Keeping the Night Watch

by Hope Anita Smith

So many unanswered questions weigh down thirteen-year-old C.J. as he struggles to understand why his father walked out. His father is back now, though C.J. is not as quick to forgive as the other members of his family. He still feels the weight of responsibility that fell on his shoulders when Daddy was gone, and he's not prepared to give that up. But C.J.'s anger is making him a stranger in his own home, and instead of life seeming better now that Daddy has returned, it feels worse.

Through powerful poems, Hope Anita Smith chronicles the nuanced emotions of a family that is slowly learning to heal and put the pieces back together.

Keeping the Night Watch is a 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, African American, Teen, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Picture Books

80 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2008

About the author

On her journey to becoming an award-winning author, Hope Anita Smith has been a storyteller, teacher, photographer, artist and a singer. Her first book, THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES won several awards including, The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, the Judy Lopez award from the Women's National Book Association, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor, the Claudia Lewis Award from Bank Street College and it was chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by School Library Journal 2004.

The sequel, entitled KEEPING THE NIGHT WATCH, is due to hit the shelves in the spring of 2008. She will follow that with another book that she wrote and illustrated INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO LOSE A MOTHER and Other Poems. Ms. Smith's first foray into illustration has opened yet another door to her, what appear to be, endless talents. The images, done in torn paper, are powerful and emotionally stimulating.

Her company,INKED WELL WORDS, has her teaching writing "wordshops" to writers of every age. She encourages her students to find their 'voice' using paint chips, random words, found objects, magazine pictures. And she sometimes teaches bookmaking workshops allowing her students to create personalized journals to house their creations.

Wanting to make sure her students get a feel for the 'behind the scenes' of being a published author, Hope conducts assemblies (mini musicals and or/ a Keynote presentation) that takes you from Idea to Hardbound book.

Hope Anita Smith currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.

Reviews

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it interesting that all of the Coretta Scott King Author Honor books are poetry, a genre that some students find difficult, but also a genre that can express strong feelings in a few well-chosen words.
Keeping the Night Watch is a story told mostly in free verse about a family adjusting to the return of their father, who'd walked out on them but now is back. Poetry is the perfect vehicle for conveying the childrens' fears. 8 year old Zuri, for example, makes up a story about getting a dog, whose name will be 'Stay'. 13-year-old C.J. though, has questions that are 'brick heavy' and is finding it hard to give his Daddy back the space he used to occupy in their house and also in his heart. C. J. is a 'pot with the lid on' while his father is 'a star that has burned out, lost his ability to be wished upon'. Perfect, and accessible, metaphors for C.J.'s anger and disappointment.
Like any well-written novel, whether prose or poetry, the conflict is addressed over time as the characters change and grow. In the end, C.J. acknowledges that 'the original floor plan for our family is sound. / In spite of everything, / our foundation is firm. / Our house is still standing.
I see from the reviews that this story is a continuation of the Steptoe Award-winning book, The Way a Door Closes. Keeping the Night Watch however is an easily-read, beautifully illustrated and emotionally satisfying novel that can stand on its own.

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prose poetry aged 10-14. Intense story of "being a man" in a traditional format. Not a one shot read

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 13, CJ has gotten used to shouldering a lot of responsibility for his mother and little sister. Now his father has returned and CJ is just plain angry. How can his father returning feel even worse than when he was gone? CJ has to work through his complex emotions before he is willing to give his father another chance to be part of the family. Told through poems, this book reveals (as only poetry can) one boy's inner emotional landscape amid those of others in his family. Through her poetry, Smith has created a book that will speak to teens going through similar situations and also any teen who has had to deal with difficult family situations.

There is tension, sorrow, joy, pain and jealousy here that is revealed without flinching. This book rings with truth. The illustrations add to the feeling of reality as Lewis' paintings feature portraits of this family on a stark white background, illuminating the inner feelings again.

