When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award — Content Guide for Parents
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, a 'funny and rewarding' ( Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighbourhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen.
A lot of the stuff that gives my neighbourhood a bad name, I don't really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing.
Nah, not his thing. Ali's got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there's a dude looking for trouble - and, somehow, it's always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy's gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it's all small potatoes; it's not like anyone's getting hurt.
And then there's Needles. Needles is Noodles's brother. He's got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It's cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn't mean anything by it.
Yeah, it's cool . . . until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to be . . . somewhere they never should've been - where the people aren't so friendly, and even less forgiving.
' A funny and rewarding read.' Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review
'Urban fiction with heart . . . unexpectedly gorgeous.' Booklist
'M oving and thought-provoking . . . defies readers' expectations.' Kirkus
Frequently asked questions
Is When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The book depicts a tough Brooklyn neighborhood where characters encounter local thugs and gun violence. It addresses the dangers of gun violence and hyper-masculinity but minimizes explicit depictions of violence. No scary content detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have violence?
The book depicts a tough Brooklyn neighborhood where characters encounter local thugs and gun violence. It addresses the dangers of gun violence and hyper-masculinity but minimizes explicit depictions of violence.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have scary content?
No scary content detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have religious themes?
No religious themes or content detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have racial/cultural content?
The book addresses themes of race and identity, depicting the experiences of African-American characters in a nuanced manner. It contrasts these characters with stereotypes often found in street literature.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have profanity?
The book contains mild profanity, including the word 's--t' appearing early in the text.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have climate change?
No climate themes or content detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have sexual identity?
The book includes references to teenage relationships and a scene where a character fumbles toward sex, which is described as frightening. However, it minimizes explicit sexual content.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have gender roles?
No specific gender roles or themes related to traditional or modern gender roles detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
Does When I Was the Greatest Winner - Indie Book Award have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes or characters detected in the search results for 'When I Was the Greatest'.
