This is a gorgeous picture book in free verse that is an ode to Black people everywhere, showing how they are all tied together by music and food and This is a gorgeous picture book in free verse that is an ode to Black people everywhere, showing how they are all tied together by music and food and community--but by protests too. "We speak the language of books and streets, feet stamping concrete...countless steps that set the world on fire." Charles shares prominent Black figures in history and in contemporary society and how their efforts inspire people today. A very uplifting and inspirational book, would make a great gift. Beautiful art that is just fabulous; I think they're watercolor paintings, they're awesome....more
Some powerful poems by a young Black British performance poet. I read these for a book group, and we had thought they were for a teen audience, but upSome powerful poems by a young Black British performance poet. I read these for a book group, and we had thought they were for a teen audience, but upon reading it we felt they were more for an adult reader. Only a couple of poems really directly dealt with a teen experience, mostly they were poems about serious relationships and breakups, dealing with an older parent, etc. Also there were several very British references that I didn't get and I know American teens wouldn't get. But all of the poems were excellently written, and I could really tell they were meant to be performed aloud, they have a wonderful rhythm and cadence and some beautiful language choices. I definitely thought that the final poem in the book, "When to Write," could be used in part by creative writing teachers or in poetry workshops, because it's a great look at what inspires you to write, and that anyone can and should....more
Excellent poems that deal with Native American history and trauma, as well as personal moments such as how Harjo mourns her mother's passing or descriExcellent poems that deal with Native American history and trauma, as well as personal moments such as how Harjo mourns her mother's passing or describes her love for her partner and all of his strengths. Read as part of The Big Read sponsored by Kent State University. I am looking forward to seeing Harjo at a poem reading at KSU in the spring....more
Another winner in the satirical verse category for the accomplished John Lithgow. Very clever rhymes about Trump and his minions and their escapades, Another winner in the satirical verse category for the accomplished John Lithgow. Very clever rhymes about Trump and his minions and their escapades, accompanied by charming line drawings, also by the multi-talented Lithgow. Some of my favorite rhymes are: "The Torys, or the Tiger King", which tells Trump's life story in the form of a ballad about a tiger cub; "A Requiem Scored For Kazoo"; "Scoundrels and Heroes: Limericks From the Seat of Government (limericks about the idiots and the heroes in power these days); and "Recipe For Disaster", which is the oddest recipe you'll ever read: "Try a viral new cuisine, COVID-19...It's quick and easy to prepare/microbial fare. /First preheat an anxious nation/with misinformation.../Sow confusion and mistrust/Make your crust," and so on. Brilliant!...more
John Lithgow is a man of many talents! I had no idea he was so good at political humor/satire, and that he draws pictures, too. These verses are all fJohn Lithgow is a man of many talents! I had no idea he was so good at political humor/satire, and that he draws pictures, too. These verses are all funny and clever and very current. Some are original, while others are based on classics from nursery rhymes ("Trumpty Dumpty wanted a wall/To stir up a rabid political brawl") to Edward Lear (the Owl and the Pussycat becomes "The Walrus and the Kleptocrat"--John Bolton and Vladimir Putin) to Gilbert and Sullivan ("An Ex-Lieutenant General" instead of a Modern Major General, a verse about Michael Flynn) and so on. There's even some Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics rewritten ("My Favorite Lies" sings "Trumpty Dumpty"). This is a very clever way to get your politics on, and there's some great wordplay. The illustrations are cool, ink line drawings in political cartoon style. A note after many of the poems explains who the people are that are referenced, and why they made the news. Many things about the Trump presidency just can't be made any funnier, but this book does just that....more
Someone please give this book an award, many awards, next year! Shout is a powerfully written memoir in verse, with poems whose language demands to beSomeone please give this book an award, many awards, next year! Shout is a powerfully written memoir in verse, with poems whose language demands to be savored even as they pack emotional wallops to the reader. Anderson tells her life story, including that of her parents and how their family dysfunctioned together. The poems detail how her upbringing influenced her life and eventual career, and especially how the experience of being raped in high school shattered her; she couldn't fully acknowledge how much so until she was drawn many years later to explore the experience through writing her groundbreaking novel Speak. Anderson relates how, after the publication of Speak, she gained confidence and came into her own as a public person and advocate, and how important that novel became to teen and adult survivors of sexual abuse, some of whose experiences she weaves into her story here. I started to quote some of my favorite lines in this review but had to stop when I realized that I was going to be quoting quite a huge chunk of the book! This book is amazing and important, and I hope it is read by a wide audience, including young men. This review is based on an advance reader copy....more