This brief book should be placed in the hands of reluctant readers who will find themselves here. Highly recommended for ages 11-15.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poems in this book tell the story of a family learning to trust again. CJ's dad left them, but now he's back and the family that once seemed to fit together so well is now having problems adjusting. CJ doesn't know if he can trust his dad to stick around this time. As the oldest child, CJ had to take on some responsibility when his dad left and he's not sure he's ready to give it up. I liked the poems, but I wonder about the format of the book. It's bigger than your typical novel and I worry that it looks too young and picture-book-ish to be appealing to the young teens it's meant for.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book of poetry that tells a story of a young boy's struggle to rekindle the relationship of his estranged father who returns to the home. This book gives great understanding to the conflicting emotions that young people experience during the adolescent years and how they overcome with love and support from family and friends(even when they are the cause of the emotion). It is a must read!

[Alysa]

Audience: This book is good for helping to teach how to cope with a family member leaving the family and in some situations coming back into their lives. The book is for older students 4th grade and up because it deals with tough situations.

Appeal: It’s a poetry book and has pictures that relate to the poems, and it’s an interesting story.


Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipient Author Honor 2009

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping the Night Watch could be considered a novel in verse. Hope Anita Smith wrote a collection of more than 30 poems to tell the story of C.J., a young man whose father has returned to the family after a time away. We are not told why the father was gone, but in his absence C.J. had taken on the role of the man of the house. The return of his father is hard for C.J. to deal with. In the second half of the book C.J has his eye on Maya.

E. B. White’s watercolor illustrations do a great job of showing the feelings of C.J. – magnifying the words of the text.

Area of Potential Concern – Because of some of the language used to describe Maya and implications of activities they should engage in, I would hesitate to place Keeping the Night Watch in my K-12 Christian School library. If I did – it would be labeled for high school only.

I want to thank Macmillan for the complimentary copy.

[charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ 3 stars ]

number four in my children’s books with themes of social justice series.

while i definitely wouldn’t have categorized this as a children’s book, this one definitely packs a punch. i would recommend more towards high schoolers, due to some content. that being said, the prose in this book is written very well—the connection to the character of c.j. is intimate and clear. readers get a view into his life after his father has returned, followed by a coming of age tale. this reads as a novel in prose, which is becoming one of my frequent genres. i enjoyed this book, but wish there was more. more into the insights of c.j.’s relationships with maya and preacher, more into his relationships with byron, zuri, and his mother. i wasn’t aware there was another book in this ‘series’, and i’m sure these gaps are filled there. i’ll have to come back to this book once i read the other. overall, i enjoyed this coming of age tale of a young black man.

[Carlie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade: 6-8
Genre: Poetry
Review: The author has so much talent and it shows. The book was so captivating. There were so many poems that were so unique. One was a diamond shape, one had each line start with the next letter of the alphabet, and many other poems. Although the poems were very interesting they showed a lot of hurt. The young child had to grow up fast and take on responsibilities and wondered why things happened the way they did. I enjoyed reading this book so I would recommend it to others.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Companion to The Way a Door Closes, this short verse novel tells the story of CJ, a Black teen whose father left for a while but who has recently returned. CJ has become used to being the man of the house and is wounded by how quickly his family pretends everything is AOK. Smith captures the subtle struggles of the tense situation with grace and without taking sides. An excellent choice for MG readers who seek something short and powerful.

[Erica Gilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry book discusses the struggles CJ endures as his family is still healing from his father leaving. The unexpected return of his father only causes CJ to go through the emotional stages of disliking his father to in the end having some sort of forgiveness. This poetry is free verse, and very abstract. It has a deep meaning that many students can relate to as they progress into their adolescence like CJ.

