When I Was the Greatest

When I Was the Greatest

• Genre: Fiction; young adult realistic
• Originally Published: 2014
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 740L; grades 7-9
• Structure/Length: 16 chapters; approx. 250 pages; approx. 6 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Aspiring boxer Ali, 15 going on 16, lives in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn with his mother and younger sister. He enjoys hanging out with his friend Noodles and Noodles’s older brother, Needles. Despite Noodles’s quick temper, the three manage to stay out of trouble—until one night when Ali throws a punch to protect his friend.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Drug dealing; neighborhood violence; profanity; sexual content

Jason Reynolds, Author

• Bio: Born in 1983 in Washington, DC; inspired to begin poetry writing through interest in rap; became an award-winning writer of middle-grade and young adult fiction and verse novels; honors include National Book Award finalist, a Newbery Honor, a Printz honor, and a CILIP Carnegie Medal
• Other Works: As Brave As You (2016); The Boy in the Black Suit (2016); Ghost (2016); Patina (2017); Long Way Down (2017); Sunny (2018)
• Awards: Coretta Scott King/John Stepnoe Award for New Talent               

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Complexities of Defining “Family”
• The Effects of Inequality on the African American Experience
• Fear of Embarrassment

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

• Develop an understanding of the environmental and social contexts that relate to the central conflicts of the main characters.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections to the text’s themes of The Complexities of Defining “Family,” The Effects of Inequality on the African American Experience, and Fear of Embarrassment.
• Use visuals to represent key moments throughout the text.
• Analyze and evaluate the author’s craft to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding characterization, family structures, false personas, and other topics.