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Between the Lines
Darrian dreams of writing for the New York Times. To hone his skills and learn more about the power of words, he enrolls in Mr. Ward's class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Everyone in class has something important to say, and in sharing their poetry, they learn that they all face challenges and have a story to tell--whether it's about health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. As Darrian and his classmates get to know one another through poetry, they bond over the shared experiences and truth that emerge from their writing, despite their private struggles and outward differences.
First published February 13, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
February 17, 2018
Fabulous stand-alone companion to Bronx Masquerade.
August 22, 2023
"Maybe that's what being American is all about - being different, standing out, but standing together."- Val
I adored this YA book, probably because the theme surrounds poetry (a genre near and dear to my heart). The words through the poems of the students in Mr. Ward's class define the complex lives of these high school students. Mr. Ward, their teacher, helps them to express their authentic emotions by giving them exercises to do, and then verbalizing their feelings in front of the class. These exercises are critical in helping those who want to participate in an upcoming "Open Mic" hone their writing and verbal skills.
Darrian Lopez wants to be a reporter for the New York Times, and he is hoping Mr. Ward's class will help him garner the knowledge and tools he needs to pursue his passion. This isn't just about the poetry but about coming to terms with who you are, why you are, and where you blossom from here. Studying poetry taught these students and friends new ways to use language. Many of the problems weighing them down really belong to someone else.
In Mr. Ward's class readying for an upcoming poetry slam, Val, Tyrone, Jenesis, Freddie, Kyle, Li, Damian, and Marcel live in the same city, go to the same school, but each has a different story, and they try to figure how to tell it. They are all separate pieces stitched together with words and friendship. Tearing down walls of struggles is their challenge as they each deal with traumatizing situations. Poetry, understanding, and friendship are their lifesaver.
Having experience as a foster child who aged out of the system, Nikki Grimes zeroes in on her character, Jenesis White who faces such a situation. In her author's notes, she includes some organizations available to help teens in Jenesis' situation. This book is an easy read and highly recommended novel.
I adored this YA book, probably because the theme surrounds poetry (a genre near and dear to my heart). The words through the poems of the students in Mr. Ward's class define the complex lives of these high school students. Mr. Ward, their teacher, helps them to express their authentic emotions by giving them exercises to do, and then verbalizing their feelings in front of the class. These exercises are critical in helping those who want to participate in an upcoming "Open Mic" hone their writing and verbal skills.
Darrian Lopez wants to be a reporter for the New York Times, and he is hoping Mr. Ward's class will help him garner the knowledge and tools he needs to pursue his passion. This isn't just about the poetry but about coming to terms with who you are, why you are, and where you blossom from here. Studying poetry taught these students and friends new ways to use language. Many of the problems weighing them down really belong to someone else.
In Mr. Ward's class readying for an upcoming poetry slam, Val, Tyrone, Jenesis, Freddie, Kyle, Li, Damian, and Marcel live in the same city, go to the same school, but each has a different story, and they try to figure how to tell it. They are all separate pieces stitched together with words and friendship. Tearing down walls of struggles is their challenge as they each deal with traumatizing situations. Poetry, understanding, and friendship are their lifesaver.
Having experience as a foster child who aged out of the system, Nikki Grimes zeroes in on her character, Jenesis White who faces such a situation. In her author's notes, she includes some organizations available to help teens in Jenesis' situation. This book is an easy read and highly recommended novel.
April 16, 2021
I gave this novel 1 star. There are a few reasons behind this. While I do like that the book had people from many different cultural backgrounds and gave them different life experiences, I feel like it could have been written better. The characters should be written in a way that people can relate to them and understand where they are coming at but the actions and dialogue between the characters feels unrealistic and forced. Many conversations are awkward, very blunt and straightforward, and don’t sound anything like a teen would talk. Also all of the characters are so stereotypical: A scared kid, a sick kid, a kid who “isn’t like other girls”. I feel like these characters had potential but then many components of the book just ruined it. It seemed like the author was trying to make us feel bad for the characters but it was just too overwhelming. Every character’s backstory seemed worse than the one before it: my parents have high expectations for me, my dad is in jail, I’m afraid of literally everything, I have a terrible heart disease, I’m gonna be homeless in 2 years, I take care of my niece and my drunk mom. I think the author spent too much time giving them “interesting” backstories instead of giving the book an actual plot line. I think Li was my favorite character because I relate to hew the most. We both come from a family where the expectations for girls and boys are difficult and both value school. There were some parts of the book that I liked but the whole, “everyone needs a boyfriend/girlfriend” part was one one of them. I mean seriously, these characters have known each other for maybe 2 weeks and now they are all madly in love? It moved too quickly and I didn't like it. I did like that we were able to see the point of view from each character but even those seemed forced. Finally, two other things that annoyed me were Mr. Ward and the lack of plot. Mr. Ward always seemed to be in everyone’s life and he was honestly kinda creepy. I didn’t like how he tried to be cool and “like the teens.” It was uncomfortable, forced, and made me cringe the whole time. Then there’s the plot, or lack thereof. The whole book is building up to this ultimate poetry slam and then it literally never happens! The character developments were either terribly predictable or nonexistent. The dialogue was cringy and doesn’t sound like real teenagers. All in all, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to someone who enjoys books at a higher reading level. I think younger kids may like this if they have lower expectations of what a good book is but if you want something with actual substance, this book is not for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner ~ I loved Bronx Masquerade and I loved this one EVEN MORE! Although it can stand alone, I definitely think that these titles are best read in sequence so that readers can see Tyrone's evolution and how the popularity of the slam poetry class grows. The characters in BETWEEN THE LINES address topics of family, race, immigration, racial profiling, foster care and many other hard-hitting topics in heartbreaking and insightful ways.
Told through accessible prose and exceptional verse, this title is a required purchase for high schools ~ there are drug references and some cursing, so individual librarians and teachers will need to make the call on whether this is a good fit for their middle school. I will be including it in my combined middle/high library and will have no issues with middle school students reading it.
Told through accessible prose and exceptional verse, this title is a required purchase for high schools ~ there are drug references and some cursing, so individual librarians and teachers will need to make the call on whether this is a good fit for their middle school. I will be including it in my combined middle/high library and will have no issues with middle school students reading it.