[Kyle Ohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith is a poetry book with many different stories in it. It can almost be used as a student anthology because it covers many different topics. It was a Corretta King Scott honors book. It is told through the eyes of an African American kid and what it was like growing up. Each story has their own plot and setting. Some of them featuring some family members and other featuring other family members.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a worthy Coretta Scott King Award Honor book. Told in short poems, it is the story of a boy who has been the man of his African-American family out of necessity. But now his father has returned and the change is hard. Can you build on a foundation that may crumble? Poignant and heartfelt these poems track elusive emotions with wonderful writing that tells a story. I couldn't put it down.

[McKenzie Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to pack a punch in just 80 pages, but the poems in Keeping the Night Watch does a great job of conveying the anger, confusion, and sadness of CJ and his family after his father walks out, and then returns. It's a quick read, but it means a lot.

POPSUGAR 2021: The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list. (80)

[Katrin V · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of poems focused on the difficult terrain of trying to be a family again after a parent leaves and returns, written from the point of view of a teenage son. As an adult I thought it was good. 4 stars, but I am not sure if it would be welcomed by a teenager.

[Rachel (Kiplena) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice collections of poems. They all tie together!

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and lyrical

[Kim Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and touching

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A compact, beautifully illustrated story-in-poems about a black teenager, C.J. (who narrates), whose father took off for a time but has now returned to the family. As the oldest of three, C.J. has the hardest time forgiving his father and trusting Daddy will stay no matter how firmly he promises. But as C.J. gets close to a girlfriend of his own, Daddy's perspective on relationships answers an unmet thirst.

This book follows a first, much-awarded volume called "The Way a Door Closes," which I have not read.

[Elizabeth Seibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful novel in verse about how a young man comes to terms with his father coming back into his life after walking out. The figurative language in the book really drew me in. I have not read the book that came before this, but I was able to connect to the characters still.

[Irene Carracher Kistler · Rating 5 out of 5]

KEEPING THE NIGHT WATCH is a collection of free verse poems by Hope Anita Smith. Through her poetic storytelling, we learn the about the story of C.J., an African-American teen who stepped into the father role when his dad temporarily abandoned their family. He became the man of the house, caring for his two younger siblings and staying strong for his momma and grandmomma. But what is his role once dad returns? And how does a son forgive a father for abandoning the family? These questions are beautifully explored throughout this poetry collection.


The organization of the poems is critical to the arc of forgiveness between the father and the son. The collection is separated into the seasons of Fall and Spring, which represent the death and rebirth of the relationship between the two critical characters, C.J. and his dad. Hope Smith also varies the format of the poems, which keeps the reader engaged. There is a list poem, concrete poem and ABC poem among the free verse. There is a table of contents organized by the seasons of Fall and Spring, which allows the reader to easily find specific poems for rereading.


The illustrations by E.B. Lewis tug at the reader’s heartstrings. They are watercolor and ink illustrations which powerfully convey the emotion behind the verse. Readers will connect with the realism of his family portrayals, particularly the illustrations focused on the father and son. They bring the reader into the relationship and allow you to step into the conflict with them as they face off, man-to-man. To illustrate the poem Man-to-Man, the final poem in the Fall section, Dad and C.J. sit at the kitchen table with arms at the ready for an arm wrestling match. Upon close inspection, Dad is leaning forward and tensed with strength, while C.J. is relaxed in his posture and grip. It’s a fabulous symbol of the Dad’s apology and his desire to relieve C.J. of the pressures of being the man in the family, if only C.J. could forgive and let down his guard.


This poem will especially appeal to any teen who has experienced a parental betrayal, but will also speak powerfully to parents. It will lead to a deeper reflection of how your actions affect your children.


SPOTLIGHT POEM AND LESSON

This lesson idea is designed for teens 8th grade and up:


To introduce the poem, I would start a conversation about betrayal and forgiveness. How do you forgive a deep wound from someone you love? What does it take to let go of the pain and anger which accompany betrayal? Then, I would read the first 13 lines of the poem, which refers to the collection’s title:


The Night Watchman
by Hope Anita Smith


It’s dark,
but I’m awake.
I’m making the rounds,
checking that everyone is safe.
This was Daddy’s job before he left.
And even though he’s back…
it’s mine now.
My brother sleeps with one foot
hanging over the side of the bed.
Check.
I turn off Grandmomma’s light and
quietly close her door.
Check.


