Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Finalist, National Book Awards 2019 for Young People's Literature

ISBN 9781481438285
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, Simon & Schuster |
Jason Reynolds headshot
Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books for children and young adults. A 2024 MacArthur Fellow and two-time National Book Award Finalist, Jason is best known for his novels All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), the Track series, and Long Way Down, which received Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Honors. More about this author >

Award Years

Award Status

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.
Stealing pocket change.
Skateboarding.
Wiping out.
Braving up.
Executing complicated handshakes.
Planning an escape.
Making jokes.
Lotioning up.
Finding comfort.
But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

Judges Citation

In Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds dazzles readers with a collection of linked short stories taking place within ten city blocks. Whether trash talking about boogers, swiping pocket change, dealing with bullies, or mourning the loss of loved ones, the characters leap off the page with nuance and authenticity. Reynolds’s stories run the gamut from slapstick humor to quiet reflection, all while celebrating the diversity and beauty of a single community.

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