Long Way Down~Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite young adult authors, and I have all of his books on my classroom shelves.
Long Way Down, though, is special. Written in verse, this book tackles the issue of gun violence... in an elevator. Protagonist, Will, takes the elevator in his apartment building to the lobby, fully intending on avenging the death of his big brother, Shawn. On the way down, though, Will is visited by several people in his life who were affected by gun violence. Will has to decide which path in life to take--the violent one that is all too common in his neighborhood, or the one that forces him to face his grief and choose something better for himself.
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Maturity: 3/4
This novel is entirely based on the murder of multiple characters due to gun violence. Some of these deaths are described in detail. There are also references to gang violence in the novel, and there are swear words. However, I feel that when explained properly, this novel is appropriate for strong and mature readers age 12+. The message of this novel is very positive and demonstrates the destruction that gangs, anger, and traditions of revenge cause.
Pages: 306
Lexile: HL750L
A note about this Lexile score: The HL before this Lexile score indicates that this book is categorized as a high-interest, low-level reading novel. Essentially, the content of the book is highly engaging and has a Lexile score much lower than the typical reading level of its intended audience. This novel is perfect for middle schoolers because it is so accessible to learners of all ability levels.
Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation. If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!