After these lines, I would do a think-pair-share with the questions, “What is the character doing? What do his actions say about his feelings?” Then I would finish the poem and allow the kids to sit for a minute and think. It’s a powerful poem and I would want to give the kids a moment to just absorb it.

After some think time, I would play the song by Pink titled Just Give Me A Reason. The video could also be shown at teacher discretion. I chose this song for its popularity among teens today and its focus on the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship--a focal point for many of the social dynamics in a high school. Afterward, give the students an opportunity to write a journal entry contrasting the difference between the poem and the song. A question prompt could be: “Who is harder to forgive, a parent or a boyfriend/girlfriend? Why?”

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen year old C.J. became the man of the house when his father walked out on the family. Now that his father is back, C.J. struggles to find not only his place in the family but also forgiveness for his father, who is doing everything in his power to make amends.
Told in free verse poetry, this book tells the journey from fall to spring, from hate to forgiveness, and from separation to unity. The simple words are rich with figurative language. C.J. compares the family conversations to baking, his father's eyes to a white flag of surrender, and the family's security to fine bone-china. Although each poem could stand alone, woven together, they tell the story of a healing family. Offsetting the serious nature of forgiving a father who abandoned him, C.J. also describes his crush on Maya and his nervousness when he’s around her. The addition of these poems creates a balanced look at a teenage boy.
The pictures, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, add fill in the blanks left by the simple words. The most compelling picture is the one for the poem entitled “Showdown at the O.K Corral”, which pictures C.J. and his father face to face, C.J.’s face angry and his father’s face determined. Another picture that speaks volumes accompanies the poem “Light at the end of the Tunnel”, which has a dark tunnel with C.J.’s father at the end in white, symbolizing C.J.’s secret hope that at the end, his father will be there as “our sun rising” (Smith 69).
To introduce this book, “If You can’t Stand the Heat”, which epitomizes C.J.’s anger is a good place to start.
I am mad.
I am the worst kind of mad.
I don’t yell.
I don’t slam doors.
I don’t throw things.
I’m a pot with a lid on,
I keep all my mad inside.
I just let it stew.
I want Byron to be mad, too,
but he isn’t.
Says he doesn’t want to hold on to mad.
He takes the lid off his pot,
Lets mad go.
Says he wants his family back.
Says he’s glad Daddy’s home.
I’m mad at Daddy,
But it feels like I’m mad at Byron, too.
We’re two different kinds of pots,
Byron and me,
and when it comes to Daddy,
we can’t cook together.
Students can analyze the emotion, the simple sentence structure to convey anger, and the cooking metaphors and then compare it to the final poem “Dance with Me” where the family finally comes together when C.J. dances with his father. “We keep our eyes on Him. We dance on our tears” (Smith 73). After reading this poem, students could write in their Jammin’ Journals (journals written in response to music) after listening to the song “Dance with my Father” by Luther Vandross. The journal entries could compare C.J.’s feeling of forgiveness when he dances with his father and the song’s sorrow over his mother no longer being able to dance with his father.


www.laurathebookworm.blogspot.com

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my Multicultural Resources for Diverse Communities class.

Smith, H. A. (2008). Keeping the Night Watch. Lewis, E. B. (Illus.) New York: Henry Holt.

Hardcover | $18.95 | ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7202-0 | 73 pages | Grades 6-8 (“Book Awards”) – Novel in Verse

How do you forgive a parent who has walked out on you? Can you ever rebuild the trust formed between parents and child? These are the overarching questions found in Hope Anita Smith’s Keeping the Night Watch.

