Backpack Blues: Ignite the Fire Within

by Melody Dean Dimick

Backpack Blues is a young adult story in verse set in a fragile world, the rural Mountain Valley High School, located in the extreme northeastern section of the Adirondack Mountains. ACE JACKSON serves as a master of ceremonies, but each student shares the limelight for a moment. The narrative begins with an invitation by MARISOL GARCIA to enter the world of her senior class. We hear CORA SIMMONS' cry for acceptance. One by one, Cora's classmates speak about themselves and their lives through the poems they hand in to the English teacher MRS. DEYON, or crumple up and throw into the basket to be retrieved by the snoopy janitor SAWYAH TRUMAN. Sometimes they gossip about each other. More often, they spill their troubles, complain about their lives, or criticize the lack of justice. ROSS PARROTTE, the ballplayer frequently mentioned by others, makes most of his classmates' lives miserable. His bullying prompts TOBY THOMAS to eat his troubles. Problems escalate until the day of the senior ball. The anthology of vignettes in verse explores the pressures of home life, relationships, and school life faced by the members of Cora's class. Combined, the culturally diverse poems demonstrate a blend of humor, alienation, and determination. Backpack Blues celebrates the resourcefulness it takes to make it in the classrooms, halls, and locker rooms of contemporary schools, but also reminds readers no one ever leaves school totally behind.

ebook

Published June 14, 2018

Reviews

[Claire Keneally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backpack Blues: Ignite the Fire Within by Melody Dean Dimick is a great read for teens and young adults, but older folks will also appreciate this book. The poems contained in Part One are an honest, sometimes haunting, look at the many issues young adults face today. I especially liked Part Two of the book as it clearly described various types of poetry writing in easy-to-understand terms. I can see this book becoming required reading for high schoolers and one they will certainly enjoy.

[Љубица · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melody does a fantastic job targeting young adult issues through verse. We all know going through young adulthood can be especially hard on some children. If you are a poetry fan this is a very insightful read. The second half of the book is educational and I can see it become a mandatory read for schools.