October 23, 2019
I abandoned this book. The writing was so trite...they didn't sound like high school students...maybe it was too dangerous minds or freedom writers for me. I liked the concept, but the way the kids spoke sounded like an adult trying to sound like kids talk. I kept avoiding it...and I finally decided to quit.
January 26, 2019
GoodRead
February 22, 2018
This was a wonderful and very powerful read.
March 23, 2021
The thing about this book is that it calls out a lot of great topics of discussion and has a really great lesson that is quite obvious when reading it. However, like many other great novels, you can write a book about great things and still have it be interesting and make the characters likable. During my read of this book, I could not get into the plot at all, nor could I force myself to connect with the characters. Each and every one of characters have a personality that is completely based off of their one single quirk. One character is a foster child, and that's her entire personality. One is an dark-skinned aspiring poet, and that is his ONLY personality trait as well. None of them are believable, none of them feel real. As a teenager myself I feel like they are not portrayed in the proper way. What I find the most infuriating is that most who enjoy this book consider it "thought-provoking". I disagree. Despite the fact that it has some interesting points to make and really unique characters, the author does nothing with them, and everything is happy and dandy and works out fine every time there is an issue. If the author wanted to create a thought-provoking novel, then perhaps they should have written it realistically. How am I supposed to think about the novel when there is literally nothing to think about? Everything is spoonfed to me. I am a Junior in high school and was required to read this book during the summer for an assignment. However, I feel as though a simple fifth grader could read this book and just as easily come to the same conclusions I have. People need to realize that you can write a novel with unique characters and sensitive content and still make the reader feel engrossed in their fictional world and the people living in it. I'm afraid this book did not do that for me.
March 10, 2018
3.5-4 stars. I loved the style of having a main narrator while also getting different POVs and poems from the other characters and learning about their diverse backgrounds and home situations. The headlines scattered throughout were a great touch, with one of my favorites being GIRL ATLAS BALANCES THE WORLD because it's so dang relatable.
December 31, 2019
It’s okay. But, it doesn’t offer anything new. Others, including the author herself, have already done a better job exploring what’s here.
February 22, 2018
Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: ARC from Publisher/Blog Tour
Reviewer: Me
This is my first novel by Nikki Grimes and I have to admit, anytime I read a book from a new author I’m concerned I either won’t enjoy it or I won’t be able to relate to it on a personal level. However, with its easygoing prose and relevant, deeply compelling storytelling, Between the Lines not only made me feel an array of emotions, it left me with a newfound love of myself.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, high school students each with their own goals and aspirations who are battling emotional wounds because of their personal situations at home. Our main perspective comes from Darrian, a Puerto Rican student who lives with his father and dreams of writing for The New York Times. His goal is to tell a true narrative about people who seemingly get misrepresented in media, namely people from diverse backgrounds who are not the white majority. Through his eyes we get a glimpse of the other students in his class, how they view themselves versus how he views them. This was an interesting dynamic between the characters. Most of the time, people have a different perception of themselves despite what people on the outside may see.
Darrian was an inquisitive young man who wanted to know and learn about the people around him and why they saw themselves a certain way. Interestingly enough, a lot of what the characters were dealing with are issues our youth deal with today: single parent family, parent’s goals for you verses your own, foster care system, parents in jail, just being a brown person at the wrong place at the wrong time. And how does one live with that? How does a person, despite the odds being stacked against them, peruse their dreams and become something better, something greater? I think this is the most profound question the novel asks and it is one worth asking again and again. Not everyone is given the same opportunities to succeed and until that disparity is challenged, we have to guide our youth to make the right decisions and help them discover who they are in this mixed-up world.
Overall, I absolutely adore this novel. The rich poetry leaves the reader with an appreciation for the beauty of language and culture while managing to covey the hardships of life no matter a person’s ethnicity or background. There is something in here for everyone that I believe any young person (even some adults) can benefit from. Whether you’re looking for a novel to inspire your children or to give insight on cultural inequalities, or for just plain fun, please give Between the Lines a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: ARC from Publisher/Blog Tour
Reviewer: Me
This is my first novel by Nikki Grimes and I have to admit, anytime I read a book from a new author I’m concerned I either won’t enjoy it or I won’t be able to relate to it on a personal level. However, with its easygoing prose and relevant, deeply compelling storytelling, Between the Lines not only made me feel an array of emotions, it left me with a newfound love of myself.
The story is told through multiple perspectives, high school students each with their own goals and aspirations who are battling emotional wounds because of their personal situations at home. Our main perspective comes from Darrian, a Puerto Rican student who lives with his father and dreams of writing for The New York Times. His goal is to tell a true narrative about people who seemingly get misrepresented in media, namely people from diverse backgrounds who are not the white majority. Through his eyes we get a glimpse of the other students in his class, how they view themselves versus how he views them. This was an interesting dynamic between the characters. Most of the time, people have a different perception of themselves despite what people on the outside may see.
Darrian was an inquisitive young man who wanted to know and learn about the people around him and why they saw themselves a certain way. Interestingly enough, a lot of what the characters were dealing with are issues our youth deal with today: single parent family, parent’s goals for you verses your own, foster care system, parents in jail, just being a brown person at the wrong place at the wrong time. And how does one live with that? How does a person, despite the odds being stacked against them, peruse their dreams and become something better, something greater? I think this is the most profound question the novel asks and it is one worth asking again and again. Not everyone is given the same opportunities to succeed and until that disparity is challenged, we have to guide our youth to make the right decisions and help them discover who they are in this mixed-up world.
Overall, I absolutely adore this novel. The rich poetry leaves the reader with an appreciation for the beauty of language and culture while managing to covey the hardships of life no matter a person’s ethnicity or background. There is something in here for everyone that I believe any young person (even some adults) can benefit from. Whether you’re looking for a novel to inspire your children or to give insight on cultural inequalities, or for just plain fun, please give Between the Lines a try. You won’t be disappointed.
February 13, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for Between the Lines & Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes.
Between the Lines is a companion novel to the Coretta Scott King award winning Bronx Masquerade, a book about a group of students who find the power of poetry together in their English class. Now Mr. Ward has a new group of students in his English class in Between the Lines and yet again they're finding that poetry has the ability to bring diverse groups together.
First things first, those covers! I love the new look; I have the original cover of Bronx Masquerade in my library and the student on the cover looks a bit young. I love the juxtaposition of the words with the young teens on the updated covers; Bronx Masquerade looks like it has graffiti on it and Between the Lines is covered with newspaper headlines. I can't wait to see these in hardcover!
