Miles Morales Suspended - by Jason Reynolds (Hardcover)

About the Book

During Miles' in-school suspension, he finds himself in a fierce battle with a classmate turned insidious termite who is determined to destroy books and the Black and Brown history they contain, and only Miles can stop him.

Book Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes the "action-packed...banter-filled" (School Library Journal, starred review) sequel to his groundbreaking young adult novel Miles Morales: Spider-Man about the adventures of the unassuming, everyday kid who just so happens to be Spider-Man.

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. He has unexpectedly become totally obsessed with poetry and can never seem to do much more than babble around his crush. Nothing too weird. Oh! Except, just yesterday, he used his Spidey superpowers to save the world (no biggie) from an evil mastermind called The Warden. And the grand prize Miles gets for that is...

Suspension.

But what begins as a long boring day of in-school suspension is interrupted by a little bzzz in his mind. His Spidey Sense is telling him there's something not quite right here, and soon he finds himself in a fierce battle with an insidious...termite?! His unexpected foe is hiding a secret, one that could lead to the destruction of the world's history--especially Black and Brown history--and only Miles can stop him. Yeah, just a typical day in the life of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Review Quotes

The hybrid verse/prose format adds to the action-packed story line and provides an amusing, banter-filled tone, which Reynolds is exceptionally skilled at for drawing in even the most reluctant of readers. As tensions build, the termites embody censorship, a powerful topic brought up often via current events in schools and prisons across the country. Miles is complex, as he courageously argues for books to "try to read and write themselves free" and attempts to grab Alicia's attention by writing poetry, which is realistically awkward and sweet. Although Ganke's role is spare in this volume, readers will delight in this spirited character as he supports his bestie Miles and provides extra comic relief during stressful situations. Peña's comic-style illustrations enhance the story by reflecting the Spiderman side of our hero. Cultural references such as grease in the Bustelo can, bodegas, and dap depict the authenticity of Miles's world. Librarian Spidey senses are tingling; this is a must for your shelves.--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW "May 2023"

This sequel is more multilayered than the first installment, with action-packed digital drawings, Miles's first-person poems, and a third-person narrative all capturing a day in the life of Miles Morales--his neighborhood, his crush on Alicia Carson, his friendship with Ganke, and his conflict with teachers. There is room, though, for a climactic action scene in the boys' bathroom, where a creepy monster is thrillingly unmasked. --Horn Book Magazine "July/August 2023"

About the Author

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant, 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, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, 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, Lu, and Coach); Look Both Ways; Stuntboy, in the Meantime; Stuntboy, In-Between Time; Miles Morales Suspended; 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.

Zeke Peña is a Xicano storyteller and cartoonist from El Paso, Texas. He illustrated the award-winning books My Papi Has a Motorcycle and Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide. His studio work is a mash-up of political cartoon, border rasquache, and hip hop culture that addresses identity, politics, ecology, and social justice. Find him online @ZPvVsual and ZPVisual.com.