Category Archives: Poetry

Review: Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson

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Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson

Black Girl You Are Atlas
Renée Watson
Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Kokila
Published February 13, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Black Girl You Are Atlas

A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson.

In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes
about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.

Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it.

My Review

Another blogger recently said, “You can’t go wrong with Renée Watson,” and, wow, that is so true. I’ve seen this book in different places lately and I’ve had it on my reading list since it came out, because: Renée Watson. Finally, I had time to sit down and read it.

This book is a short (92 pages) poetry collection with gorgeous collage illustrations following each poem. It may contain only a few poems, but each one is as powerful as a punch. One is a tribute to her older sister, Dyan, capturing how older sisters lead the younger ones, protecting them and helping them as they grow. She writes about growing up in Portland, about her family’s roots and culture. She writes about being a woman and her hopes for all girls.

This book is a feast for the eyes and the heart. I absolutely loved every page. Watson is an incredible storyteller, nowhere more so than in her poetry. This book is definitely worth reading, especially for anyone who loves poetry or is looking for work about the current American experience.

The artwork is phenomenal. I found myself just sitting and studying some of the illustrations and marveling at how they capture the spirit of the poems in the book. Fans of Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin will want to read this one, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romance. She sees a relative kiss their partner.

Spiritual Content
References to growing up Baptist and a Bible open on the table.

Violent Content
References to Rodney King being beaten by police and Anita testifying about Clarence Thomas, and the death of Emmett Till. References to a boy who touches her after she’s told him to stop. One poem is dedicated to Breonna Taylor.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

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We Are All So Good at Smiling
Amber McBride
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About We Are All So Good at Smiling

They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.

Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.

They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.

The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.

My Review

I don’t know if there’s anyone else in the world who writes quite like Amber McBride. We Are All So Good at Smiling came out at a time when I was bogged down with other reading projects, but it’s been high on my reading list since it was released, and my expectations were high.

They were met, if not exceeded. How often does that happen?

This is a weird book. It mixes fairytales and a magical landscape into a contemporary setting, almost like Rochelle Hassan does in “The Buried and the Bound” series. Somehow, telling the story in verse seems to make it even more ethereal. It reminded me a little bit of The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R. M. Romero.

Some of the references feel pretty on the nose, such as a fairy boy named Faerry. There are so many layers to the story, though, so don’t be tempted to take things too much at face value.

I loved the creepy forest and the way that Whimsy and Faerry’s journey unfolded in connection with it. The way the fairytale characters appeared and how they changed depending on what was happening was really fascinating. I also thought exploring fairytales alongside mental health made for an interesting juxtaposition. It made me think of some of the moments in the book Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc.

All that to say that I very much got swept away in this remarkable, immersive story. Amber McBride is quickly climbing my list of auto-buy authors because she always delivers such rich, thought-provoking stories. If you haven’t read any of her books, this is a great one to start with. If you like fairytales and/or novels in verse, definitely put this one on your list!

Content Notes

Depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of a close family member, bullying.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Whimsy and Faerry are Black and have depression.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Whimsy practices Hoodoo, as passed down to her by her grandmother. Her family are conjures. Faerry is a fairy with wings few people can see. The story contains magic as well as fairytale and folktale references and characters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Bullies call Whimsy names and hold her underwater. Other characters harm Whimsy and Faerry, causing cuts to open on their bodies. References to Whimsy being suicidal at the beginning of the story and in the past.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Banned Books Review: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

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Tricks
Ellen Hopkins
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published August 25, 2009

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tricks

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching … for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don’t expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words “I love you” are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story—a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, “Can I ever feel okay about myself?”

My Review

I think it’s interesting that the cover copy of the book only mentions one of the queer characters. There are two point-of-view characters who are queer: Seth, who’s gay, and Ginger, who’s a lesbian. I wish the cover copy included mention of her.

This is a pretty dark book, but that’s kind of Ellen Hopkins’s brand. Tricks is the fourth book of hers that I’ve read, but it’s the first one I’ve read in a long time. Her books offer unflinching tales of teens enduring the kinds of hardships we are tempted to reduce to statistics.

Including five perspectives in a single novel in verse makes this a pretty ambitious project. We meet five different teens with five different back stories from five different parts of the country, so that’s a lot to track as we shuffle from one point of view to another. Some of the characters come from homes that seem stable and even loving. Others have already experienced deeply scarring trauma. Some of the character descriptions felt so abbreviated as to almost make them stereotypes. At least part of that may be because of the number of point-of-view characters in the book and the spare format of verse storytelling.

