Jason Reynolds

“Having a superpower has nothing to do with the ability to fly or jump, or superhuman strength. The truest superpowers are the ones we all possess: willpower, integrity, and most importantly, courage.”

“I write about six to seven hours a day, five days a week, unless I'm traveling.”

“Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow. You will never change. You'll never learn.”

“We all want to believe in the magic of someone knowing what we're thinking.”

“'To Kill a Mockingbird' wasn't about me.”

“The truth of the matter is that chess is not the game of life because life does not ever happen the way you strategize and plan.”

“There are so many things I want to do, so many things I have to say.”

“It wasn't that the teachers were bad. From what I can remember, they were pretty good. It was about the selection of books. It was about not seeing my young life reflected back to me: my family dynamics, the noise and complexities of my neighborhood, the things I loved, like ice cream trucks and Kool-Aid.”

“I try to create characters people want to sit with, even if nothing is happening.”

“I grew up around a whole bunch of girls, and one thing I realized is what they had on their plate was very different than what I had on mine. The things girls are made to be responsible for is a heavy burden - take care of your younger siblings, do good in school, have some extracurriculars. The pressure is intense.”

“One thing I wish I'd been told in school is that my language is valid.”

“Boston is pretty infamous for race relations.”

“I wanted to be Langston Hughes.”

“I love, loved, loved 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks.”

“Rappers were my storytellers.”

“We've always been told to pretend as if we're not afraid.”

“I have a hard time with people who say they write for children but they don't really like children. I love children. I love talking with them.”

“The truth is, my life was made infinitely more difficult because I didn't read any books. But I didn't read any books. That's my story. That's my truth.”

“Writing is like any other sort of sport. In order for you to get better at it, you have to exercise the muscle.”

“I'm writing all the books I wish I had when I was a kid.”