Bronx Masquerade was published 16 years ago, but in rereading it this week it still felt as relevant and raw as the first time I read it.
Between the Lines is no less powerful.
In its pages we meet Darrian, an aspiring reporter who is convinced that learning to write poetry will hone his writing skills. Darrian narrates through Between the Lines, sharing his headline for each of his peers. We also meet Li, a Chinese American student who wants to prove she is more than just academics. We also meet Jenesis, who has lived in thirteen different foster homes and has walls built up to protect her heart; Freddie, a young girl who cares for her drug-addicted sister's young child, as well as her alcoholic mother; Marcel, who carries his anger like a shield, among others. Each student opens up through their verse and begins to connect with their peers, ultimately coming together to do a girls vs. boys poetry slam at the conclusion of the book.
These types of books may be difficult for some readers who either struggle to keep the different students straight or wish there was more of a plot. Nevertheless, characters in both books are growing and changing, connecting with each other and their poetry is deeply affecting in many cases. Issues addressed include race, police brutality, immigration, foster care and other important issues in sensitive ways
Between the Lines is a companion novel to the Coretta Scott King award winning Bronx Masquerade, a book about a group of students who find the power of poetry together in their English class. Now Mr. Ward has a new group of students in his English class in Between the Lines and yet again they're finding that poetry has the ability to bring diverse groups together.
First things first, those covers! I love the new look; I have the original cover of Bronx Masquerade in my library and the student on the cover looks a bit young. I love the juxtaposition of the words with the young teens on the updated covers; Bronx Masquerade looks like it has graffiti on it and Between the Lines is covered with newspaper headlines. I can't wait to see these in hardcover!
Bronx Masquerade was published 16 years ago, but in rereading it this week it still felt as relevant and raw as the first time I read it.
Between the Lines is no less powerful.
In its pages we meet Darrian, an aspiring reporter who is convinced that learning to write poetry will hone his writing skills. Darrian narrates through Between the Lines, sharing his headline for each of his peers. We also meet Li, a Chinese American student who wants to prove she is more than just academics. We also meet Jenesis, who has lived in thirteen different foster homes and has walls built up to protect her heart; Freddie, a young girl who cares for her drug-addicted sister's young child, as well as her alcoholic mother; Marcel, who carries his anger like a shield, among others. Each student opens up through their verse and begins to connect with their peers, ultimately coming together to do a girls vs. boys poetry slam at the conclusion of the book.
These types of books may be difficult for some readers who either struggle to keep the different students straight or wish there was more of a plot. Nevertheless, characters in both books are growing and changing, connecting with each other and their poetry is deeply affecting in many cases. Issues addressed include race, police brutality, immigration, foster care and other important issues in sensitive ways
read-ebooks
February 4, 2023“We live in the same city, go to the same school, but each of us has a different story. What we have in common is trying to figure out how to tell it.”
This was a follow-up to Bronx Masquerade, but can be read as a stand-alone. This one had half the amount of characters, but still packed a heavy punch. The author handles all of the characters and their stories with grace, and you can’t help but root for them all to succeed. The bonds of friendship formed are truly special, too.
Poetry is such a powerful outlet, and I’m glad I’ve been reading more of it lately.
———
Rep: 9 high school kids living in the Bronx: Latinx, Black, White, Asian
CW: alcoholism, mentions of drug use, prejudice, racism, racial profiling, loss of a parent
———
Darrian Lopez - Puerto Rican, loves the newspaper, wants to work for The New York Times, lives with his father, lost his mother to cancer
Tyrone Bittings - makes a special (re)appearance
Li Cheng - Chinese-American, honors student, parents want a strong and smart all American girl
Jenesis Whyte - Black girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, foster child in her 13th placement, terrified of being homeless when she ages out of the system
Marcel Dixon - labeled a “troubled kid”, dad was wrongly arrested for drug charges, and his father hasn’t been the same since
Valentina Alvarez - Argentinian-American, bilingual, feels the pain and prejudice her father faces as an immigrant
Kyle Newton - White, heart condition, fearless, gets treated like glass by parents, skateboards
Angela Marie Bailey - social anxiety, afraid of not being enough
Freddie Houston - girl, mother to her mom (alcoholic) and her niece (because her sister is a drug addict)
This was a follow-up to Bronx Masquerade, but can be read as a stand-alone. This one had half the amount of characters, but still packed a heavy punch. The author handles all of the characters and their stories with grace, and you can’t help but root for them all to succeed. The bonds of friendship formed are truly special, too.
Poetry is such a powerful outlet, and I’m glad I’ve been reading more of it lately.
———
Rep: 9 high school kids living in the Bronx: Latinx, Black, White, Asian
CW: alcoholism, mentions of drug use, prejudice, racism, racial profiling, loss of a parent
———
Darrian Lopez - Puerto Rican, loves the newspaper, wants to work for The New York Times, lives with his father, lost his mother to cancer
Tyrone Bittings - makes a special (re)appearance
Li Cheng - Chinese-American, honors student, parents want a strong and smart all American girl
Jenesis Whyte - Black girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, foster child in her 13th placement, terrified of being homeless when she ages out of the system
Marcel Dixon - labeled a “troubled kid”, dad was wrongly arrested for drug charges, and his father hasn’t been the same since
Valentina Alvarez - Argentinian-American, bilingual, feels the pain and prejudice her father faces as an immigrant
Kyle Newton - White, heart condition, fearless, gets treated like glass by parents, skateboards
Angela Marie Bailey - social anxiety, afraid of not being enough
Freddie Houston - girl, mother to her mom (alcoholic) and her niece (because her sister is a drug addict)
June 28, 2018
First sentence: I check out Mr. Ward's classroom early, find dark walls covered with poetry hanging in picture frames bright as jelly beans. Who wrote all these poems? And where exactly does Open Mike Friday take place?
Premise/plot: Nikki Grimes' Between the Lines is a companion novel to the award-winning Bronx Masquerade. It is a new school year and this is a new class. So it isn't exactly a sequel. But if you enjoyed the first one, you'll love the second as well.
This YA novel written in prose and verse celebrates the human spirit. Readers meet a handful of students--young men, young women from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Wild Words by Li Cheng
Words
crack me open.