Keeping the Night Watch is a continuation of the events which unfolded in The Way a Door Closes, in which C.J.’s father abandons the family (“Hope Anita Smith,” 2011). Keeping the Night Watch is the story of what happens when C.J.’s father returns and the family has to learn how to live together again. While most of the family accepts its patriarch’s return fairly easily, C.J. cannot forgive his father for abandoning them. As each poem unfolds, we learn more about C.J’s life and feelings, both while his father was gone and after he returns.

The title “Keeping the Night Watch” refers to “checking that everyone is safe” at night, something that “was Daddy’s job before he left. / And even though he’s back… / It’s mine now” (Smith, 2008, p. 19). This line, poems about his sister Zuri’s fear of people leaving, shows C.J.’s concern for his family. He stepped into his father’s role of protector when his father left, and now he can’t step down. It is only through a lot of effort on his father’s part and a letter from Zuri begging for the family to “love each other again” (Smith, 2008, p. 67) that C.J. learns to accept his father.

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award (“Books in Print”), Keeping the Night Watch is a good pick for public libraries and schools alike. C.J.’s experiences of the school lunchroom and his first crush will resonate with middle school readers, as any reader who has been betrayed by a family member will resonate with C.J.’s struggle to learn to trust. Teachers may find the book’s Teacher’s Discussion Guide and Student’s Discussion Guide volumes published by JHU Talent Development (“Books in Print”) helpful when using this book in the classroom.

(2011, February 4). Hope Anita Smith. The Brown Bookshelf: United in Story. Retrieved from http://thebrownbookshelf.com/2011/02/...

(n.d.). Keeping the Night Watch. William Allen White Children’s Book Awards. Retrieved from http://www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbooka... keepingthenightwatch.html

(n.d.). Keeping the Night Watch. Retrieved from the Books in Print database.

[Erin Forson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping the Night Watch
by Anita Smith
C.J.'s dad walked out on the family years ago, and C.J. is used to being the man of the house. But when his dad comes back into town, C.J. can't understand why everyone allows his father to walk right in and take over. Written in verse and powerfully illustrated, this novel showed me what it must feel like to be forced to grow up too early, and then be expected to go back to being a child again—including following the rules children are expected to follow. What an impossible situation that must be. Understandably, C.J. is angry, and has every right to be. Ultimately, it is up to him to be a better man than his father was. I can honestly say that my perspective is different now than it was before I read the book. What if a new librarian arrived at WOMS and told me I wasn't the librarian anymore, and that I had to do things their way and work for them? I'd be furious! Amazing. This quick little read changed my perspective on life in about an hour. Now I get it. It's hard having a parent leave and come back, getting a stepparent, or going through any major change in the family. And let's face it, sometimes kids do get the short end of the stick.

[Ed]

Smith, Hope Anita. (2008). Keeping the Night Watch. New York: Henry Holt. 74 pp. ISBN 978-0-8050-7202-0(Hardcover); $18.95

In this companion volume to Smith’s award winning first book, The Way a Door Closes, C.J. wrestles with his feelings about his father. After leaving him, C.J.’s dad is back. C.J. is not sure whether he should be grateful that he can return to being the 13 year old son or whether he should forgive his father for sticking him with this responsibility in the first place. When Zuri, his sister, no longer wants him to read to her, C.J. wonders whether his father’s return means that C.J. is no longer valued. Told in verse with illustrations and plenty of white space on the pages, this book is perfect for many different types of readers. While this book paints a portrait of a son learning to forgive or, at least, understand his father, it is more than a mere family chronicle. Anyone who has suffered rejection or loss will see themselves reflected in these pages. The poetry is powerful, perhaps even better than the first book. E. B. Lewis’s illustrations capture both the anger and the love in this family struggling to move forward. Teachers could easily use this book as a read aloud in middle school classrooms.

