All American Boys

All American Boys

• Genre: Fiction; young adult realistic
• Originally Published: 2015
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 770L; grades 8-12
• Structure/Length: 17 chapters; approximately 336 pages; approximately 6 hours, 35 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Rashad, a Black teenager who is brutally beaten by a white police officer, and Quinn, a white teenager who witnesses the incident. The central conflict explores their struggle with racial tension, police brutality, and their place in the larger societal conversation about race.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Police violence; systemic racism; protest; emotional trauma; profanity and vulgar language

Jason Reynolds, Author

• Bio: Born 1983; American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle grade audiences; known for his realistic depictions of urban life and his commitment to creating diverse literature; former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
• Other Works: When I Was the Greatest (2014); Ghost (2016); Long Way Down (2017)

Brendan Kiely, Author

• Bio: Born 1977; American author of young adult novels; has an MFA from the City College of New York; work often addresses social and human rights issues
• Other Works: The Gospel of Winter (2014); The Last True Love Story (2016); Tradition (2018)
• Awards: Coretta Scott King Author Honor (2016); Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature (2016); Amelia Walden Award (2016)

CENTRAL THEMES  connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Challenges of Combating Systemic Racism
• What It Means to Be All-American
• The Power of Protesting

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social contexts regarding systemic racism that directly affect Rashad’s life.
• Read paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Challenges of Combating Systemic Racism, What It Means to Be All-American, and The Power of Protesting.
• Collect and analyze a variety of perspectives on what it means to be an American; relate these findings to messages of equality and justice in the novel.
• Analyze and compare the various characters, plot points, and themes to draw conclusions in structured essays regarding racism, American cultural perspectives, and other topics.