On My Bookshelf: Lu by Jason Reynolds

The basic plot from Amazon: Lu was born to be co-captain of the Defenders. Well, actually, he was born albino, but that’s got nothing to do with being a track star. Lu has swagger, plus the talent to back it up, and with all that—not to mention the gold chains and diamond earrings—no one’s gonna outshine him.

Lu knows he can lead Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and the team to victory at the championships, but it might not be as easy as it seems. Suddenly, there are hurdles in Lu’s way—literally and not-so-literally—and Lu needs to figure out, fast, what winning the gold really means.

Why I liked it: Jason Reynolds did not disappoint with Lu, the fourth and final book in his Track series. While book 3, Sunny, didn't grab me like books 1 and 2, Ghost and Patina, book 4 was on fire! I loved how so many of the events in the series came full circle and the connections between characters that continued to be revealed.

I particularly loved the character development of Lu and his parents. Lu is albino and waffles between being overly confident as team co-captain and being terrified of Kevin, a boy who used to bully him. His father, also once involved in track, used to sell drugs, but now works trying to help others get clean and turn their lives around. His mother, pregnant with Lu's unexpected baby sister, runs her own business creating art out of fruit and since it is summer, Lu is her number one helper. I appreciated the love between Lu's parents despite their awareness of their flaws.

Classroom application: Like the rest of the Track series, I would recommend Lu for middle school and up. If your students are nearing the end of the Track series, Jason Reynolds has plenty of other amazing books for middle school students like As Brave As You and Long Way Down.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Lu for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

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