As I listened, I began hearing 8th and 9th grade stories in my head, followed by three more years of high school, and I'm thinking of all the oops, whoops, what's, why's, worries, and absolute information young people spread/share/brag to others. In fact, I can hear, vividly, an argument I had with two of my friends while playing Pitch in a study hall at CNS...the whole rumor mill of hot tubs, retreat retreat, standing up, and even doing shots afterwards...stories boys told one another (and their girlfriends) to take risks, act like morons, and wrap themselves with immaturity. At times, I was like, "where do these idiots learn this stuff?"
It's probably because they don't learn this stuff. Healthy conversations are rare.
Ah, but if you teach high school, such conversations often come to you desks. Sometimes after school, other times at basketball games, and occasionally with a note written just to ask questions and to figure things out. Maturity should always be the answer. Responsibility and maturity. The Great Whatever knows kids typically get the stories, the untruths, the bravado, and not much of the messiness or nerves.
Kids need a book such as 24 Seconds from Now to think things through. More importantly, parents need to see adult ways of handling mature conversations with their young people. Healthy conversations that come from love, tough love, understanding, and life, itself.
I probably have the most important part of the book left to finish the entire story, and I'm looking forward to it. Guy Lockard does a phenomenal job in the reading, and I'm hearing Jason Reynolds, too (his voice as he put the story together). He's a wizard of the mind and I'll always appreciate him for all he brings into the lives of readers...always with a respect for kids who are figuring things out, but have those adult perspectives in the back of their minds.
And the cover with Denzel Jeremy Washington smiling back is simply brilliant. Phenomenal...all the way.
