“I also wanted to explore CTE in a way I had not seen done in literature young people will read.” “As always, I wanted to write about something I felt was important-in this case it was the deep bond between fathers and sons and what happens when outside forces work against that bond,” Woodson said, recalling the genesis of the book. Though his mother explains that these tendencies are likely due to the repeated head injuries his dad suffered on the playing field, ZJ worries whether his family will find a way to hold on to the happier memories and traditions they’ve shared.

In Before the Ever After, 12-year-old ZJ struggles to understand the recent changes in his beloved father, an adored pro football star who is now angry all the time and has trouble remembering things, including ZJ’s name. We have an exclusive first look at the book’s jacket, as well as some insights from the author and editor. Looking ahead to fall, her new middle grade novel, Before the Ever After (Penguin/Paulsen, Sept.), tackles the emotional territory in a story focused on family, football, and the effects of neurogenerative disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). author to receive the international prize since 1998. Adding to her long list of prestigious career accolades, just last week she was named the winner of the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing, the first U.S. Jacqueline Woodson’s readers know that she is skilled at moving the goal post for herself, always exploring new themes and genres in her work.

Before the ever after book