Legacy*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
Happy New Year!! My first read for the year I was so lucky to get Nikki Grimes' ARC on poets from the Harlem Renaissance. Personally, I am not too familiar with authors from the Harlem Renaissance; I did have one class in college that thematically revolved around the texts, but my knowledge ends there. Because of this, I felt that Grimes' book was a perfect reintroduction to the movement and the female poets that have fallen off my radar. One thing to know about this book of poetry is that it written in the "Golden Shovel" format. Grimes does a great job in explaining what the format is, but to paraphrase the Golden Shovel Poem is created using a line from another poem; once you have that line, the words in that poem must be used as the last word of each line in your poem. What I enjoyed about this is that even before we get into the readings, Grimes explains and gives an example of what this will look like. I find that to be so helpful and something that can be used in the classroom. On to the book- some things that I fully enjoyed about the book is that each poem by the Harlem Renaissance authors is thematically connected to Grimes' Shovel Poem. For example, if the poem is speaking towards societal standards for women Grimes will also keep that theme and recreate a new poem as a response or as a continuation. Reading both sets was something empowering because the themes encouraged readers to be more than what society tells us to be. In addition to beautiful works of poetry, visual artist were included in the process because at the end of each poem set there is a related image done by an illustrator/artist. No piece is a duplicate, and they each bring out the mental image that represented the poetry. Legacy is an amazing addition to any collection because it mixes modes of art as well as timelines in a seamless manner. I would love to see another addition to this book in the form of a series, and I can honestly say that Nikki Grimes did not disappoint. You can get your copy below, the book will be released on January 5, 2021: Amazon Barnes and Noble Powell's
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The Places We Sleep*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of The Places We Sleep. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion. Caroline Brooks Dubois' debut novel in verse, The Places We Sleep, is set during the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Our character Abbey must deal with puberty, death, bullies, and her father being deployed- possibly into a war zone. Although these are all tough topics as is, Dubois merges them in a very realistic way that does not overwhelm the reader. Abbey's father is in the Army and she is already on her 8th school in her educational career; she was very lucky to have made a friend right away, but even her friend cannot protect her all the time from the bullies that whisper hurtful words her way. Abbey sees her fair share of bullying, but another new student, very similar to Abbey, has to deal with far worse just because she is culturally and racially different than the popular kids at school. Usually, this would be enough to cause a middle schooler stress, but what makes matters worse is that there was an attack on Americans, and Abbey's aunt is lost in the rubble that was the World Trade Center. Abbey's mother must return to New York, they are in Tennessee at the moment, to help her sister's husband take care of their two young kids. During this time, Abbey's father must stay at home, but as more information of the crashes emerge it is inevitable that he will be deployed. As I was reading this book I realized that I was about the same age as Abbey, give or take a year, when the Twin Towers were attacked. Reading this book did remind me of the emotions that I felt as I watched the news play out at school, but what made this book important was that it gave me a different lens to view what others felt and experienced during this time. As a collective country, we can all remember where we were when we heard the news; we remember the coverage and the emotions, but our experiences do not compare to those who lived through it. Dubois gives us an example of how young people at that time were trying to understand the ideas of death, loss, and imminent war in their generation. I know that this review has so much information in it, but I feel it is important to add that not only does Dubois include the above topics, but while her mother is away, Abbey gets her first period. This is an important piece to talk about because we do not see menstruation discussed literature. I find it very encouraging that she included this in her novel because it gives young female readers a glimpse at how scary it is to get your first period and you don't know what to do about it. It makes shows young girls that it is okay to feel scared if you do not know what to do; I feel that this part of the book can help many young girls find comfort in knowing that they are not alone. Dubois' novel was released today, August 25, 2020. You can pick up your copy below: Amazon Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's Pillow Thoughts IVCourtney Peppernell's Pillow Thoughts Series is a collection of poetry, a lot of which deal with love and loss, but that are divided by themes that you can read based on what you need to hear. For example, one of the themes in this collection is "If your soul needs empowering," and I have to say that this was one of my favorites. Peppernell has a way of making you feel seen and encourages you to continue living the life you want. Throughout the book she reminds the reader that they are not alone, and that we are a part of her. I find that comforting, especially in times like these. The Pillow Thoughts Series is one that you can always go back to when you need to hear/feel/be something. If you need one of those collections that you can read in your own pace to reflect on, I suggest picking up one of these books. You can find them on the links below. Pillow Thoughts IV is released on August 4, 2020: Amazon Barnes and Noble BookedBooked by Kwame Alexander is about a high school student named Nick Hall who is trying to overcome family issues, bullies, and his crush all while trying to be an amazing soccer player. It wasn't long after we began reading that I started to feel for the main character and his plight to just get through his life.
This is a book I didn't expect to fully connect with, but I ended up loving nonetheless. The reason I started reading this book was because I am a middle school librarian and we do a daily 15-minute read with our students- this is the book we chose for our seventh graders. Kwame Alexander shared some strong characters and helped us see not only the problems that Nick is going through, but helped us connect to his adult characters' issues as well such as divorce, new opportunities, and career changes. I felt I saw myself in some of his characters, and it was something unexpected for me. I look forward to reading his other novels. Where to Buy: Barnes and Noble Amazon Unlearned: 101 Simple Truths For a Better LifeHumble the Poet's book Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths For a Better Life is a collection of thoughts to help motivate and enlighten the readers. I did enjoy the fact that he, from the beginning, reminds us that his writings may sound repetitive in some points, but the repetition is important for the message to sink in. We need to remind ourselves that our thoughts are what we become.
I feel that Humble's writing made me feel as if I was seen. There were times when he would say, "I appreciate you reading this, I care about you, You are important," and I felt his gratitude; it made me want to be grateful for what I have. This book is a great reminder of simple truths that can help get us through tough times and dealings with tough people. Never give up, just like Humble says. Where to Buy: Barnes and Noble Amazon |