Only the right ones, of course,
those laced with beauty
or infused with the sweetness
of a ripe peach.
Each word, each lyrical phrase,
often powerful enough
to break, or heal,
the heart.
But you knew this
from the start.
Why else would you
come offering to share
your own wild words
with plain, ordinary me?
Words are clearly
the truest thing
we have in common.
Still, why me?
Never mind.
Your clever lines
have lassoed
my attention.
I'm listening.
My thoughts: Bronx Masquerade and Between the Lines remind me of Glee. In a good way. Both are about high school students finding a safe haven to be themselves and find their voices. Both are about high school students coming together and forming strong bonds of friendship. There are some differences. There is less drama--no melodrama--in these novels. That's a relief. The characters have struggles--internal and external--to deal with on a daily basis. Poetry is how they express themselves and deal with all the pressures and uncertainties of life. Honesty is important, and these poems offer it with amazing vulnerability. The students are brave, in a way, but their trust is not misplaced.
Premise/plot: Nikki Grimes' Between the Lines is a companion novel to the award-winning Bronx Masquerade. It is a new school year and this is a new class. So it isn't exactly a sequel. But if you enjoyed the first one, you'll love the second as well.
This YA novel written in prose and verse celebrates the human spirit. Readers meet a handful of students--young men, young women from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Wild Words by Li Cheng
Words
crack me open.
Only the right ones, of course,
those laced with beauty
or infused with the sweetness
of a ripe peach.
Each word, each lyrical phrase,
often powerful enough
to break, or heal,
the heart.
But you knew this
from the start.
Why else would you
come offering to share
your own wild words
with plain, ordinary me?
Words are clearly
the truest thing
we have in common.
Still, why me?
Never mind.
Your clever lines
have lassoed
my attention.
I'm listening.
My thoughts: Bronx Masquerade and Between the Lines remind me of Glee. In a good way. Both are about high school students finding a safe haven to be themselves and find their voices. Both are about high school students coming together and forming strong bonds of friendship. There are some differences. There is less drama--no melodrama--in these novels. That's a relief. The characters have struggles--internal and external--to deal with on a daily basis. Poetry is how they express themselves and deal with all the pressures and uncertainties of life. Honesty is important, and these poems offer it with amazing vulnerability. The students are brave, in a way, but their trust is not misplaced.
Read
March 14, 2018Was this a perfect novel? No. There was a lot of summary and the combination of very short chapters + tons of POVs sometimes confused me.
However, I loved reading about these characters finding their self-worth and voices through poetry. This book also tackles a lot of important issues like the foster care system, immigration, and the way the War on Drugs unfairly affects people of color in a way that felt naturally worked into the character's lives. The character's voices also felt more distinguishable than the first book, which I appreciated. I also think this book had some better emotional payoff at the final poetry slam than the first one did–there's several plot lines that all converge and pay off, rather than the novel just ending. (I would have like to see more of the actual poetry slam, though.) Overall, I would recommend!
However, I loved reading about these characters finding their self-worth and voices through poetry. This book also tackles a lot of important issues like the foster care system, immigration, and the way the War on Drugs unfairly affects people of color in a way that felt naturally worked into the character's lives. The character's voices also felt more distinguishable than the first book, which I appreciated. I also think this book had some better emotional payoff at the final poetry slam than the first one did–there's several plot lines that all converge and pay off, rather than the novel just ending. (I would have like to see more of the actual poetry slam, though.) Overall, I would recommend!
June 14, 2022
This is how I like to read poetry..A little story, then a poem, then a little story. A teen story about students from all different backgrounds in a English class who come together to prepare for a poetry slam..
January 14, 2018
Always love reading anything by Nikki Grimes. Meeting these kids and hearing their stories, especially Jenesis, will really touch you.
March 27, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book! It was such a quick read, I finished it in just a little over 3 days! There wasn’t much of a plot, but I actually liked the way the book flowed. The characters were very very likable; I loved that it switched povs. My favorite characters were probably Li and Freddie, but I liked them all. I overall give this book a 3.5/5 stars. It was super fun to read but I wish it was a bit longer. I wish we got to learn more about the characters and see how they grow.
July 9, 2017
I would give this novel 6 stars if I could (I apologize for the long review).
My very first year of teaching, a student’s father called me and accused me of wasting his son’s time with poetry. I listened, aghast, but did not know quite what to say. I wish I had had Nikki Grimes’ novel, Between the Lines, to quote Mr. Winston, the librarian as he explains to Darrian why he should learn about all sorts of writing, even poetry. “Because poetry, more than anything else, will teach you about the power of words.” And Grimes in her newest novel, to be released in February 2018, shows us the power of words—to heal, to strengthen, to discover. Like Bronx Masquerade, this novel takes place in Mr. Ward’s English classroom where he holds Open Mike Fridays and students work towards a Poetry Slam (and where BM character Tyrone makes guest appearances).
Mr Ward’s eleventh grade class is a microcosm of the outside world—Black, Brown, and White and maybe in-between. The reader views the eight students through the lens of Darrian, a Puerto Rican student who lives with his father and has dreams of writing for The New York Times because, “Let’s face it, some of those papers have a bad habit of getting Black and Brown stories wrong.…But I figure the only way to get our stories straight is by writing them ourselves.” So Darrian joins Mr. Ward’s class to learn about words. He does learn the power of words, but he also learns about his classmates as they learn about each other and about themselves through their narratives, their free writes, and the poetry they share. There is Marcel, whose dad was in jail just long enough to ruin his life; Jenesis, a foster child in her 13th placement; Freddie who takes care of her niece and her own alcoholic mom; Val whose immigrant father was a professor in his native land and now works as a janitor; Li, whose Chinese parents want a strong, smart American girl; Kyle whose defective heart makes him fearless and a mentor to Angela who is afraid she is not enough, and Darrian whose mother died of cancer “half past 36.”
But these students, as the students in our classrooms, are more than their labels. As Tyrone explains abut his class the year before, “Before Open Mic, we were in our own separate little groups, thinking we were so different from each other. But when people started sharing who they were through their poetry, turned out we were more alike than we were different.” And Darrian finds out that each word can be unique and special, as Li says about poetry, but also a newspaper story “can be beautiful, especially if it’s true.” Truth is what these characters and novel reveals.
