Jason Reynolds to Keynote AASL National Conference General Session

CHICAGO – Acclaimed author Jason Reynolds will keynote the Saturday general session during the 2025 AASL National Conference in a conversation with author co-chairs Shannon Gile and Mia Gittlen. Reynolds’s appearance is made possible by Simon & Schuster. Full conference information and programming can be found at national.aasl.org.

“Jason Reynolds isn’t just an author, he’s an activist. Jason uses his platform to promote empathy and understanding,” said author co-chair Mia Gittlen. “Our learners need stories that don’t shy away from tough topics, and Jason’s raw honesty is critical not just for this time in history, but for learners to know that their stories matter.”

Reynolds is an internationally celebrated and award-winning writer of young adult literature. His powerful body of work includes Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely), Long Way Down, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi), Stuntboy, in the Meantime (illustrated by Raúl the Third), and Ain’t Burned All the Bright (with artwork by Jason Griffin). He has received numerous honors, including a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King awards and honors. Jason is a 2024 MacArthur Fellow and had served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature from 2020 to 2022.

“To quote Jason’s All American Boys, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,’ speaks to the heart of school librarians,” said author co-chair Shannon Gile. “Jason understands the human experience so deeply that getting his books into the hands of a learner who needs to be seen and heard is moving and powerful.”

The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. A one-of-a-kind conference, the 2025 AASL National Conference will feature daily keynotes, more than 150 concurrent sessions, author panels, research into practice sessions, more than 120 exhibitors, the best practice IdeaLab, poster presentations, author signings, and endless networking opportunities. Content provided at the conference will be rooted in AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.

The American Association of School Librarians (www.aasl.org), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is committed to delivering the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages across print, digital, and audio formats. With an acclaimed roster of authors and imprints—including Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, and more—the company brings impactful stories to audiences in over 200 countries and territories. Learn more at www.simonandschuster.com.