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Locomotion #2
Peace, Locomotion
The stunning companion to the National Book Award finalist--from a three-time Newbery Honor winning author
Twelve-year-old Lonnie is finally feeling at home with his foster family. But because he’s living apart from his little sister, Lili, he decides it’s his job to be the “rememberer”—and write down everything that happens while they’re growing up. Lonnie’s musings are bittersweet; he’s happy that he and Lili have new families, but though his new family brings him joy, it also brings new worries. With a foster brother in the army, concepts like Peace have new meaning for Lonnie.
Told through letters from Lonnie to Lili, this thought-provoking companion to Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award finalist Locomotion tackles important issues in captivating, lyrical language. Lonnie’s reflections on family, loss, love and peace will strike a note with readers of all ages.
Twelve-year-old Lonnie is finally feeling at home with his foster family. But because he’s living apart from his little sister, Lili, he decides it’s his job to be the “rememberer”—and write down everything that happens while they’re growing up. Lonnie’s musings are bittersweet; he’s happy that he and Lili have new families, but though his new family brings him joy, it also brings new worries. With a foster brother in the army, concepts like Peace have new meaning for Lonnie.
Told through letters from Lonnie to Lili, this thought-provoking companion to Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award finalist Locomotion tackles important issues in captivating, lyrical language. Lonnie’s reflections on family, loss, love and peace will strike a note with readers of all ages.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
63 people are currently reading
1429 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
82 books9,098 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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April 8, 2025
TW// death (of parents), PTSD
“I think when people have to leave you on Earth, they don’t really be leaving you a hundred percent. I think some little part of them is always right here with us…”
Peace, Locomotion is a stunning follow up to Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion. It captivated me right away by the love that Locomotion felt for his sister and the ways that he’d work to show her that he loves her even if she wouldn’t see his efforts until years later. It was beautiful and heartwarming.
Later on in the story, it introduces some harder yet relatable topics throughout the story ranging from missing in action soldiers to friends moving far away to disabilities. These topics are all addressed really respectfully and they’re written in such a way that kids will easily be able to digest the topics.
Woodson’s prose is wonderful. It’s like a warm hug that can move you to tears. I want to read everyone of her books some day simply for her writing alone. I have miracle’s boys and Red at the Bone sitting on my bookshelf currently, so I will probably to try to tackle those books soon.
“I think when people have to leave you on Earth, they don’t really be leaving you a hundred percent. I think some little part of them is always right here with us…”
Peace, Locomotion is a stunning follow up to Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion. It captivated me right away by the love that Locomotion felt for his sister and the ways that he’d work to show her that he loves her even if she wouldn’t see his efforts until years later. It was beautiful and heartwarming.
Later on in the story, it introduces some harder yet relatable topics throughout the story ranging from missing in action soldiers to friends moving far away to disabilities. These topics are all addressed really respectfully and they’re written in such a way that kids will easily be able to digest the topics.
Woodson’s prose is wonderful. It’s like a warm hug that can move you to tears. I want to read everyone of her books some day simply for her writing alone. I have miracle’s boys and Red at the Bone sitting on my bookshelf currently, so I will probably to try to tackle those books soon.
March 1, 2009
Recently I was able to pinpoint why exactly I have such a hard time reviewing Jacqueline Woodson's recent books. I mean, Feathers was so difficult for me that I eschewed a review altogether and while I managed to put two words together for After Tupac and D Foster, it wasn't a review that stuck in my mind as one of my more sterling efforts. So what is it about Ms. Woodson that throws me for such a loop? It's not like she isn't good at dialogue or realistic characters. Her books contain depth and complex situations. Reading her newest title Peace, Locomotion I was reminded of all of this. I was also reminded, however, that Ms. Woodson isn't the kind of writer for whom fast-action and in-depth plotting holds much allure. There is a plot to this sequel to Locomotion but it's slow. And removing it from my To Be Reviewed shelf a month after reading it doesn't help all that much either. Peace, Locomotion may well be Ms. Woodson's smartest novel yet. It's thoughtful. Caring. Touching. Smart. And there are layers of depth to it that many a novelist would kill for. Don't expect a car chase or anything, though. This is one for the kids with a brain in their heads and time on their hands.
When last we saw our hero, twelve-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion (or Locomotion to his friends), he was living with his new foster mother Miss Edna, while his nine-year-old sister Lili is living with another woman. There's no one Lonnie really loves quite as much as his sister, but he doesn't get to see her half as much as he would like. In lieu of seeing her, he writes her letters that he hopes to someday give to her when she's older. Of course Lonnie is still mourning the death of their parents thanks to a fire years ago. On top of that Miss Edna's son Jenkins is returning, injured, from the war in Iraq and Lonnie doesn't know how he'll deal with that and if he'll be seen as some kind of interloper. Love and memory intersect in this thoughtful novel, causing Lonnie to work through the notions of families, old and new, and where he fits in.
If Locomotion was a novel of poems, Peace, Locomotion is a novel of letters, a fact Lonnie acknowledges right from the start saying, "I still write a few poems but mostly I'm writing these letters to you, Lili." A difficulty any author has when creating a realistic child character with a gift like Lonnie's is in determining just how talented to make that child. Lonnie is a gifted poet. But how do you write in the voice of a kid without mistakenly allowing your own adult voice to shine through too strongly? When Woodson writes Lonnie's poems for this book, they are certainly gifted. I would argue that they're not unbelievably so, though. His limerick is a bit choice, but his later poem feels right. It's just the right mix of childhood wisdom, simple words, and deeper meanings. I can see how people might feel otherwise, though. I mean they are pretty smart poems.
And writing, after all, is Woodson's trademark gift. It's what gets her all those pretty, shiny, round stickers on her books year after year. It's the gift of being able to synthesize a thought into just a few smart words. For example, a sentence that could have gotten sentimental and too cute goes another way when she writes, "Then she told me that no matter how big you get, it's still okay to cry if you need to because everybody's got a right to their own tears." And I'm sorry but speaking of crying, getting your readers to tear up before you're even ten pages in, heck before you're even EIGHT pages in? Not playing by the rules. Mind you, I felt like Woodson was, for some reason, playing the tear card early, leaving my eyes dry and clear by the ending. That's not a criticism, more an authorial choice that I wouldn't mind thinking over and chewing at a bit.
As for the storyline itself, I was curious to see how she tackled the subject of post-traumatic stress within a scant 144 pages. The solution, it seems, is not to solve all the returning character's problems but simply to show that person as willing learn and grow in new ways. 2009 is the publishing year when a huge swath of children's books decided to finally start talking about the Iraq War. Previous children's novels like The Homework Machine and 100 Days and 99 Nights lightly touched on it, but they were either scant references or they didn't specify what war was being discussed. Now in addition to Peace, Locomotion we have Heart of a Shepherd, Bull Rider, and a host of other titles dealing with parents and siblings who have gone and come back. I've little doubt that we'll be seeing quite a few more before the year is out.
But as I've said before, it's a slow kind of story. You're dealing with Lonnie's love and loss when it comes to having a sister he can't grow up with on top of his feelings about his newly returned foster brother. A book about emotions, thoughts, considerations, and growth isn't necessarily going to grab kids in the same way as your average action packed narrative or fantasy conceit will. Remember, however, that there are kids out there that like realistic books that talk about things they live and things they can understand. And there are children out there that enjoy a well-crafted sentence and a perfectly coined phrase. With that in mind, there is an audience for Ms. Woodson's works and there probably always will be. In a book that is oddly timeless for all that it relates to the issues of today, Peace, Locomotion is yet another win for the Woodson camp. Slow, steady, it wins the race.
Ages 10 and up.
When last we saw our hero, twelve-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion (or Locomotion to his friends), he was living with his new foster mother Miss Edna, while his nine-year-old sister Lili is living with another woman. There's no one Lonnie really loves quite as much as his sister, but he doesn't get to see her half as much as he would like. In lieu of seeing her, he writes her letters that he hopes to someday give to her when she's older. Of course Lonnie is still mourning the death of their parents thanks to a fire years ago. On top of that Miss Edna's son Jenkins is returning, injured, from the war in Iraq and Lonnie doesn't know how he'll deal with that and if he'll be seen as some kind of interloper. Love and memory intersect in this thoughtful novel, causing Lonnie to work through the notions of families, old and new, and where he fits in.
If Locomotion was a novel of poems, Peace, Locomotion is a novel of letters, a fact Lonnie acknowledges right from the start saying, "I still write a few poems but mostly I'm writing these letters to you, Lili." A difficulty any author has when creating a realistic child character with a gift like Lonnie's is in determining just how talented to make that child. Lonnie is a gifted poet. But how do you write in the voice of a kid without mistakenly allowing your own adult voice to shine through too strongly? When Woodson writes Lonnie's poems for this book, they are certainly gifted. I would argue that they're not unbelievably so, though. His limerick is a bit choice, but his later poem feels right. It's just the right mix of childhood wisdom, simple words, and deeper meanings. I can see how people might feel otherwise, though. I mean they are pretty smart poems.
And writing, after all, is Woodson's trademark gift. It's what gets her all those pretty, shiny, round stickers on her books year after year. It's the gift of being able to synthesize a thought into just a few smart words. For example, a sentence that could have gotten sentimental and too cute goes another way when she writes, "Then she told me that no matter how big you get, it's still okay to cry if you need to because everybody's got a right to their own tears." And I'm sorry but speaking of crying, getting your readers to tear up before you're even ten pages in, heck before you're even EIGHT pages in? Not playing by the rules. Mind you, I felt like Woodson was, for some reason, playing the tear card early, leaving my eyes dry and clear by the ending. That's not a criticism, more an authorial choice that I wouldn't mind thinking over and chewing at a bit.
As for the storyline itself, I was curious to see how she tackled the subject of post-traumatic stress within a scant 144 pages. The solution, it seems, is not to solve all the returning character's problems but simply to show that person as willing learn and grow in new ways. 2009 is the publishing year when a huge swath of children's books decided to finally start talking about the Iraq War. Previous children's novels like The Homework Machine and 100 Days and 99 Nights lightly touched on it, but they were either scant references or they didn't specify what war was being discussed. Now in addition to Peace, Locomotion we have Heart of a Shepherd, Bull Rider, and a host of other titles dealing with parents and siblings who have gone and come back. I've little doubt that we'll be seeing quite a few more before the year is out.
But as I've said before, it's a slow kind of story. You're dealing with Lonnie's love and loss when it comes to having a sister he can't grow up with on top of his feelings about his newly returned foster brother. A book about emotions, thoughts, considerations, and growth isn't necessarily going to grab kids in the same way as your average action packed narrative or fantasy conceit will. Remember, however, that there are kids out there that like realistic books that talk about things they live and things they can understand. And there are children out there that enjoy a well-crafted sentence and a perfectly coined phrase. With that in mind, there is an audience for Ms. Woodson's works and there probably always will be. In a book that is oddly timeless for all that it relates to the issues of today, Peace, Locomotion is yet another win for the Woodson camp. Slow, steady, it wins the race.
Ages 10 and up.
June 2, 2017
Such a sweet book!
April 25, 2022
another jacqueline woodson, ofc :)
using the format of letters, this one didn't have too much plot. but it was SO sweet!
we get locomotion pt. two: deep thoughts from a twelve-year-old boy poet :). it was really reflective and while i don't rec as much as locomotion or as jw's other books, it was still jw content <3
using the format of letters, this one didn't have too much plot. but it was SO sweet!
we get locomotion pt. two: deep thoughts from a twelve-year-old boy poet :). it was really reflective and while i don't rec as much as locomotion or as jw's other books, it was still jw content <3
January 14, 2016
Do you ever wonder what it feels like to be separated by your brother or sister? In this book Lonnie and his little sister have to be separated after something bad happens to his parents. The book is Realistic Fiction. Lonnie and his sister get separated and move to different foster homes and Lonnie starts to write poems and letters to his sister Lili.
The setting of the book is in the past and it's Summer. Lonnie is eleven and he's writing his sister a letter that states that he's gonna be twelve in a few days and he tells her that it's gonna means two things that soon his litter sister is gonna become nine and soon enough he'll be twenty-one and be able to take care of her and they'll still be living in Brooklyn and that they'll find a place near her foster mom's house because he knows that she loves her. In the middle of the story Lonnie's foster mom, Miss Edna is starting to always get upset because Lonnie's foster brother, Jenkins goes missing after a war and he tries to help Miss Edna by prays for Jenkins to come home. Days passed and Miss Edna gets news about her son and discovers that he survived and that he will be coming home after her fully recovers. By the end of the story Jenkins comes home but it's a little difficult for him because it wouldn't be the same for him anymore like to used to be. Lonnie offers Jenkins to help him walk so soon enough he wouldn't need the wheel chair anymore. Lonnie and Jenkins start to bond more and Lonnie gets more comfortable with his foster family. The type of conflict is person vs. person because in the book Lonnie has to accept that his little sister Lili is starting to call her foster mom, mom because Lonnie just wants Lili to call their real mom, mom. Lonnie's friend starts to ask him why he doesn't call his foster mom, mom because he has lived with her for a long time. The theme of this book is accepting because in the book Lonnie has to accept other people's opinions and what his sister will call her foster mom. Jenkins's has to accept that he doesn't have his leg anymore.
The major symbol in the story is peace.The author's use of repetition is peace. The character's motivation is his friend because he encouraged Lonnie to ask for peace. The 1st person point of view affects the story because Lonnie has to solve and deal with things that he never thought he'd have to deal with. Lonnie and Jenkins are similar/different because both of them are going through hard times in there life, there different by the situations there both in.
I would rate this book 1 star because it wasn't interesting because the whole book is just letters Lonnie writes for Lili. I would recommend this book to people who like stories that could be true but aren't.
The setting of the book is in the past and it's Summer. Lonnie is eleven and he's writing his sister a letter that states that he's gonna be twelve in a few days and he tells her that it's gonna means two things that soon his litter sister is gonna become nine and soon enough he'll be twenty-one and be able to take care of her and they'll still be living in Brooklyn and that they'll find a place near her foster mom's house because he knows that she loves her. In the middle of the story Lonnie's foster mom, Miss Edna is starting to always get upset because Lonnie's foster brother, Jenkins goes missing after a war and he tries to help Miss Edna by prays for Jenkins to come home. Days passed and Miss Edna gets news about her son and discovers that he survived and that he will be coming home after her fully recovers. By the end of the story Jenkins comes home but it's a little difficult for him because it wouldn't be the same for him anymore like to used to be. Lonnie offers Jenkins to help him walk so soon enough he wouldn't need the wheel chair anymore. Lonnie and Jenkins start to bond more and Lonnie gets more comfortable with his foster family. The type of conflict is person vs. person because in the book Lonnie has to accept that his little sister Lili is starting to call her foster mom, mom because Lonnie just wants Lili to call their real mom, mom. Lonnie's friend starts to ask him why he doesn't call his foster mom, mom because he has lived with her for a long time. The theme of this book is accepting because in the book Lonnie has to accept other people's opinions and what his sister will call her foster mom. Jenkins's has to accept that he doesn't have his leg anymore.
The major symbol in the story is peace.The author's use of repetition is peace. The character's motivation is his friend because he encouraged Lonnie to ask for peace. The 1st person point of view affects the story because Lonnie has to solve and deal with things that he never thought he'd have to deal with. Lonnie and Jenkins are similar/different because both of them are going through hard times in there life, there different by the situations there both in.
I would rate this book 1 star because it wasn't interesting because the whole book is just letters Lonnie writes for Lili. I would recommend this book to people who like stories that could be true but aren't.
August 27, 2009
There are some writers who just knock me right over with their writing talent. They know how to hone their words down to the most essential bones, so that the language is deceptively simple but contains maximum beauty and meaning. Patricia MacLachlan is one, Susan Patron is another. Simplicity, pithiness, grace, and humor – they make it look so easy.
That Jacqueline Woodson belongs on that list was made crystal clear yet again by Peace, Locomotion. This book is told mostly through Lonnie’s letters to his sister Lili, who as we know from Locomotion is living in a different foster family, as well as a few of Lonnie’s poems. This is tough stuff. Lonnie is doing really well, considering that he’s in a foster family, is separated from his sister, and is still getting over the death of his parents. After all, he has gotten close to his foster mother Miss Edna and his foster brother Rodney, he’s got a nifty new teacher who appreciates his poetry, and his friend Clyde is a great guy to have in your corner. But Miss Edna’s older son Jenkins is in Iraq, where he is wounded in body and spirit – and Lonnie can’t help but miss his sister and his parents every day.
That the good and the bad parts of life are inextricably meshed in anyone’s life comes through clearly as Lonnie writes to Lili in his clear, honest, unsentimental voice. He’s a real poet – he always tries to get to the truth and heart of the matter. There’s never any soppiness – just straightforward words like these, which made me cry after all the stuff these three guys and Miss Edna have been through:
“Dear Lili,
A few days ago, Miss Edna took some pictures of me, Rodney and Jenkins. Me and Rodney were sitting on the couch and Jenkins was in his wheelchair. Miss Edna said, I can’t believe I’m going to finally have some pictures of my three favorite men.
And guess what? Today we got the pictures back. Miss Edna waited until we was all sitting down for dinner before she pulled them out. She said, I got something I think is going to crack a smile out of the hardest nut. Then she showed us the pictures and there was Jenkins, not even smiling one bit but giving me rabbit ears!
We laughed for a long, long time.
Love and Peace and Rabbit Ears,
Locomotion”
Highly recommended for grades 4 and up. Newbery contender, definitely.
That Jacqueline Woodson belongs on that list was made crystal clear yet again by Peace, Locomotion. This book is told mostly through Lonnie’s letters to his sister Lili, who as we know from Locomotion is living in a different foster family, as well as a few of Lonnie’s poems. This is tough stuff. Lonnie is doing really well, considering that he’s in a foster family, is separated from his sister, and is still getting over the death of his parents. After all, he has gotten close to his foster mother Miss Edna and his foster brother Rodney, he’s got a nifty new teacher who appreciates his poetry, and his friend Clyde is a great guy to have in your corner. But Miss Edna’s older son Jenkins is in Iraq, where he is wounded in body and spirit – and Lonnie can’t help but miss his sister and his parents every day.
That the good and the bad parts of life are inextricably meshed in anyone’s life comes through clearly as Lonnie writes to Lili in his clear, honest, unsentimental voice. He’s a real poet – he always tries to get to the truth and heart of the matter. There’s never any soppiness – just straightforward words like these, which made me cry after all the stuff these three guys and Miss Edna have been through:
“Dear Lili,
A few days ago, Miss Edna took some pictures of me, Rodney and Jenkins. Me and Rodney were sitting on the couch and Jenkins was in his wheelchair. Miss Edna said, I can’t believe I’m going to finally have some pictures of my three favorite men.
And guess what? Today we got the pictures back. Miss Edna waited until we was all sitting down for dinner before she pulled them out. She said, I got something I think is going to crack a smile out of the hardest nut. Then she showed us the pictures and there was Jenkins, not even smiling one bit but giving me rabbit ears!
We laughed for a long, long time.
Love and Peace and Rabbit Ears,
Locomotion”
Highly recommended for grades 4 and up. Newbery contender, definitely.
March 22, 2010
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is an epistolatory novel, meaning it's written in letter form, told through the letters of twelve year old Lonnie Collins Motion to his sister Lili. Basically, Lonnie and his sister are in foster care, but with two different families, and Lonnie feels he must write a letter to his sister every day they are in foster care so they can remember the stage in their life, he doesn't send the letters though, choosing to save them for when they get out of foster care.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
May 21, 2017
This was a bittersweet book that I'd use in class if I taught slightly younger kids. The main character is so sincere and idealistic, but the book isn't overly sentimental because it's also unabashedly honest about his tragic circumstances. I kind of wanted to give him a hug the whole time I was reading this. Like in all of her books, Woodson doesn't shy away from difficult topics, despite the age of her readers. And her preteen characters are so true to life, there's a nostalgic element to her writing that I really enjoy.
March 25, 2019
3.5 stars. Started and finished same day Woodson really does a wonderful job making children on the margin see and feel themselves in her books. Lonnie and Lili live with different foster families after a fire took their parents’ lives. The entire book are letters from Lonnie to his sister. I’d recommend this one to 4th grade and up.
November 30, 2017
I liked this epistolary novel, sequel to Woodson's Locomotion, but not as much as I enjoyed the first one. There is something about a boy that is into poetry that I found more compelling. Still, it was good to catch up with these characters and watch them grow up.
September 24, 2017
This book was incredible! It was realistic, and interesting, and although it's supposed to be a sequel to another book, I couldn't even tell untill I had finished the book!
February 10, 2020
the sequel is just as good as the original. woodson does a tremendous job continuing lonnie and lili’s story.
November 14, 2024
Tears in my eyes while silent reading along with my class
March 5, 2019
Is about many letter from a old brother who is fighting the war. The letter always wrote some memories and what happen in down there. And the end of the letter always wrote peace, love or miss you.
He is not only a soldier he also is a great brother.
He is not only a soldier he also is a great brother.
February 21, 2012
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is the second story of Lonnie (Locomotion). The story is told through letters to his younger sister, Lili, who is in a separate foster home after their parents passed away. These letters are meant to be memory keepers that Lili will read when she is older and are meant to remember the events that have happened in Lonnie’s life. Lonnie now lives in a nice foster home with 2 older “brothers” and his foster Mom, Miss Edna. One of the young men, Jenkins, was off at war and came home broken physically and emotionally. The story, Peace Locomotion, talks about the struggles to find peace with the war, Lonnie’s separation from his sister, losing his parents and living in a new home. Each letter gives greater insight into Lonnie’s struggle to find peace.
This is another moving story by Jacqueline Woodson. I am amazed by her depth as a writer and her ability to quickly bring characters to life. The lives of the protagonist and other main characters are believable, with a believable plot to go with it. This story would be a great example for middle school children on how to convey a story in alternative ways, through letter writing.
This is another moving story by Jacqueline Woodson. I am amazed by her depth as a writer and her ability to quickly bring characters to life. The lives of the protagonist and other main characters are believable, with a believable plot to go with it. This story would be a great example for middle school children on how to convey a story in alternative ways, through letter writing.
July 24, 2015
The heartfelt voice of the young poet was once again heard in Jacqueline Woodson's
Peace, Locomotion
, sequel to award winning first book,
Locomotion
.
If the first book was written in poems, the sequel takes it form as letters. Peace, Locomotion is the compilation of letters Locomotion had written to his sister, Lili, while there are living separately(as narrated in the first and second book). Just the mere fact of this is the voice of a 12-year old boy touches my heart already. I felt the love and the sincerity and the innocence and Lonnie's faith in humanity.
This work is a profound piece. I would really really love to share this to my future children ♥
If the first book was written in poems, the sequel takes it form as letters. Peace, Locomotion is the compilation of letters Locomotion had written to his sister, Lili, while there are living separately(as narrated in the first and second book). Just the mere fact of this is the voice of a 12-year old boy touches my heart already. I felt the love and the sincerity and the innocence and Lonnie's faith in humanity.
This work is a profound piece. I would really really love to share this to my future children ♥
May 15, 2009
A young boy writes letters to his sister while they grow up in seperate Foster families.
The thing I love more than anything about this book is that the Foster families for both kids are wonderful and supportive. I am sure that real foster families and step moms get very tired of the evil, neglecting stigma's that are placed upon them. It's refreshing to see such loving devotion and kindness.
The thing I love more than anything about this book is that the Foster families for both kids are wonderful and supportive. I am sure that real foster families and step moms get very tired of the evil, neglecting stigma's that are placed upon them. It's refreshing to see such loving devotion and kindness.
April 4, 2013
I just finished reading "Locomotion" with a group of fifth and sixth graders and we will be reading part of this out loud as we wait for the other groups to finish. Peace, Locomotion is written mostly in letters rather than poems, but is still masterfully done. I won't be able to read one part out loud because I will cry, so I'll make sure someone else reads that letter. Well done, Jacqueline Woodson!
November 4, 2021
Everytime it says love and peace, I thought, "love, peace, chicken grease!" 😂 I think I liked the first book better, but it's nice to see Jenkins come home. The letters are a clever and interesting way to tell a story, like Love Stargirl, which I love!
It's a feel-good book, despite hard times. I recommend it!
It's a feel-good book, despite hard times. I recommend it!
June 20, 2017
I loved this story and the deeper feelings that Lonnie feels about peace and love.
April 20, 2020
Lonnie, aka Locomotion, continues to hope that one day he will be old enough to be the guardian of his little sister Lili. He has continued his writing, only now he is writing hope-filled letters to Lili. His school life has changed, or maybe fallen back into a place less inspired. Yet, because of his academic slump, he has chosen to write Lili's letters to ensure that their memories of life before the fire won't fade away into a "grayness" that has become "real, real quiet" in their minds. He is gathering all of these letters into a box of "Before Time" for the time when Lili is once again living with him.
What is Locomotion's newest challenge? He has a teacher that believes he can't be a poet without being published. So many times, a small comment can cause a student to choose to disengage in ways that spiral out of control! Living in Miss Edna's home, Lonnie is met with a realization that in this foster location there are words like home, son, brother, and comfortable moments of love and support. Turning 12 will be a year of cherishing his before the fire life and learning to embrace his before "as a man" life unfolds. Will he remain hope-filled about his little sister's "new" before life?
Clyde is the friend that helps Locomotion regain his "for real" now life. Sometimes in life a stranger or someone who once seems like a foe, in reality becomes a life time friend. Clyde is honest. His honesty creates a "sounding board," a type of regulator for Locomotion. While Locomotion tries to come to terms with his new season of life, Clyde shares more about his own home. This form of bonding encourages Locomotion to move forward into an acceptance and freedom.
Through Locomotion's acceptance of his life with Miss Edna and her sons, he begins writing to Lili a "one true thing" for the day. These letters become an exposure to the depth of a "for real" family life. For the first time since the fire, Locomotion is now willing to accept that his little sister has a "for real" life in a family that he wasn't ready to support.
This sequel is as moving and inspiring as the first novel. The weaving of words, emotions, hopes, and acceptance portrays a realistic plot that creates an inner peace about how these characters are growing up. It is with much hope... that this reader eagerly waits Locomotion's next season...
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
What is Locomotion's newest challenge? He has a teacher that believes he can't be a poet without being published. So many times, a small comment can cause a student to choose to disengage in ways that spiral out of control! Living in Miss Edna's home, Lonnie is met with a realization that in this foster location there are words like home, son, brother, and comfortable moments of love and support. Turning 12 will be a year of cherishing his before the fire life and learning to embrace his before "as a man" life unfolds. Will he remain hope-filled about his little sister's "new" before life?
Clyde is the friend that helps Locomotion regain his "for real" now life. Sometimes in life a stranger or someone who once seems like a foe, in reality becomes a life time friend. Clyde is honest. His honesty creates a "sounding board," a type of regulator for Locomotion. While Locomotion tries to come to terms with his new season of life, Clyde shares more about his own home. This form of bonding encourages Locomotion to move forward into an acceptance and freedom.
Through Locomotion's acceptance of his life with Miss Edna and her sons, he begins writing to Lili a "one true thing" for the day. These letters become an exposure to the depth of a "for real" family life. For the first time since the fire, Locomotion is now willing to accept that his little sister has a "for real" life in a family that he wasn't ready to support.
This sequel is as moving and inspiring as the first novel. The weaving of words, emotions, hopes, and acceptance portrays a realistic plot that creates an inner peace about how these characters are growing up. It is with much hope... that this reader eagerly waits Locomotion's next season...
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
January 19, 2019
Book Report
The book I read was Peace, Locomotion it was published in 2009 by Jacqueline Woodson. I really liked this book because it’s full of emotion and adventure, the vocabulary is very poetic and it gives you the true insight you need in order to understand Lonnie’s story and all that he went through.
Peace, Locomotion is about a boy named Lonnie Collins Motion who after getting separated from his sister tragically endures the pain and loss of leaving the memories of the family he once had behind, After finally feeling at home with his new foster family Lonnie starts rekindling the past memories of his family and putting them into his letters for his little sister Lili to read. The setting of this book revolves around Brooklyn New York during modern time. The theme of the story is to have hope and peace in your heart even through hard times and trials and tribulations, never lose sight of what’s most important to you. Lonnie experienced tragedy and setbacks as well as heart breaks but no matter what he always found his way back to what was most important to him.
I like that this book is emotional and poetic, every detail was crucial to knowing Lonnie and his struggles like in one paragraph Lonnie gets handed back his math test and saw he got a low score on it he also saw that his good friend Clyde got a good score his test, he had the urge to cry but he held it in knowing that he wouldn't cry in class with everyone around. Lonnie had some difficulties when it came to academics but he really suffered in math in fact he couldn't care less for it, he thrived in writing though that was his strong suit and that was what he was good at it was in his writing that he found the most peace, it was in his writing that he was able to connect with his sister as well hold onto the memories he holds dearest to his heart.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading stories with powerful messages that are full of emotion, adventure and heartwarming events.
The book I read was Peace, Locomotion it was published in 2009 by Jacqueline Woodson. I really liked this book because it’s full of emotion and adventure, the vocabulary is very poetic and it gives you the true insight you need in order to understand Lonnie’s story and all that he went through.
Peace, Locomotion is about a boy named Lonnie Collins Motion who after getting separated from his sister tragically endures the pain and loss of leaving the memories of the family he once had behind, After finally feeling at home with his new foster family Lonnie starts rekindling the past memories of his family and putting them into his letters for his little sister Lili to read. The setting of this book revolves around Brooklyn New York during modern time. The theme of the story is to have hope and peace in your heart even through hard times and trials and tribulations, never lose sight of what’s most important to you. Lonnie experienced tragedy and setbacks as well as heart breaks but no matter what he always found his way back to what was most important to him.
I like that this book is emotional and poetic, every detail was crucial to knowing Lonnie and his struggles like in one paragraph Lonnie gets handed back his math test and saw he got a low score on it he also saw that his good friend Clyde got a good score his test, he had the urge to cry but he held it in knowing that he wouldn't cry in class with everyone around. Lonnie had some difficulties when it came to academics but he really suffered in math in fact he couldn't care less for it, he thrived in writing though that was his strong suit and that was what he was good at it was in his writing that he found the most peace, it was in his writing that he was able to connect with his sister as well hold onto the memories he holds dearest to his heart.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading stories with powerful messages that are full of emotion, adventure and heartwarming events.
May 4, 2022
This is the sequel to Locomotion, continuing the story of Lonnie Collins Motion, but unlike the first book which was written in poems, this one uses letters written by Lonnie to his sister Lili who lives with a different foster family. He's decided that he will write as much as he can about the time before they are able to live together again, as the "rememberer" as Lili called it. One reason for the lack of poems is because his new 6th-grade teacher has told Lonnie that he is not a poet until he has something published. These words not only effect his poetry writing, but his overall school grades as well. But when another teacher takes over for his pregnant teacher, he is once again encouraged to write his poetry. As a backdrop to Lonnie's school troubles, where he is terrible at math, the story of Miss Edna's son Jenkins is brought to the forefront. He has been fighting in a war and is missing. Lonnie thinks a lot about peace and begins to end his letters to his sister with "Peace, Locomotion". Also, Miss Edna's other son, who returned home at the end of Locomotion,is back and studying to become a teacher which makes Lonnie laugh because Miss Edna has told him stories about how bad Rodney was in school as a child. He provides wise words to Lonnie, though, about how kids are really smart but sometimes don't know that they are. A lot of tough issues, including the recovery of Jenkins who has lost a leg, how Lonnie fits into his changing foster family, and the fact that Lili is now calling her foster mother "Mom" are covered in very few words. This book is excellent on CD and won a 2010 Odyssey Honor for recorded books. Highly recommended for grades 4-6.
March 24, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Awards: None
Audience: 4th-6th grade
A: The author helped connect the reader to the characters by writing the story in the form of letters. The letter format created a more intimate experience for the reader because they were reading the thoughts and actions of Lonnie.
B: There are a number of topics mentioned in the book. Relationships with families is a big topic brought about in the book because Lonnie is learning to love his foster family including the oldest brother who he meets for the first time. He realizes it is okay to love this family too, even though they are not his original family. The topic of friendship is briefly looked at as Lonnie becomes closer to one of his classmates and they become good friends. There are also many behavioral, emotional, and mental challenges that Lonnie and his foster family are facing during the book.
C: Compare Lonnie's feelings about his sister loving her foster family like her own family at the beginning of the book and the end. Answer: At first, Lonnie gets very upset that his sister would ever think to replace their parents with a new family. By the end of the book, he has discovered that he loves his foster family as well and that he can have more than one family. He learns to love and miss his parents while still loving his new family and thinks his sister should too.
Awards: None
Audience: 4th-6th grade
A: The author helped connect the reader to the characters by writing the story in the form of letters. The letter format created a more intimate experience for the reader because they were reading the thoughts and actions of Lonnie.
B: There are a number of topics mentioned in the book. Relationships with families is a big topic brought about in the book because Lonnie is learning to love his foster family including the oldest brother who he meets for the first time. He realizes it is okay to love this family too, even though they are not his original family. The topic of friendship is briefly looked at as Lonnie becomes closer to one of his classmates and they become good friends. There are also many behavioral, emotional, and mental challenges that Lonnie and his foster family are facing during the book.
C: Compare Lonnie's feelings about his sister loving her foster family like her own family at the beginning of the book and the end. Answer: At first, Lonnie gets very upset that his sister would ever think to replace their parents with a new family. By the end of the book, he has discovered that he loves his foster family as well and that he can have more than one family. He learns to love and miss his parents while still loving his new family and thinks his sister should too.
January 14, 2024
A few weeks ago I read Jacqueline Woodson’s story of Lonnie Collins Motion only to find out that she wrote a sequel. Although I am trying to limit the amount of kids books I read this year, I am not one to say no to Woodson. Anything she writes is gold. One thing I admire about her is how easily she can flesh out in depth characters in a short amount of time. Then it hit me, I already know about Lonnie, his sister Lili, and the peripheral characters in this book. Their story, as bittersweet as it is, is not new to me. It took Woodson six years in between books to tell her new story and while the characters have gotten more mature, the joy of discovering them for the first time was off. Lonnie writes to his sister in letters instead of poems. Both siblings have gotten comfortable and are loved in new families. Lonnie wants their family to be whole again when he becomes an adult and can legally take care of his sister. For now both can dream and be loved. That is what being in a family is all about. While not the same as reading about Woodson’s characters for the first time, Peace, Locomotion was a labor of love. She deeply supports foster families and has crafted an introspective, sensitive, loving preteen in Lonnie Motion. I do hope that he becomes a poet one day and goes in the direction of his dreams.
4 stars
4 stars
September 30, 2023
I can see kids liking this book, but this wasn’t a YA book that spanned age groups for me. I didn’t think the letter format was particularly effective here, and there were some inconsistencies (some quotes in italics, others in quotation marks — why? was he typing the letters?). I thought it was clunky and awkward that he was describing things to his sister that she was present for, and they were described simplistically and repetitively. It almost made the letters seem pointless, especially since they saw each other fairly often though living apart. The grief seemed very one-sided, almost glossed over. “I’m sad/I miss them.” The sister barely thought twice about calling her new adoptive mother “mama,” which struck me as an odd thing to not have more complex feelings about. Overall, it just fell flat for me. It didn’t say anything new, and it wasn’t particularly interesting. I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed Clyde as a character, and I found him to be much more poetic in nature than Locomotion. I would have loved to get to know him better. Another thing I liked was the notion that laughing through/about the pain is important. That was a cute moment towards the end of the book.
December 26, 2019
After Locomotion I had to read the second part too and I can‘t believe how incredibly sad, yet beautiful it is. While the first book Locomotion was written in poetry form to a general audience, the second one is dedicated to Lonnie‘s sister Lili, who still lives with her foster mother. It is a very beautiful read but be prepared for a lot of heartbreak.
One of my favorite aspects of both books are the teachers and the importance of being a supportive, motivating teacher. I hated their new teacher who told him that he is not a poet as long as he did not publish a book because she destroyed his spirits. Luckily, he stands against her because he knows so many people telling him the opposite. As a teacher myself, I saw myself in Rodney who said that he hated school and was a bad students because his teachers kept telling him so and now he became a teacher to show students how smart they actually are. This is literally one of the reasons why I became a teacher too!
Definitely a Must-Read!
One of my favorite aspects of both books are the teachers and the importance of being a supportive, motivating teacher. I hated their new teacher who told him that he is not a poet as long as he did not publish a book because she destroyed his spirits. Luckily, he stands against her because he knows so many people telling him the opposite. As a teacher myself, I saw myself in Rodney who said that he hated school and was a bad students because his teachers kept telling him so and now he became a teacher to show students how smart they actually are. This is literally one of the reasons why I became a teacher too!
Definitely a Must-Read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
A very lovely and worth companion of Woodson’s original novel in verse.
This one, told in letters from Lonnie to his sister Lili, who is living in a different foster home, has all the same heart of the first book, but builds upon Lonnie’s character. I loved getting to know him in verse, and here, the format allows for a bit more reflection, and a more solid connection between Lonnie and Lili. And while I would have loved to see letters exchanged and gotten Lili’s side as well, we still get a wide range of stories from Lonnie’s POV. The book touches on tough topics of family (born and created), friendship, education, PTSD, and rebuilding and redefining your world when you feel you’ve lost everything. Jenkins’ story was absolutely heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful, as so many of Woodson’s stories are.
As always, would recommend for just about any reader who loves great writing and heartfelt, fully-realized characters, and would definitely encourage reading the series in order to get the full effect.
This one, told in letters from Lonnie to his sister Lili, who is living in a different foster home, has all the same heart of the first book, but builds upon Lonnie’s character. I loved getting to know him in verse, and here, the format allows for a bit more reflection, and a more solid connection between Lonnie and Lili. And while I would have loved to see letters exchanged and gotten Lili’s side as well, we still get a wide range of stories from Lonnie’s POV. The book touches on tough topics of family (born and created), friendship, education, PTSD, and rebuilding and redefining your world when you feel you’ve lost everything. Jenkins’ story was absolutely heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful, as so many of Woodson’s stories are.
As always, would recommend for just about any reader who loves great writing and heartfelt, fully-realized characters, and would definitely encourage reading the series in order to get the full effect.
January 12, 2021
"Tonight, I'm thinking about Peace, Lili. I'm thinking about Peace real hard because I don't want to get drafted and I don't want more people to get used up. I close my eyes and I see the peace sign. I draw peace signs on my notebook. I try to picture everybody putting down their weapons and no war wars anywhere. Peace, Locomotion."
Now this book I enjoyed much more than the first. This is the letters that Lonnie writes to his sister Lili. There is the opening letter where a teacher has killed the spark that Lonnie had for writing poetry and throughout the book we have a few scattered here and there. However, the book had much more meat and I could connect with characters and see much more to the story than a line or two. I enjoyed this a lot more and really had my heart strings tugged to be a foster mom one day. Love the aspect of the Vietnam (?) War and its horrors in a small and gentle way.
" It's like there's a giant on my shoulders. And sometimes it feels like I'm just gonna fall right down under all that weight. But I don't, Lily. I stay standing.
I stay standing."
Now this book I enjoyed much more than the first. This is the letters that Lonnie writes to his sister Lili. There is the opening letter where a teacher has killed the spark that Lonnie had for writing poetry and throughout the book we have a few scattered here and there. However, the book had much more meat and I could connect with characters and see much more to the story than a line or two. I enjoyed this a lot more and really had my heart strings tugged to be a foster mom one day. Love the aspect of the Vietnam (?) War and its horrors in a small and gentle way.
" It's like there's a giant on my shoulders. And sometimes it feels like I'm just gonna fall right down under all that weight. But I don't, Lily. I stay standing.
I stay standing."
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