# When I Was the Greatest - Hardcover

by **Jason Reynolds** (Author), **Michael Frost** (Photographer)

**From #1 _New York Times_ bestselling author Jason Reynolds, a "funny and rewarding" (_Publishers Weekly_) coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighborhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen.**

_A lot of the stuff that gives my neighborhood a bad name, I don_'_t really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing._

Nah, not his thing. Ali's got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there's a dude looking for trouble--and, somehow, it's always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy's gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it's all small potatoes; it's not like anyone's getting hurt.

And then there's Needles. Needles is Noodles's brother. He's got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It's cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn't mean anything by it.

Yeah, it's cool...until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to be...somewhere they never should've been--where the people aren't so friendly, and even less forgiving.

### Author Biography

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 Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020-2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. His many books include _When I Was the Greatest_, _The Boy in the Black Suit_, _All American Boys_ (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), _As Brave as You_, _For Every One_, the Track series (_Ghost_, _Patina_, _Sunny_, and _Lu_), _Look Both Ways_, and _Long Way Down_, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

**Number of Pages:** 240

**Dimensions:** 0.9 x 8.3 x 5.5 IN

**Publication Date:** January 07, 2014

**Award:** Tayshas Reading (2015)

**Award:** Coretta Scott King Award (2015)

**Award:** In the Margins Book Award (2015)

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** When I Was the Greatest

**Interest Level:** Upper Grades, 9-12

**Reading Level:** 4.8

**Point Value:** 9

## Details

- **Price:** 19.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 19.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- When I Was the Greatest - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/when-i-was-the-greatest-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23