I think the book is also a product of its day, too. Since 2009, we’ve had a lot more conversations about the harmful effect of slut-shaming or perpetuating the stigma of prostitution. As I read, I found myself wondering how those more recent conversations might impact the words characters use.

The story doesn’t romanticize human trafficking. If anything, it’s a cautionary tale showing how, under the wrong circumstances, anyone can become a victim of trafficking. The author’s note in the backmatter encourages readers who need help to call a hotline specifically for teens in danger.

Tricks is One of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2023

Tricks was one of the top ten most challenged books of 2023. Among the reasons I saw cited for the challenges and book bans were that it contains queer characters, references to rape, and sexually explicit content.

Tricks does contain some explicit content. The graphic scenes are short and point up the danger characters face, the powerful emotions at play, or the way their relationships are evolving. This isn’t a book that will appeal to or be appropriate for every reader, but it’s a story and message that will resonate with some.

Content Notes for Tricks

Content warning for drug use, sexual assault, child abuse, and brief gun violence.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Two characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some use of the F-bomb and other profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Slut-shaming language used. References to sex and sex work. References to sexual assault and scenes briefly showing the assault. Kissing between two boys, two girls, or a boy and girl. A couple of scenes reference sex between more than two people.

Spiritual Content
References to Christian services and faith practices. References to faith used to control others’ behavior and abuse them.

Violent Content
References to and brief descriptions of sexual assault. References to a child hit by a car. A parent physically abuses their child and then drugs them. More than one character is in the power of an abusive romantic partner. One character is locked in a room with no food for days and kept in abusive conditions for longer. In one scene, a person with a gun shoots several others.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol and use marijuana and hard drugs. One character also becomes addicted to gambling.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Poetry, , , , , , , , ,

Lion of the Sky
Ritu Hemnani
Balzer + Bray
Published May 7, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lion of the Sky

A historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India.

Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. As their kites soar, Raj feels free, like his beloved India soon will be, and he can’t wait to celebrate their independence.

But when a British lawyer draws a line across a map, splitting India in two, Raj is thrust into a fractured world. With Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families are torn apart—and Raj’s Hindu and Iqbal’s Muslim families are among them.

Forced to flee and become refugees, Raj’s family is left to start over in a new country. After suffering devastating losses, Raj must summon the courage to survive the brutal upheaval of both his country and his heart.

Inspired by the author’s true family history.

My Review

When I read the first few pages or chapters of this book, it gave me some The Kite Runner vibes. Obviously, since this is a middle grade story, it has a completely different arc, but there was something about flying a kite with one’s best friend that took me back to my first time reading TKR in a good way.

I love that those opening scenes show Raj and Iqbal’s friendship despite the differences in their families’ beliefs and dietary practices. You could really feel how deeply connected those two boys were.

And then the British Partition occurs, and everything changes. Raj views the tumult through a child’s gaze, and sometimes the things he does to try to preserve the relationships he cares about inadvertently make things worse. That part was so heartbreaking to read.

The family moves in with relatives, and sharing space is challenging. The family grieves for everything they’ve lost. Raj’s dad and brother look for work, but it’s Raj who discovers a new path forward for his family and a new opportunity for his dad to see and appreciate him for who he is.

While the story has some dark moments, as the Partition turns neighbors against neighbors, it also has beautiful, poignant moments about the power of resilience and daring to be different. Raj, who at first seems like such a gentle character that one worries he’ll be crushed, shows the greatest inner strength and adaptability. The experience of watching him blossom and grow in confidence makes reading this book such a triumph.

Readers who enjoy novels in verse and historical fiction set outside the United States will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes for Lion of the Sky

Recommended for Ages 9 to 13.

Representation
Raj and his family are Indian and Hindu. Raj’s best friend and his family are Muslims.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The story hints at a romance between Raj’s older brother and a girl.

Spiritual Content
References to Hindu and Muslim beliefs, practices, and holidays.

Violent Content
Bullying. Islamophobia. Prejudice against Hindu and Sikh people. Tensions build between the different faith communities until violence breaks out, sometimes unexpectedly. In one scene, the description implies that someone kills a man tasked with protecting Raj’s family.

