Long Way Down
Publisher
Atheneum
Publication Year
2017
ISBN
9781481438254
Pages
320 pages
Genre
fantasy
Format
novel in verse
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
In Long Way Down, a young boy's brother has just died from a gunshot wound and through brief, powerful poems the reader gets the story of the brothers, the story of urban families, the story of a neighborhood, and the story of the impulse for revenge and the strength it takes to resist that. Terrifically powerful and searingly sad, this is Jason Reynolds continuing to explore some deep truths for young people.
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
HL720L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Family member death; Single parent; death of a brother; death of a father; single mother
Main Character
male teenager
Race/Ethnicities
Black
Family Formation
single mother
Awards
John Newbery Medal, 2018, Honor, Children's Literature
Children's and Teen Choice Book Award, 2018, Finalist, Teen
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Poetry
Edgar Allan Poe Awards, 2018, Winner, Young Adult
Indies Choice Book Award, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Book
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2018, Honor, Author
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2018, Winner, Young Adult Literature
Michael L. Printz Award, 2018, Honor
National Book Award, 2017, Long List, Young People's Literature
Odyssey Award, 2018, Honor, Children (13-18)
Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature, 2018, Winner, Teen
Keywords
gang violence; gun violence; murder; elevator; ghosts; visitors; revenge; victims of gun violence
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Reynolds, Jason, "Long Way Down" (2017). Diverse Families. 1405.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1405