A strength of the novel is the unique voice of each character; Nikki Grimes had to write not only their stories but the unique poetry of each character. And the reader sees the growth of the characters through their interactions and poetry as they discover each other and come together, the boys discovering “Hope,” and the girls telling what “We Are.”
My very first year of teaching, a student’s father called me and accused me of wasting his son’s time with poetry. I listened, aghast, but did not know quite what to say. I wish I had had Nikki Grimes’ novel, Between the Lines, to quote Mr. Winston, the librarian as he explains to Darrian why he should learn about all sorts of writing, even poetry. “Because poetry, more than anything else, will teach you about the power of words.” And Grimes in her newest novel, to be released in February 2018, shows us the power of words—to heal, to strengthen, to discover. Like Bronx Masquerade, this novel takes place in Mr. Ward’s English classroom where he holds Open Mike Fridays and students work towards a Poetry Slam (and where BM character Tyrone makes guest appearances).
Mr Ward’s eleventh grade class is a microcosm of the outside world—Black, Brown, and White and maybe in-between. The reader views the eight students through the lens of Darrian, a Puerto Rican student who lives with his father and has dreams of writing for The New York Times because, “Let’s face it, some of those papers have a bad habit of getting Black and Brown stories wrong.…But I figure the only way to get our stories straight is by writing them ourselves.” So Darrian joins Mr. Ward’s class to learn about words. He does learn the power of words, but he also learns about his classmates as they learn about each other and about themselves through their narratives, their free writes, and the poetry they share. There is Marcel, whose dad was in jail just long enough to ruin his life; Jenesis, a foster child in her 13th placement; Freddie who takes care of her niece and her own alcoholic mom; Val whose immigrant father was a professor in his native land and now works as a janitor; Li, whose Chinese parents want a strong, smart American girl; Kyle whose defective heart makes him fearless and a mentor to Angela who is afraid she is not enough, and Darrian whose mother died of cancer “half past 36.”
But these students, as the students in our classrooms, are more than their labels. As Tyrone explains abut his class the year before, “Before Open Mic, we were in our own separate little groups, thinking we were so different from each other. But when people started sharing who they were through their poetry, turned out we were more alike than we were different.” And Darrian finds out that each word can be unique and special, as Li says about poetry, but also a newspaper story “can be beautiful, especially if it’s true.” Truth is what these characters and novel reveals.
A strength of the novel is the unique voice of each character; Nikki Grimes had to write not only their stories but the unique poetry of each character. And the reader sees the growth of the characters through their interactions and poetry as they discover each other and come together, the boys discovering “Hope,” and the girls telling what “We Are.”
April 5, 2018
This is a 'next book' after Nikki Grimes’ Coretta Scott King Award-winning Bronx Masquerade. It's a perfect book to read this April/poetry month, shows how important it could be for teachers to use poetry with students, helping them to express their feelings, "their" stories so they can find empathy with each other, so they can be "known" to others. Slam poetry is an inspiring way to help students learn the power of poetry. Nikki Grimes shows this so beautifully in her new book.
Darrian begins this tale with dreams of writing for the New York Times. He is curious when he hears a hint about writing, thus enrolls in Mr. Ward’s class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Grimes allows all the students in the class to talk, tell their stories, and then in poetry. The challenges they face are daunting, makes me wonder how much teachers and classmates know about that boy across the room, the girl who sits in front or in back of them in chemistry. It can be health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. It touched me deeply when Darrian and his classmates began to learn about each other, become closer and closer, and realize that they have gained support, can count on it. It means so very much to have someone there for you.
Darrian begins this tale with dreams of writing for the New York Times. He is curious when he hears a hint about writing, thus enrolls in Mr. Ward’s class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Grimes allows all the students in the class to talk, tell their stories, and then in poetry. The challenges they face are daunting, makes me wonder how much teachers and classmates know about that boy across the room, the girl who sits in front or in back of them in chemistry. It can be health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. It touched me deeply when Darrian and his classmates began to learn about each other, become closer and closer, and realize that they have gained support, can count on it. It means so very much to have someone there for you.
May 7, 2018
Grimes, Nikki Between the Lines (companion to BronxMasquerade), 210 pages. Nancy Paulsen (Penguin), 2018. $18. Language: PG-13 (27 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
Darrian Lopez is determined to become a journalist, but his counselor has enrolled him in Mr. Ward’s class where the emphasis is on poetry. What can poetry teach him about journalism - or about anything for that matter? As he spends more time getting ready for the poetry slam, though, he gets to know more about the secrets that each of his classmates reveals through their art, and about himself and his personal depths.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about each of Darrian’s classmates and meeting them through their poetry. Darrian himself was not as compelling a character. Because fewer students were involved in the poetry slam, it felt like the interest in poetry was on the decline - like the program was dying. I wish Grimes could have sustained the excitement and power of the poetry way, even though I know it is hard to juggle so many characters.
MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Darrian Lopez is determined to become a journalist, but his counselor has enrolled him in Mr. Ward’s class where the emphasis is on poetry. What can poetry teach him about journalism - or about anything for that matter? As he spends more time getting ready for the poetry slam, though, he gets to know more about the secrets that each of his classmates reveals through their art, and about himself and his personal depths.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about each of Darrian’s classmates and meeting them through their poetry. Darrian himself was not as compelling a character. Because fewer students were involved in the poetry slam, it felt like the interest in poetry was on the decline - like the program was dying. I wish Grimes could have sustained the excitement and power of the poetry way, even though I know it is hard to juggle so many characters.
MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
July 30, 2018
Nikki Grimes' sequel to Bronx Masquerade, BETWEEN THE LINES (Penguin Random House, 2018), combines narrative and free verse in a moving book about teens whose lives are changed through poetry. The audio book published by Recorded Books is narrated by different actors; each eloquently expresses a different character. Listen or read this book and you'll reach the same conclusion that I did: Grimes masterfully created authentic voices and personalities for the six different point of view characters.
REVIEW
For various reasons ranging from a desire to write poetry to attendance only because of a guidance counselor's suggestion--the students in Mr. Ward's poetry class are thrown together. The universal theme of wanting to belong weaves the students and their poems together. This commonality provides the reader a window into the the personal and interpersonal struggles and triumphs they face.
The reader first hears about Darian, a Puerto Rican teen who sees himself as a newspaper man, not a poet. He lost his mother to breast cancer and by the end of the book his poetry gives him a way to express his grief.
