Gr 9 Up-One Jason is a poet and the other an artist. One is black and one is white. Heavy on dreams and light on cash, the aspiring young men move to Brooklyn, eating cereal and fried tuna while writing and painting wherever and whenever they can. Dancing the line between novel-in-verse and poetry collection, this autobiographical collaboration riffs on staying true to oneself, cultivating creative genius, taking risks, friendship, and becoming adults. The verse and dynamic artwork are simultaneously playful and desperate, but always expressive and fresh. The two are so tightly intertwined that one feeds off the other, adding layers of meaning for readers to peel away. Though this book will undoubtedly find broad appeal, because the Jasons set out on this journey in their early 20s, it may speak most directly to older teens starting to grapple with some of the same issues. If not for visual appeal or immediacy of tone and theme, teens will love the speed at which this unique book can be read. One thing is for certainthey will clamor for Griffin and Reynolds's next collaboration. Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT

An artful collaboration; a love story.In the early aughts, acclaimed writer Reynolds and accomplished artist Griffin shared a first name, a college dorm room, and a plan to move to New York City to pursue their overlapping dreams. This mixed-media art project and collection of poems is the result of their striving and struggles and the strength of their friendship. A number of entries focus on differences, for example, between Griffin's red hair and Reynolds' black curls. By way of contrast and juxtaposition, this is a story of connection between visual art and poetry, between dreams and real life in Brooklyn, and between two young men who eschewed many cultural expectations regarding what two men can mean to one another and how they should express their emotions and creativity. Their history is illustrated in bold colors, and the printed words are complemented by hand-lettered text. While the unevenness of the textual and visual presentations can at times present more as an uneasy distraction than a cohesive narrative-like when Reynolds' well-grounded anxieties about New York or the precarious health of his mother are set against Griffin's art-world ambitions and passions-the creative effort forces readers to constantly give attention to form, process, and relationships of all sorts.Two Jasons share their singular experiences with all those who value art. (Poetry. 12-15)

A poet. An artist. Black. White. Regular guys. Survivors. Friends. Brothers. Two former college roommates, both named Jason, set off for New York City to seek their collective fortunes. Jason the writer is a recent college graduate, pragmatic yet optimistic; Jason the painter is full of ambition and wanderlustùso much so that the latter drops out of college in order to chase his dream and convinces a somewhat reluctant poet to join him. As money and food quickly become rare commodities, the cruel realities of life in the City are all-too evident for the struggling artists. Just as the disheartened painter begins to question the impetuousness of his decision, the poet mentally gains momentum. He realizes that the things in this world truly worth having come only by taking risks and that along with uncertainty and fear comes inner strength and freedom. Presumably based on a true story, this unusual little book can be read in a mere forty-five minutes. Written in poetic prose accompanied by a montage of color illustrations and photographs, the authors more than succeed in communicating the struggle and angst of two young men flexing their wings for the first time. Touching and endearing yet gritty and hip, this story should be highly appealing to older teens and indeed, many adults. The unstructured format, while geared perfectly toward young adults, may be a struggle for some ôgrown-ups.ö Should that occur, read it again.ùJudith Brink-Drescher.