Author: Nikki Grimes
Publisher & Date: Dial Books, 8 Aug 2017
Page Count: 192 pages
ISBN: 978-0425289761
Age/Reading Level: 12-18/Grades 7-12
Representation: Main characters are persons of color
Other Information:
Book Information
When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, some of his classmates clamor to read their poems aloud too. Soon they’re having weekly poetry sessions and, one by one, the eighteen students are opening up and taking on the risky challenge of self-revelation. There’s Lupe Alvarin, desperate to have a baby so she will feel loved. Raynard Patterson, hiding a secret behind his silence. Porscha Johnson, needing an outlet for her anger after her mother OD’s. Through the poetry they share and narratives in which they reveal their most intimate thoughts about themselves and one another, their words and lives show what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.
Challenges & Bans
The challenges of this book center around its addressing of difficult topics, including domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, and racial tensions; misunderstandings of content
Awards & Accolades
Coretta Scott King Award (2003)
