Coach - (Track) by Jason Reynolds (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Three starred reviews!

In this "beautifully executed victory lap" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) to Jason Reynolds's award-winning and New York Times bestselling Track series, meet Coach as a boy striving to come into his own as a track star while facing upheaval at home.

Before Coach was the man who gave caring yet firm-handed guidance to Ghost, Lu, Patina, and Sunny on the Defenders track team, he was little Otie Brody, who was obsessed with Mr. 9.99 (a.k.a. Carl Lewis) and Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Like Mr. 9.99--and his own dad--Otie is a sprinter. Sprint free or die is practically his motto.

Then his dad, who is always away on business trips, comes home with a pair of Jordans. JORDANS. Fine as fine can be. Otie puts them on and feels like he can leap to the moon...maybe even leap like Mr. 9.99 when he won the Olympic gold medal in the long jump. But one morning he wakes up to find his brand-new secret weapon kicks are missing--right off his feet! And Otie just might have a fuzzy memory of his dad easing them off as Otie was sleeping, but that can't be right, can it?

Unless all the reasons for his dad's "gone's" are very different from what he's been told... Because now, not only are the Jordans missing, but so is his father.

Review Quotes

In book 5 of the popular Track series, Otie is a sprinter and aspiring long jumper who dreams of competing in the Olympics. As he trains alongside other kids from his neighborhood, life is not without challenges. When classmates tease him about his hair, Otie longs for a trip to the barbershop, but his mother forbids it, knowing the shop is frequented by a local drug gang. Though the novel spans only a few weeks, it vividly portrays the hardships of Otie's neighborhood [...] Ultimately, Otie's resilience and determination shine through, making this an honest and powerful addition to Reynolds' series.--Booklist "Online"

Like the other books in the series, the author hits Otie and his life with natural finesse. Every moment comes across smoothly and lets the reader feel as if they're stepping right into the character's world. The problems Otie faces come across with familiarity and draw sympathy, and his reactions are very understandable...even when he makes mistakes. His family is supportive and loving, but they aren't perfect. Even his school life and friendships are packed with ups and downs. Some themes are a bit more difficult and are brought across with the rawness needed to make the sit. So, it's a well-rounded read with a lot to offer.--Bookworm for Kids

Middle-school athletes Ghost, Lu, Patina, and Sunny each have their own titles in Reynolds's Track series (most recently Lu, rev. 11/18); now it's Coach's turn. Who was he before he was an inspiring leader? How did he grow up to be so committed to his athletes' lives? [..] In Ghost, sprinter Castle Cranshaw says of his troubled home life, "You don't know what it's like, Coach. You don't know." But in this installment, we learn that Coach Brody does know. At the conclusion of the story, when young Otie is talking about his Olympic dreams, his mother says, "I think you gon' make it. But if for some reason you don't, guess what? I think you'd make a pretty good coach." A strong entry in the series that provides backstory for the coach who has been there from the beginning.--Horn Book Starred Review "November/December 2025"

Reynolds does a remarkable job of using pop culture references--from Michael Jackson to Back to the Future--to establish a sense of time and place. As always, his command of language is masterly, with crackling dialogue, propulsive plotting, and adroit characterization: Readers will emerge with a rich portrait of the forces that created the man whose mentorship would have a powerful effect on so many young people. A beautifully executed victory lap for a beloved series. --Kirkus STARRED Review "November 15, 2025 Issue"

Reynolds's books are popular with students who want shorter, snappy, interesting stories about kids facing a variety of challenges while involved in sports programs. It's a winning combination, so seeing a fifth book about the coach is an intriguing addition. We learn more about the area, the local culture, and the motivations that Otis has to grow up to become a Coach.--YA Books Central

"Reynolds is a master at hooking even the most reluctant of readers with witty and conversational dialogue that will have tweens feeling like they're on the track or in the classroom with Otie. Reynolds poignantly portrays how addiction affects families, including the cycle of improvement and relapses, and the role community plays. Otie learns life lessons from Coach Marvin; it's not the shoes, but who is in the shoes that matters. [...] A stellar companion novel about one tween's struggles and ambitions that can stand alone but will have newer readers sprinting to the rest of the books in this excellent series."--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW "10/3/25"

About the Author

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a 2024 MacArthur Fellow, a Kirkus Award winner, a UK Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, an Odyssey Award Winner and two-time honoree, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors and the Margaret A. Edwards Award. He was also the 2020-2022 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. His many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely); When I Was the Greatest; The Boy in the Black Suit; Stamped; As Brave as You; For Every One; the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu); Look Both Ways; Stuntboy, in the Meantime; Ain't Burned All the Bright (recipient of the Caldecott Honor) and My Name Is Jason. Mine Too. (both cowritten with Jason Griffin); Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...; and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. His debut picture book, There Was a Party for Langston, won a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.