Lu By Jason Reynolds – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Lu By Jason Reynolds

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book1990

94%

WISE Score

A flashy track star with albinism learns that leading a team is way harder than looking cool in gold chains.

Lu By Jason Reynolds

book

1990

94%

WISE Score

A flashy track star with albinism learns that leading a team is way harder than looking cool in gold chains.

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Screenwise Verdict

Ignore the 1990 date in the catalog—Jason Reynolds was barely out of elementary school then. This is the 2018 banger that closes out his Track series, and it’s a must-read.

If you have a kid who thinks they hate reading, give them this (or better yet, the audiobook). It’s fast, it’s funny, and it hits the 'Reading Rope' sweet spot: it builds massive language comprehension because the narrative structure and vocabulary are so rich, but the pacing is so quick they won't even notice they're working. It's a gold-standard example of how to write for modern kids without talking down to them.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 10-14 crowd. It's middle-grade fiction that feels 'older' because the voice is so sharp and the themes of integrity are universal.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It models deep integrity, the messy process of forgiveness, and how to handle a parent's past mistakes with grace. It's about being a 'real' man, which in this book means being honest and showing up for your team.

Imaginative

While it's realistic fiction, Reynolds' prose is electric and rhythmic. The way he gets inside a kid's head—especially a kid who feels like an outlier due to albinism—is incredibly creative.

Safe

Very safe. There's some mild bullying related to Lu's appearance (albinism) and some tension regarding a parent's past drug use/cheating, but it's handled constructively.

Enriching

This is a masterclass in character development. It builds empathy for people with physical differences and explores complex ethical dilemmas in a way that middle-schoolers actually want to read.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Masterful voice that sounds like a real kid talking, making it perfect for kids who usually find books 'boring' or 'too school-ish.'
Nuanced representation of albinism; it's a part of Lu's identity but doesn't define his entire personality or the plot.
High emotional IQ regarding father-son relationships and how to handle the discovery that your heroes (including your parents) are flawed.
Sports action that actually feels high-stakes, even if you aren't a track-and-field nerd.

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What to Watch For

The plot involves a past scandal involving Lu’s dad and Coach Otis that includes references to drug use and cheating in sports. It’s all backstory, but it’s the central tension.
Lu deals with teasing and bullying about his skin and eyes. It’s realistic, but might be a sting for sensitive kids.

Conversation Starters

"Lu thinks looking cool is the same as being a leader. When did he realize he was wrong?"
"How did Lu's perspective of his dad change after finding out about his past?"
"If you were Coach Otis, would you have forgiven Lu's dad as quickly as he did?"
"Why do you think Lu was so obsessed with the gold chains and the 'swag' at the beginning?"

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