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Loss, Ghosts, and Choices: Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff's Long Way Down, The Graphic Novel

     I whipped through Jason Reynold's graphic novel, Long Way Down (2017), in a little over an hour; it was so good! I then went back through the pages so that I could take in the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Danica Novgorodoff. Here are a few more details. 

  • 208 pages
  • Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel, 2018 (Reynolds)
  • John Newbery Medal, 2018 (Reynolds)
  • Yoto Kate Grenaway Medal, 2022 (Novgorodoff)
    
The story chronicles Will, a fifteen year old who's older brother has just been shot and killed. Will remembers three rules his brother shares with him and one of them is to get revenge; therefore, Will--armed--sets out the following morning to do just that to the guy he thinks killed his brother. The bulk of the story then takes place in the elevator Will takes the elevator from his apartment to the lobby as he runs into ghosts of his past that cause him to contemplate his decision to avenge his brother's killer.




I chose to read Long Way Down--a graphic novel--because of the list of accolades it received and because I knew it would offer me another view through someone else's eyes about a young life that was much different from the young life I led. 

The Rules weren't meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow. ~ as Will is back in the bedroom he and his brother, Shawn, shared--after Shawn is shot dead. This quote could a great springboard for students to discuss one of the novel's themes, cycles of violence. The above quote is also a strong one from the text that helps students see where the rising action of the story's plot is headed. It's also a foreshadowing technique as readers see where Will's thoughts are headed after his brother is murdered.

One floor to go to get out of this stupid steel box; this vertical coffin. ~ as Will is one floor from the lobby of his apartment building. This would be a great quote to use with students when looking at figurative language (e.g. metaphors) and writer's craft (see below). 

The best, most intense part--the novel's climax--takes place right after the previous excerpt I quoted.  I don't want to share it here because it could be considered a spoiler alert. 


Teaching Considerations

  1. Long Way Down, The Graphic Novel, would be a great text for older students to consider writer's--and illustrator's--craft. 
  2. It would also be a rich pick for a book talk about many of the major themes in the novel: grief, the cycle of violence, revenge, and family. For example, the theme of the cycle of violence could be examined through a book talk or discussion. The characters and plot could be identified as well as the graphic and literary elements that are used throughout Will's ride in his apartment's elevator. Students can work to identify the pattern of each ghost's appearance from each floor the elevator stops at. 
I really enjoyed this graphic novel and think that many YAs would, too! It is so rich with rigorous opportunities for learning and making deep meaning. The artistic elements are beautiful in poetry and illustrations so I not only consider Reynolds and Novgorodoff's work a great piece of literature in the YAL sphere but I also think it's a powerful piece of art.

Reynolds, J., Novgorodoff, D., & Reynolds, J. (2020). Long way down: the graphic novel. First edition. New York, Atheneum.

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