[Debra Zager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this straight through last night and I am usually not a devourer of poetry. I read a few and put it down then read a few more but I literally could not put this book down! The poems are written from the perspective of a black, teenager, C.J, whose father has returned home. He has been the man of the family and now he resents the return of his dad. We are never told where his dad has been but he has been gone for a while and one poem "We are Family" is about the return of the prodigal son.
Smith explores the family dynamics between parent and child, husband and wife, grandmother and children in the first half of the book titled Fall. She is at her very best writing about being in love for the first time in the second half, Spring.
"My heart is racing, but I slow down my feet.
I need to make this last...
until I get it right."
He then realizes that despite her easy banter, Maya is just as nervous as he.
I laughed out loud when .
I read about his best friend suggesting that he give his new love "lingerie".
Fortunately, he doesn't!
This is a great book for anyone who hopes to fall in love, has fallen in love, or thinks they might someday. A poetry book that a guy can read and not be afraid he'll look sissy...this is really good stuff!

[Leslie Brevard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coretta Scott King Illustrator
Keeping the Night Watch
5 stars
5th – high school
This was one of the deepest books I have read in a long time. If I could I would give it more than five stars it was amazing. The illustrations went along well with the text. They were neutral colors that showed much emotion when looked at after reading the text. The text had so many emotions from being so angry in the beginning of the book to crying and forgiving in the end of the book. The way each pages was laid out told a different yet the same story all at once. This was a book on how to put the walls down and forgive even when it is the hardest thing you could do. Unfortunately too many children probably can relate to this book which makes it sadder than it already is. Hopefully when reading this book it makes them realize that they are not the only ones.
Language Arts
I would have them write a paper on the impact that this story had on them. What were the feelings they were having when reading the many sections tell me which parts were the most emotional for them and what part they enjoyed the best.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping the Night Watch is a sequel (companion novel?) to The Way A Door Closes. However, you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy and appreciate this one. Our hero and narrator is a young African-American man named C.J. who is struggling with finding his place in his family now that his father has reentered the picture and rejoined his family. C.J. grew into being 'the man' of the family. But now where does he belong? He can't go back to being a child? Can he?

Hope Anita Smith's poems are powerfully authentic as they examine the ins and outs, ups and downs of family life.

Family Cooking Instructions

Their conversation is sweet.
Their words are light and airy
like a just-baked cake.
They sugarcoat it
to cover up any flaws or imperfections.
Try to hide the sunken part.
They are so careful,
each wearing their own apron
to protect their clothed selves.
And that's why,
when I show up,
metal-cold and steel-gray,
they are not prepared.
I slice through
and we ooze out.
That's when we see that
we are not done in the middle.
We need to bake a little longer.

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping the Night Watch is written in verse about a young man's experience and feelings about a father who walked out on his family for awhile who then returns. Cameron (C.J.) grapples with a number of intense emotions in dealing with his father's return. He's reluctant to trust, angry, hurt, confused, and, ultimately, hungry to believe and count on his father to be there. The poems are lovely and capture each moment of his angst in a crystalline manner. I think the poem that amazed me the most is Zuri's ABCs. The illustrations are done well and really put a point on the main idea of the poem. I didn't expect to like this so much, not being a big fan of books in verse, but I found this one very admirable. It really reflects the family dynamics and angst that this family goes through as they try to reconstruct their family.

"This is a mess."
Grandmomma knows right away
I'm not talking about the dishes.
She hugs me and says,
"No, this is a family."

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first part of this book is awesome! I have never read a more heartfelt exposition of a young man’s anger, confusion, and displacement when his father returns home. The story is beautifully told in a series of poems about the young boy’s animosity towards his father. It’s brilliant. It’s poignant. I would recommend it to any preteen readjusting to a parent in his or her life. Some passages I just read over and over they were so moving especially “Seven Ways of Looking at My Father.” The second half of the book falters and I was significantly less interested, but the ending (the last half of the last poem) was worth waiting for. Black folks have needed books like these for a long time. Kudos to the author. No more Dick and Jane running aimlessly. This is a real story for the real lives of our youth.