Private Pain
Numb, I sit on the edge
of the bed
Mami y Papi share.
Shared.
I feel light as the ghost
my mother has become.
Her picture
on the bedside table
looks blurry until
I wipe my eyes.
"Pobrecito," she would say.
If she were here,
if she were anywhere
in this world.
"Mijo," she would whisper
and touch my cheek,
and I would answer,
"Mami."
But this time,
The word never leaves
my throat.
And what difference
does that make?
When I wasn't looking
Mama's heart stopped
like a broken clock.
Half past 36,
the final tick,
the final tock.
Explain to me
exactly how
I'm supposed to
tell time now. (pp. 130-1)
**********
Li Cheng is "all Chinese and all American." Her poetry is full of "contradictions which squeeze into one small body."
Threads
How can I explain
the duality of Li?
The muffled sounds
of mah-jong tiles touching,
clicking together,
flips a switch in me
as my parents follow
the ritual
of the ancient game.
The Mandarin calligraphy
clinging to our walls
sends my soul sailing
to rice paddies
oceans away,
to the land of silk,
red sunrises,
and the jade mountain peaks
my parents
often speak of.
China whispers
through their blood,
You are part mine.
Remember!
And I nod, silent
and ashamed
that my untrained
American lips
are unfamiliar
with my ancestors'
local lingo. (pp. 26-7)
************
Jenesis has been placed in thirteen foster homes and is worried about aging out of the system and having nowhere to live. Here is some of her story.
Blue Eyes Squared
I see you staring at me.
You be boring a hole in my soul
as if the alchemy
of your curiosity
could somehow turn
these blue eyes brown,
but you might as well forget it.
You frown at my blond curls,
even though girls with hair
the color of sun
the color of spun gold
are supposed to have more fun.
At least, that's the story
they try to sell on TV.
Yeah, I'm different, but
don't call me freak
or assume I'm the only one.
There are bound to be
other brown beauties
with pale blue eyes
eerily like mine,
wearing smiles crooked
in exactly the same way,
noses that scream
matched set.
Are there more like me?
Yeah, you bet.
When I find them,
I'll fit in without question,
never mind that
the world thinks
I'm odd as H-E-
well, you get it. (pp. 33-34)
***********
Val feels the pain of the prejudice her father faces as an Argentinian immigrant.
What You Don't Know
Mi padre, Ignacio,
is a book you haven't read.
It's filled with poetry
that can curl its fingers
around your corazón
and squeeze out joy.
Pero you've never
cracked the cover.
You scribble crítica
that questions
the measure of the man,
but you've never
peeled back the pages
of his biografía.
You toss el libro
onto the trash heap
marked "Immigrant"
y ustedes dicen it has no value.
But, of course,
you are categorically incorrect,
which you would know
if only you could read
las palabras.
If only you, too,
were blessed
to be bilingual. (p. 51)
*******
Marcel has been labeled a troublemaker. His past includes his father's unjust imprisonment and how that demoralized him and shattered their family.
Troubled (partial)
What is it
with people and their labels,
as if the way they mark me
makes them able
to understand who I am
or why?
"Troubled kid"
tells you exactly nothing
about the trouble
my pops has seen
or Moms
or me.
We stare from windows
caged in iron,
in state prisons
or rented rooms,
which are only better
by degree.
We are forced
to survive outside
the neatly mowed landscapes
of your imagination.
Our stop on the train station
is worlds away
from your manicured lawns
and lives
and the lies you tell
about the days
of racial discrimination
being in the past.
Quit asking
why I'm angry
or I'll tell you. (pp. 39-40)
*******
Freddie takes care of her eight-year-old niece and her alcoholic mother. This is a portion of one of her poems.
School Rules
Stage right,
the lights fade on a daily life
of tiptoeing around
my niece's feelings about the mom
who traded time with her
for time spent cozying up to crank.
The truth is too rank
for her tender little-girl ears.
And so, until she's fast asleep,
I keep bitter thoughts
under my tongue's lock and key.
Have I mentioned how it hurts me?
That neither my niece nor I
manage to have a mother
worthy of the name?
Oh, mine is present,
in an alcoholic-fog kind of way,
which is to say, hardly at all. (p. 148)
*******
Nikki Grimes stitches a story together so real and touching that after the boys vs. girls poetry slam which produces outstanding poetry on both sides--I want to know what happens to each character. This would be a great curriculum resource for teens: some readers will resonate and identify, others will be informed by stories much different than their own. Read it out loud in reader's theater. Let it inspire you and your student to write poetry. The results may surprise you.
Giveaway
I am giving away my audio book, courtesy Recorded Books. Leave me a comment with your email address if you are new to my blog. Random.org will pick a winner on August 3,2018. www.carolbaldwanblog.blogspot.com
REVIEW
For various reasons ranging from a desire to write poetry to attendance only because of a guidance counselor's suggestion--the students in Mr. Ward's poetry class are thrown together. The universal theme of wanting to belong weaves the students and their poems together. This commonality provides the reader a window into the the personal and interpersonal struggles and triumphs they face.
The reader first hears about Darian, a Puerto Rican teen who sees himself as a newspaper man, not a poet. He lost his mother to breast cancer and by the end of the book his poetry gives him a way to express his grief.
Private Pain
Numb, I sit on the edge
of the bed
Mami y Papi share.
Shared.
I feel light as the ghost
my mother has become.
Her picture
on the bedside table
looks blurry until
I wipe my eyes.
"Pobrecito," she would say.
If she were here,
if she were anywhere
in this world.
"Mijo," she would whisper
and touch my cheek,
and I would answer,
"Mami."
But this time,
The word never leaves
my throat.
And what difference
does that make?
When I wasn't looking
Mama's heart stopped
like a broken clock.
Half past 36,
the final tick,
the final tock.
Explain to me
exactly how
I'm supposed to
tell time now. (pp. 130-1)
**********
Li Cheng is "all Chinese and all American." Her poetry is full of "contradictions which squeeze into one small body."
Threads
How can I explain
the duality of Li?
The muffled sounds
of mah-jong tiles touching,
clicking together,
flips a switch in me
as my parents follow
the ritual
of the ancient game.
The Mandarin calligraphy
clinging to our walls
sends my soul sailing
to rice paddies
oceans away,
to the land of silk,
red sunrises,
and the jade mountain peaks
my parents
often speak of.
