pour sweet tea? How does he get around the house? What does ‘a month of Sundays’ mean? Where do crickets go when it rains? Is the sun hotter in the South? Grandpop seems like a brave man to Genie, but why won’t he ever leave the house?
Bravery and being a teenager–no, a MAN–are exciting prospects for Genie so when Ernie’s 14th birthday arrives and he gets to shoot a real gun, Genie is excited to watch! But Ernie’s reluctance to learn leaves Genie dumbstruck and his ideas of bravery are challenged. Is grandpop brave? Is Ernie brave? Will Genie ever be brave?
For ages 9-12.