Pick of the Week- When I Was the Greatest

Ms. Y's pick of the week is the award-winning When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds.  First-time author Reynolds creates engaging characters who confront raw emotion related to abandonment, violence and true friendship.  The narrator, Ali, lives in a Brooklyn brownstone with his mother and sister.  He becomes friends with two brothers nicknamed Noodles, who acts tough but secretly loves to draw comic books and Needles, who has Tourette's Syndrome.  Though they are neighbors, Ali and brothers have vastly different families- Ali's mother is a social worker who is loving and nurturing to her children while Noodles and Needle live in a dilapidated building with a neglectful mother.  Though the three teenagers stay away from the drugs and gangs that surround their Bed-Stuy neighborhood, they get drawn into a conflict that rock their friendship and test their character.  This novel offers a window into inner city life- showing the challenges and strength of the community.