All American Boys Essays
As the year came to a close, we read the young adult book All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, which explores the experience of high school students in the aftermath of the assault by a police officer on a young black man. The book examines how our personal experiences, including our race, influences how we respond to and behave to these events.
As a culminating project, students wrote analytical essays answering a question of their choosing. These questions included:
- What is the greatest lesson that the main characters learn throughout the book? 
- What is the most significant experience that compels the characters to take action? 
- What does the phrase “All American” represent throughout the book? 
- How does this quote by Desmond Tutu influence the characters in the book?: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” 
Click on the name of a student to read their essay!