China whispers
through their blood,
You are part mine.
Remember!
And I nod, silent
and ashamed
that my untrained
American lips
are unfamiliar
with my ancestors'
local lingo. (pp. 26-7)
************
Jenesis has been placed in thirteen foster homes and is worried about aging out of the system and having nowhere to live. Here is some of her story.
Blue Eyes Squared
I see you staring at me.
You be boring a hole in my soul
as if the alchemy
of your curiosity
could somehow turn
these blue eyes brown,
but you might as well forget it.
You frown at my blond curls,
even though girls with hair
the color of sun
the color of spun gold
are supposed to have more fun.
At least, that's the story
they try to sell on TV.
Yeah, I'm different, but
don't call me freak
or assume I'm the only one.
There are bound to be
other brown beauties
with pale blue eyes
eerily like mine,
wearing smiles crooked
in exactly the same way,
noses that scream
matched set.
Are there more like me?
Yeah, you bet.
When I find them,
I'll fit in without question,
never mind that
the world thinks
I'm odd as H-E-
well, you get it. (pp. 33-34)
***********
Val feels the pain of the prejudice her father faces as an Argentinian immigrant.
What You Don't Know
Mi padre, Ignacio,
is a book you haven't read.
It's filled with poetry
that can curl its fingers
around your corazón
and squeeze out joy.
Pero you've never
cracked the cover.
You scribble crítica
that questions
the measure of the man,
but you've never
peeled back the pages
of his biografía.
You toss el libro
onto the trash heap
marked "Immigrant"
y ustedes dicen it has no value.
But, of course,
you are categorically incorrect,
which you would know
if only you could read
las palabras.
If only you, too,
were blessed
to be bilingual. (p. 51)
*******
Marcel has been labeled a troublemaker. His past includes his father's unjust imprisonment and how that demoralized him and shattered their family.
Troubled (partial)
What is it
with people and their labels,
as if the way they mark me
makes them able
to understand who I am
or why?
"Troubled kid"
tells you exactly nothing
about the trouble
my pops has seen
or Moms
or me.
We stare from windows
caged in iron,
in state prisons
or rented rooms,
which are only better
by degree.
We are forced
to survive outside
the neatly mowed landscapes
of your imagination.
Our stop on the train station
is worlds away
from your manicured lawns
and lives
and the lies you tell
about the days
of racial discrimination
being in the past.
Quit asking
why I'm angry
or I'll tell you. (pp. 39-40)
*******
Freddie takes care of her eight-year-old niece and her alcoholic mother. This is a portion of one of her poems.
School Rules
Stage right,
the lights fade on a daily life
of tiptoeing around
my niece's feelings about the mom
who traded time with her
for time spent cozying up to crank.
The truth is too rank
for her tender little-girl ears.
And so, until she's fast asleep,
I keep bitter thoughts
under my tongue's lock and key.
Have I mentioned how it hurts me?
That neither my niece nor I
manage to have a mother
worthy of the name?
Oh, mine is present,
in an alcoholic-fog kind of way,
which is to say, hardly at all. (p. 148)
*******
Nikki Grimes stitches a story together so real and touching that after the boys vs. girls poetry slam which produces outstanding poetry on both sides--I want to know what happens to each character. This would be a great curriculum resource for teens: some readers will resonate and identify, others will be informed by stories much different than their own. Read it out loud in reader's theater. Let it inspire you and your student to write poetry. The results may surprise you.
Giveaway
I am giving away my audio book, courtesy Recorded Books. Leave me a comment with your email address if you are new to my blog. Random.org will pick a winner on August 3,2018. www.carolbaldwanblog.blogspot.com
April 13, 2018
The story: A group of high school kids get to know each other on a completely different level through the medium of poetry. Everyone ends up in Mr. Ward's class for different reasons, but learning to use the right words helps them deal with their issues: Darrian's mom is dead, Jenesis is about to age out of foster care with nowhere to go; Tyrone's dad was innocent but got busted anyway, Freddie's mom is a drunk and Freddie is stuck taking care of both her mom and her niece, like she's the adult. Poetry helps them work through the pain--but can it take them to the next step?
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death of a parent, foster care, parental over-expectations, alcoholism, and others, yikes!) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: Word-wise, this is not a difficult book, and it will speak to a lot of different people. Recommended reading for teens looking for a ray of hope, and for kids on the affluenza end of the spectrum as well.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death of a parent, foster care, parental over-expectations, alcoholism, and others, yikes!) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: Word-wise, this is not a difficult book, and it will speak to a lot of different people. Recommended reading for teens looking for a ray of hope, and for kids on the affluenza end of the spectrum as well.
May 23, 2019
Just as good in its own right as Nikki Grimes' earlier Bronx Masquerade, this book, written partly in poems, follows the students in Mr. Ward's class as they deal with their many life challenges. At the center of it all is Darrian Lopez, who dreams of one day becoming a newspaper reporter and observes his classmates carefully. There isn't a single misstep among these characters or these lines, and each one has a poignant story to tell or a struggle to unveil. Readers may be particularly drawn to Jenesis Whyte, who feels the clock ticking to her aging out of the foster care system and being left to her own devices. Whether readers are inspired by these poems to write their own lines and plan their own poetry slam, they won't leave the book without having their hearts touched or being reminded that words have power to change lives and to heal wounds. I'd strongly suggest reading this one alongside its predecessor.
November 13, 2017
I laughed aloud in the first few pages because of Nikki Grime's sheer cleverness. I was also happy to read a companion to The Bronx Masquerade, which I love. She did not disappoint me. This is a similar format to Bronx Masquerade in which one character serves as a main narrator, but minor characters have small pieces and poems. We discover a lot about each character in this manor, and their classmates do to, through Friday Open Mic. Grimes uses this book to give information to foster children who are aging out of the foster care system (as is the case with one of the characters in the book.)
December 2, 2017
This companion/ sequel to Bronx Masquerade was terrific! It stands alone nicely but fans of Bronx Masquerade will be thrilled to revisit Mr. Ward's eleventh grade poetry class. It's a new year and a new group of students with Darrian being the narrator who introduces the reader to his fellow students. Darrion doesn't consider himself a poet. He really wants to be a newspaperman but the school librarian suggested even journalists need to learn poetry. So he does and in the process he (as well as the reader) gets to know his classmates surprisingly well. The mix of prose and poems is pleasing. Each student is struggling in his or her own heartbreaking way.