Cute picture book for kids. Poems about the four seasons are colorfully illustrated with pictures of kids enjoying nature--picking apples, etc. The tiCute picture book for kids. Poems about the four seasons are colorfully illustrated with pictures of kids enjoying nature--picking apples, etc. The titles of the poems are just dates: "March 26" and then a poem about daffodils shivering and wishing they had waited to bloom. ...more
An excellent book of poems describing what it was like to participate in the March for Voting Rights in Washington, D.C. in 1963, when Martin Luther KAn excellent book of poems describing what it was like to participate in the March for Voting Rights in Washington, D.C. in 1963, when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The poems are the first-person accounts of marchers, mostly fictitious characters who are based on many of the people who actually marched; but some poems are also about real historical figures at the march. Poems are shaped poems as well as free verse. Some of the characters are white, some black, and they all give a feeling of the excitement, hopes, and fears of those in attendance: would they be arrested? Would there be a riot? Would their voices be heard? The march's planners worry: how will they get everyone there on time and then to leave on time, too? Will there be violence? Are they prepared? The poems' voices are all ages and socioeconomic classes, from teens to college students to seniors, from many different states; even a six-year-old on her father's shoulders chimes in. One real person at the march, rode a bicycle all the way there from Dayton, Ohio! Another rollerskated there from Chicago! These are small details that I'd never before heard of, but that really made the book come alive for me. Includes appendix that lists the poems by "Historical Voices," "Imagined Voices," by title and by voice, in addition to a standard bibliography. The authors did their research and you really feel like you were there....more
Mexican-American high school senior Gabi tells her story of senior year in a journal, which includes drawings from her zine, and poems she writes as sMexican-American high school senior Gabi tells her story of senior year in a journal, which includes drawings from her zine, and poems she writes as she develops her skills in a poetry writing class. She suffers from low self-confidence, in both her ethnicity (being a light-skinned Latina) and her body issues (overweight). She also has issues at home--her father is a meth addict and his story isn't so great--and her mom is clingy and doesn't want her to leave home for college, which is Gabi's dream. And of course there is drama with her friends, from teen pregnancies to sexual identity, as well as Gabi's budding romantic relationships with a couple of guys. Gabi is a funny, nervous, charming, marvelous character. Her poems are fun to read, especially to see how her voice grows throughout the year. The journal is peppered with Spanish phrases, most explained loosely in context, so there's a great Latino flavor to the story, grounding it in its cultural setting. Content and language are high school, not middle school-appropriate. my only negative is that the cover is really weird--maybe if the color choicse were different, I might have liked it better. I understand the metaphor of Gabi feeling like she's "in pieces" as illustrated by the collage from her zine, but it's really an offputting image for me. I think only a few teens will pick this up because of the cover, which is a shame....more
Written in verse, this beautifully written book tells the story of Dave the potter's life as a slave, learning to make pottery, and how he was marriedWritten in verse, this beautifully written book tells the story of Dave the potter's life as a slave, learning to make pottery, and how he was married twice, only to be separated from his wives when they were sold to other owners. It's a heartwrenching story, and the poems put us in his head, as well as giving us the point of view of others who knew Dave. Not much detail is known about him, so this is very fictionalized, but the author gives a nice list of "characters" in the beginning, of owners and slaves and what is known about them. The illustrations are by the author, lovely woodcuts. The writing incorporates actual poems and inscriptions that Dave put on his pots, which is partly how we know what we do about his life. Fascinating stuff. See also the gorgeous picture book, Dave The Potter....more
This is a very funny book of poems "written" by cats, and I couldn't stop giggling as I read it. Absolutely spot-on, any cat owner will immediately fiThis is a very funny book of poems "written" by cats, and I couldn't stop giggling as I read it. Absolutely spot-on, any cat owner will immediately find the truth in these. Very sweet, too. And great fun photos of cats. Not really an "adult" book, teens will love it too, but if I remember correctly there's some swear words? ...more
Celebrates Blues music in "shaped speech" poems, from sharecropping to slavery to the Mississippi River. Great illustrations to go along with Arnold'sCelebrates Blues music in "shaped speech" poems, from sharecropping to slavery to the Mississippi River. Great illustrations to go along with Arnold's finger-snapping poems....more
Before meeting the great Nikki Giovanni at the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth, I prepared by reading a lot of her Before meeting the great Nikki Giovanni at the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth, I prepared by reading a lot of her books of poetry. Fascinating stuff; this one covers a wide range of topics, from the slavery experience to remembering her first librarian, to friends and family, to the power of poetry itself. ...more
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