Ain't Burned All the Bright
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ain't Burned All the Bright is written by New York Times-bestselling author Jason Reynolds (Stuntboy, in the Meantime, Look Both Ways, Long Way Down, and more) and illustrated by Jason Griffin (Reynold's previous collaborator on My Name is Jason). Named a 2023 Caldecott Honor Book, it presents a young boy's observations of how his family reacts to racial uprisings and the Covid-19 pandemic (including his father's quarantine with the disease). The story is told in the form of the boy's journal. Poetic lines build the narrative, which is complemented by mixed-media collages and drawings. The storyline refers to the killings of George Floyd and Eric Garner. Through the idea of breathing, the author and illustrator make a connection between the violence of those deaths, the violence implicit in the way the Covid pandemic played out, and a metaphorical sense of people unable to breathe free in our society.
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What's the Story?
When AIN'T BURNED ALL THE BRIGHT begins, the unnamed keeper of the journal watches his mother watch bad news on television, a barrage of images and stories about police brutality and other racial violence. His brother plays video games, his sister prepares to go out and protest, and his father isolates in a bedroom, stricken with COVID. As the young boy interacts with his family members, he reflects on the state of their lives through words and images.
Is It Any Good?
Beautiful, haunting, and hopeful, this book is another excellent offering from a very gifted and prolific author. For Ain't Burned All the Bright, Jason Reynolds, who's Black, a New York Times-bestselling writer and recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, collaborates with his friend Jason Griffin, who's White. They team up to depict the inner life of a young Black boy in a warm, loving family within a harsh society and world. The book is laid out like a journal on ruled paper, with text and expressionistic drawings that are sometimes gray to reflect sadness, and other times generous with bright, happy colors.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about keeping a journal in Ain't Burned All the Bright. Have you ever used writing or making art to help you think through things or manage a tough time?
The authors use breathing and breath as a metaphor in Ain't Burned All the Bright. Did that help you understand the connections they made between the topics they covered?
Would you call this book poetry? Why or why not?
Book Details
- Author: Jason Reynolds
- Illustrator: Jason Griffin
- Genre: Poetry
- Topics: Activism, Brothers and Sisters, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
- Publication date: January 11, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Awards: Caldecott Medal and Honors, Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: January 30, 2023
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