How much do we really know about the people around us? The students at Latimer Middle School are typical kids: energetic, seemingly carefree and full of life. But beneath the surface, there are stories that sometimes even those closest to them have never heard. Everyone knows the Low Cuts steal pocket change; no one knows the oddly heartwarming reason. Say-So's teacher, in an attempt to keep her from "derailing the entire lesson," permits the class clown five minutes of jokes at the end of each period; Mrs. Stevens doesn't know that Say-So relies on jokes to make her hardworking mother laugh and to bond with her ailing grandfather. And those two boys clamoring down the hall--small Kenzi riding piggyback on "walking anvil" Simeon's back--aren't trying to be disruptive: Kenzi's diminutive stature has resulted in injuries from accidental elbows to the face in the crowded halls.
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down) is an unconventional, clever exploration of the secret trials and tribulations of middle schoolers. The 10 connected and intertwining tales are not neatly contained nor completed at the end, but rather left ambiguous, allowing readers to decide what happens next. Each of Reynolds's characters is so highly developed and memorable that they are easily noticed as background players in the others' vignettes. This insightful novel contains thought-provoking truths, often found within hilarious slice-of-life moments. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer