NEW YORK, July 22 —#1 New York Times bestselling children’s book author and two-time National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds will publish his debut novel for adults with Scribner. Titled The Mouthless God and Jesus Number Two and scheduled for a 2022 publication, the novel tells the story of a boy name Mm who is born without a mouth and comes of age in a carnival town, where the power of storytelling can equally sustain or harm. The Mouthless God and Jesus Number Two will be published simultaneously as an audiobook by Simon & Schuster Audio.

“I’m honored to tell the story of this boy, Mm, who has lived in my imagination for years, and has also been in the back row of every school auditorium I’ve visited,” said Jason Reynolds. “He feels like a friend, a family member, and I’m grateful to Scribner for helping me introduce him to the world.”

“Our Children’s Publishing Division has had the distinct pleasure of publishing Jason Reynolds since 2014, and so we are intimately familiar with both the excitement he generates every time he brings a new work into the world, and with his extraordinary skill in bringing new readers to the world of books,” said Jonathan Karp, President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc. “We couldn’t be happier that Scribner will publish his debut novel for adults, and to work with him to create an entirely new audience of Jason Reynolds readers.”

“Jason Reynolds is one of the most extraordinary storytellers writing today, a magician of language and a force for good in the reading community,” said Nan Graham, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Scribner. “Scribner is thrilled to be publishing the first novel he is writing for adult readers and to join our colleagues at his longtime children’s book publisher Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, as well as his many other Simon & Schuster champions, toward this endeavor.”

“I’ve been watching Jason from afar for the last several years,” said Kathy Belden, Vice President and Executive Editor at Scribner. “I had heard he might one day be considering an adult book. His glorious gifts were evident from the first page. While this novel will be written for adults, it will build upon his work in children’s literature and further his mission in new and creative ways.”

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a two-time National Book Award Finalist, a Newbery Award Honoree, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. In January 2020, the Library of Congress named Reynolds the prestigious 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. With 3.5 million copies in circulation, Jason Reynolds’s books include Look Both Ways (a 2019 National Book Award Finalist), Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (co-written with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, and the New York Times bestselling “Track” series novels: Patina, Sunny, Lu, and Ghost, a 2016 National Book Award Finalist. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Kathy Belden acquired North American and audio rights from literary agent Elena Giovinazzo of Pippin Properties, Inc.

Scribner is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., a ViacomCBS Company, and a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

 

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07/22/20

Contact: Brian Belfiglio
V.P., Director of Publicity and Marketing
Scribner
brian.belfiglio@simonandschuster.com