August 13, 2017
To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of poetry. I mean to say I've enjoyed poetry, but it has never been my go-to thing to read. However, reading this book helped me understand the power of words and the way they can be used to speak truth. This entire book is a love letter to poetry. This book is more than poetry, however. There are intertwined storylines of a group of kids with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Powerful and true.
Nancy Paulsen sent an ARC of this book and I am so glad she did.
Nancy Paulsen sent an ARC of this book and I am so glad she did.
March 7, 2022
Read for school, that is all I am going to say as anything more would force me into talking about actual grammar and perspective mistakes and an overall disconnected, forgettable, and disengaging plot.
December 19, 2018
A perfect blend of prose and beautiful poetry--a solid pick for reluctant readers that tackles teens with tough issues.
May 25, 2018
The kids in Mr. Ward’s poetry class couldn’t be more different: Darrian dreams of being a newspaperman and fears disappointing his father, especially after his mother’s death. Jenesis is trying to survive the foster care system and worries about what will happen to her once she turns 18. Li doesn’t want to disappoint her Chinese parents by falling in love with poetry instead of medicine. Angela just wants to get over her fear of everything. Marcel needs an outlet for his anger after seeing his father wrongly arrested. Kyle wants to show that he’s more than his heart condition. Freddie’s trying to raise her niece and keep her mother’s alcoholism under control. Valentina wants to show that she can be both an American and proud of her immigrant parents. Tyrone wants to continue the success he had last year.
In BETWEEN THE LINES, Nikki Grimes’ follow up to her Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel BRONX MASQUERADE, the students are all there for individual reasons, but when the school year ends, they all leave with a similar feeling. They are empowered to be their own true selves.
Grimes’ novel is a mix of poetry and first-person accounts, written from the point of view of each character. Each voice is distinct. The short chapters show snapshots of moments in the present or life-altering memories in their pasts, followed by a free verse poem based on those thoughts. Both provide an emotional punch that continues to grow as Grimes revisits each character multiple times.
The issues that the students deal with are issues that are affecting teenagers everywhere, but aren’t necessarily ones that are talked about openly. Do teenagers who are not in foster care think about the teens who are? Do the teenagers who are put in the position of parenting their parents have any peers to really confide in? Parental disappointment is a universal theme, but what about when that’s tied up in cultural expectations? Grimes provides a conservation starter for these topics and more by crafting characters who are incredibly easy to care about and root for. She makes these topics real by attaching feelings to the facts of each situation.
At first, it can be slightly difficult to keep the students’ stories straight, but that confusion is worked out with each page turn. Their character growth --- toward understanding each other and learning to look for what’s below the surface of their classmates --- follows the same trajectory as the poetry they produce, which culminates in an end-of-the-year poetry slam which pits the girls against the boys. Prior to the group poem, each one is written by a single author. In the last two poems, their voices are blended together as an obvious metaphor that shows how close they’ve become, how entwined all of their stories are and how, despite all of their outward differences, the similarities they have bridge the divides they faced at the beginning of the year.
While the pacing of the story is measured, Grimes doesn’t provide a concise time element to show how far apart each poem is written. The book takes place over the course of a school year and the poetry open mics are held weekly, but each time the characters switch, it isn’t always clear how far along in the calendar year the story has moved. In the scheme of the overall storyline, this doesn’t matter.
The poems themselves are beautifully written and deep. While the subject matter is heavy, Grimes never forgets that she is writing for and about teenagers. There are moments of levity and humor. There is Li crushing on Darrian, and Darrian crushing on her back. There is Kyle teaching Angela how to ride a skateboard and Marcel trying to get over his nerves to ask Freddie to hang out outside of school. They are more than the issues and backgrounds that they all, in some way, fear will define them.
But they never give up or stop supporting each other. It’s a lesson that’s well worth learning and Grimes instructs in the most thoughtful way.
Reviewed by Liz Sauchelli
In BETWEEN THE LINES, Nikki Grimes’ follow up to her Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel BRONX MASQUERADE, the students are all there for individual reasons, but when the school year ends, they all leave with a similar feeling. They are empowered to be their own true selves.
Grimes’ novel is a mix of poetry and first-person accounts, written from the point of view of each character. Each voice is distinct. The short chapters show snapshots of moments in the present or life-altering memories in their pasts, followed by a free verse poem based on those thoughts. Both provide an emotional punch that continues to grow as Grimes revisits each character multiple times.
The issues that the students deal with are issues that are affecting teenagers everywhere, but aren’t necessarily ones that are talked about openly. Do teenagers who are not in foster care think about the teens who are? Do the teenagers who are put in the position of parenting their parents have any peers to really confide in? Parental disappointment is a universal theme, but what about when that’s tied up in cultural expectations? Grimes provides a conservation starter for these topics and more by crafting characters who are incredibly easy to care about and root for. She makes these topics real by attaching feelings to the facts of each situation.
At first, it can be slightly difficult to keep the students’ stories straight, but that confusion is worked out with each page turn. Their character growth --- toward understanding each other and learning to look for what’s below the surface of their classmates --- follows the same trajectory as the poetry they produce, which culminates in an end-of-the-year poetry slam which pits the girls against the boys. Prior to the group poem, each one is written by a single author. In the last two poems, their voices are blended together as an obvious metaphor that shows how close they’ve become, how entwined all of their stories are and how, despite all of their outward differences, the similarities they have bridge the divides they faced at the beginning of the year.
While the pacing of the story is measured, Grimes doesn’t provide a concise time element to show how far apart each poem is written. The book takes place over the course of a school year and the poetry open mics are held weekly, but each time the characters switch, it isn’t always clear how far along in the calendar year the story has moved. In the scheme of the overall storyline, this doesn’t matter.
The poems themselves are beautifully written and deep. While the subject matter is heavy, Grimes never forgets that she is writing for and about teenagers. There are moments of levity and humor. There is Li crushing on Darrian, and Darrian crushing on her back. There is Kyle teaching Angela how to ride a skateboard and Marcel trying to get over his nerves to ask Freddie to hang out outside of school. They are more than the issues and backgrounds that they all, in some way, fear will define them.
But they never give up or stop supporting each other. It’s a lesson that’s well worth learning and Grimes instructs in the most thoughtful way.
Reviewed by Liz Sauchelli
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews