QUAD CITIES (April 1, 2019) — Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, National Book Award Honoree, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors.
"We are thrilled to be bringing Jason Reynolds to the Quad Cities," said Lexie Reiling, Assistant Director of Davenport Public Library. "After his novel Ghost was named as an All-Iowa Reads selection for 2018, the Davenport Public Library could see right away how his books could speak to the diverse community we serve. We hope that this will be an opportunity for children and teens in Davenport to see themselves reflected in popular literature and for our citizens to be inspired by what is sure to be an engaging and exciting presentation."
Following a private presentation to the students and their families at Davenport's Smart Intermediate, Jason Reynolds will speak at the Davenport Public Library, Main (321 Main Street, Davenport), on Thursday, May 2nd at 6PM. Immediately following his presentation, Reynolds will be signing books. Due to time constraints, Reynolds will personalize one book per person and will autograph all additional items. Reynolds also encourages photos but will be unable to pose. Books a Million will be in attendance selling Reynolds’ books and will accept cash or credit. Registration for Reynolds’ presentation at the Davenport Public Library is appreciated to provide staff with an approximate number of attendees, but not required. For more information or to register, visit www.davenportlibrary.com or call the library at (563) 326-7832.
Thanks to a partnership between the Rock Island Public Library and Rock Island High School, Mr. Reynolds will also speak at the Rock Island High School Auditorium on Friday, May 3rd at 9:30AM and 1PM. Both presentations are open to the public. Community members should reserve for either the 9:30AM session, with seating available on the main floor, or the 1PM session, with seats open in the balcony. Guests visiting Rock Island High School should enter via the auditorium doors located at the northwest corner of the building.
To reserve a seat for either presentation, visit the Rock Island Public Library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, and select the online calendar at "find events." To register by phone, call the Rock Island Public Library reference desk at 309-732-7341. The list of reserved guests will at the door of each presentation.
Both the Davenport and Rock Island Libraries have hosted book discussions about Reynolds' work. Print and digital copies of Jason Reynolds' books are available for checkout through the respective libraries' catalog systems and online media services. The Rock Island Library has also ordered multiple copies of Ghost, Long Way Down, and The Boy in the Black Suit, for distribution to students at Rock Island High School, Thurgood Marshall Learning Center, Edison Junior High, and Frances Willard.
Jason Reynolds was named the American Booksellers Association’s 2017 and 2018 spokesperson for Indies First, and served as the national spokesperson for the 2018 celebration of School Library Month in April 2018, sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Reynolds’s many works of fiction include When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (co-written with Brendan Kiely), As Brave As You, For Every One, Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), and Long Way Down, which received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.
For more information about the May 2 and 3 visits by Reynolds, and associated events, visit www.DavenportLibrary.com or www.rockislandlibrary.org, or call Davenport Library at 563-326-7832 or the Rock Island Library at 309-732-READ.
Davenport Public Library Jason Reynolds programming made possible by: The Friends of the Davenport Library. The Davenport Public Library would also like to thank Smart Intermediate for their partnership with this visit.
Rock Island Public Library Jason Reynolds programming made possible by support from the Rock Island Public Library Foundation, Rock Island/Milan PRIME grant, The Sedona Group, Rock Island Community Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Rock Island, Junior Board of Rock Island, and Rock Island Rotary.