Drug Content
Raj’s dad sometimes drinks whiskey and smokes hookah.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis

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Unsinkable Cayenne
Jessica Vitalis
Greenwillow Books
Published October 29, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Unsinkable Cayenne

When her unconventional parents finally agree to settle down in one place, twelve-year-old Cayenne’s dreams come true—but the reality of fitting in is much harder than she imagined. Acclaimed author Jessica Vitalis crafts an unforgettable historical novel-in-verse about belonging, family, and social class for fans of Lisa Fipps’s Starfish and Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home.

Cayenne and her family drift from place to place, living in their van. It hasn’t been a bad life—Cayenne and her mother birdwatch in every new location, they have a cozy setup in the van, and they sing and dance and bond over campfires most nights. But they’ve never belonged anywhere.

As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide to settle down in a small Montana town. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally fit in and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn’t easy.

As her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls’ clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill, and she lives in a tiny, rundown home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the rich boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being “normal” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Unsinkable Cayenne is a character-driven novel-in-verse about family, friendship, first crushes, and fitting in. Set in the mid-1980s, this literary novel is for readers of Megan E. Freeman’s Alone and Erin Entrada Kelly’s We Dream of Space.

My Review

This is the first book by Jessica Vitalis that I’ve ever read, though Coyote Queen is already on my reading list! I saw nothing but high praise for that one and added it to my reading list immediately. If I wasn’t planning to read it before, I would definitely be planning to now.

I love novels in verse because it gives an author a chance to tell a story in which each word really counts. Delivering rich characters and vivid settings in just a few words takes really precise writing, and I can’t help but appreciate when it’s done well– as in this book.

Cayenne lives an unapologetically unconventional lifestyle. While she longs for the stability of a more permanent home and school experience, she understands how much her parents value the life they’ve crafted. She relates her experiences sans outside judgment. This is simply how her life is.

At school, her history teacher introduces a unit of study on the Titanic, which allows Cayenne and her classmates to think about the impact of classism through a really specific situation in which someone’s class dramatically impacted their likelihood of survival. Cayenne relates to the prejudice and classism described in the disaster as she tries to navigate relationships with kids whose families have fancier houses and clothes than hers.

It’s a thoughtful story filled with metaphors about birds and emotive descriptions of middle school moments that will still resonate today. I could see readers of Starfish or other thought-provoking novels in verse really enjoying this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cayenne’s dad has depression.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to nudity.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
Cayenne learns about the Titanic disaster.

Drug Content
Cayenne’s dad smokes pot.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal

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Light Enough to Float
Lauren Seal
Rocky Pond Books
Published October 8, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Light Enough to Float

Deeply moving and authentic, this debut novel-in-verse follows teenage Evie through her eating disorder treatment and recovery―a Wintergirls for a new generation.

Evie has just barely acknowledged that she has an eating disorder when she’s admitted to an inpatient treatment facility. Now her days are filled with calorie loading, therapy sessions, and longing—for home, for control, and for the time before her troubles began. As the winter of her treatment goes on, she gradually begins to face her fears and to love herself again, with the help of caregivers and of peers who are fighting their own disordered-eating battles. This insightful, beautiful novel will touch every reader and offer hope and understanding to those who need it most.

My Review

I love this story’s novel-in-verse format. It really focuses on Evie’s emotions and experiences and keeps us in the present with her. The cover copy compares Light Enough to Float with Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. As I read the book, I thought of some moments in Wintergirls.

Whereas Wintergirls focuses on the relationship between two girls and their harmful impacts on one another, this novel stays more focused on Evie herself. Evie does have a relationship with another girl that leaves readers questioning the helpfulness of the friendship, but her own journey stays front and center.

Light Enough to Float feels as deeply personal as it is. Evie brings readers into the center of her anguish, fear, and shame. But she also draws readers forward into her hope and her journey toward healing. Those moments stay grounded, reminding us that there’s no light-switch fix, but they show what recovery can look like and leave us rooting for Evie every step of her journey.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Evie and other characters in the book have disordered eating. Evie also has dermotillomania, a condition that causes her to pick at her scalp, harming herself.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some swearing, including rare F-bombs, used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Descriptions of disordered eating and self-harm. Reference to a suicide attempt (happens off-scene).

Drug Content
Reference to a drug overdose (off-scene).

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.