Echo Echo Book Review

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Echo Echo Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Singer, Marilyn. Echo Echo : Reverso Poems about Greek Myths. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9780803739925. 

Summary

Echo Echo is a picture book of reverso poems that shows there are two sides to every story, more specifically in this case to every Greek myth. So when you read each poem from top to bottom it tells one side of the story and when you read it from bottom to top it tells the other side of that story. I want to say that this form of poetry is the most challenging and intimidating I can think of and yet, Singer pulls of beautifully in this book and in many others. I have seen reverso poems done word by word which is incredibly hard and Singer’s are done line by line which is still so incredibly difficult and impressive. For this amazing picture book the illustrations are also provided in reverso. So for a full page spread, one side has the two images (either one on top and one on bottom or side by side) and the other side has the two reverso poems side by side on one page. At the bottom of the dual poems is a short background explanation for the myth that adds a little more context and understanding, especially for young readers who likely haven’t heard these stories before.

Analysis

Greek myths are great stories and they continue to be passed down over thousands of years because they are so fascinating. However, I think this format of the dual reverso poems and the dual opposing images, is the most engaging and accessible way I have ever seen these stories portrayed. The idea of writing a reverso poem is intimidating but Singer makes reading them easy for young readers and adults alike. I think the way that the reverso poems presents two sides to every story is important for young readers and students to consider. Especially in childhood, we often only see our own side or our friends side of a situation and we fail to put ourselves in another’s shoes. Empathy is hard to teach but so essential to being a well-rounded member of a community. This book enables lessons and discussions that aide in learning and practicing empathy. I can’t think of a more worthwhile pursuit.

Poetic elements include antithesis, punctuation, and rhyme scheme.

Each pair or reverso poems present two opposing sides of the story so antithesis is present in every pair. For some poems it is enemies, each meant to defeat the other as in Perseus and Medusa, From Perseus’ perspective we see “I must have your head, / stone- hearted monster!” and “It is my curse to be the / hero/” Alternately, from Medusa’s perspective we see “It is my curse to be the / one to rid the world of you nasty creatures” and “I must have your head, / petrified indeed.” For other poems, it is relational perspective like the father and son in Icarus and Daedalus. From Icarus’ perspective we see his yearning to fly in “these precious waxen wings / so open up / the sky! / I understand / the glory of soaring. / I know / why / we burn to fly!” From his father Daedalus’ perspective, we see “So, open up / these precious waxen wings, / but, oh, / my son, / take care! / Not too high… / By Apollo, no!” The son yearning to fly higher, throwing the cautions he received to the wind while his father wishes his son would have listened instead of falling to his death.

The subtle changes in punctuation from one poem to its reverse allows for the real differences in meaning to come across. One such example is in King Midas and His Daughter, from his daughter’s perspective we see “Golden / girl, / alas, my / good father / still dares to call me, / who / would never offer a gentle hand. / What kind of man would for years not give a caress?” From King Midas’ perspective we see “What kind of man would for year not give a caress? / would never offer a gentle hand? / Who / still dares to call me / “good father?” / Alas, my / girl! / Golden.” Being able to see he withheld his touch to try to protect her and not turn her to gold but in protecting she felt neglected and craved his affection, makes these reverso poems really come alive. We also see how he felt her absence and his regret when he did accidentally touch her and she turned to gold, leaving him to see the consequence of his curse and absence of his daughter as a constant, present reminder in her golden statue form.

The rhyme scheme serves to draw our attention to the action in each poem. One such poem is Pandora and the Box, the side blaming Pandora we see “Oh how humans are weak! / “Don’t peek,” / when a god speaks. / …. It might have been great Zeus’s game. / No matter, that – / She gets the blame.” And from a more sympathetic perspective, realizing Pandora was a human and the box was actually created by Zeus, we see “She gets the blame. / No matter that / it might have been great Zeus’s game. / Hard to listen, / isn’t / it, / when a god speaks, / “Don’t peek?” / Oh, how humans are weak.” When you can understand that the creation of the box and the collection of the evils inside it was not Pandora’s doing and that she was merely guilty of being too curious to avoid the temptation of desperately wanting to know the unknown, you can really empathize instead of placing the blame square on her shoulders alone.

Excerpt

Activity Idea

I could see using this in the high school english classroom before we begin reading Narcissus Reflects by Paul Lake or Medusa by Amy Clampitt. Narcissus lends itself well to discussing the lessons of empathy learned in the book and how the lack of seeing beyond ourselves makes empathy impossible but also traps us as well. If we are unable to focus on others and the world around us, we are worse for it and may even perish as a result, like Narcissus did. But if we can understand that in any disagreement or battle there are two sides, both believing in their own fight, we can better avoid or solve those disputes before they cost us our own lives as well as the lives of others. These reverso poems remind me a lot of the fairytale movies flipping the story on its head and taking the perspective of who was previously portrayed as the villain, like the Maleficent movie, the Descendants TV series, and such. All of these serve to help us be able to realize the world is not so clearly good and evil but rather that we all have good in us and we all have evil in us as well, that it is about our choices and our ability to prioritize others above ourselves.

Reviews: 

  • From Kirkus Reviews: “In all, though, a visual and interpretive feast bringing timeless tales to a young audience.”
  • From School Library Journal: “Through reverso poems rendered in an elegant font on split blue and white pages, Singer presents two sides of different Greek myths. The demanding wordplay is deftly handled and prettily displayed. ”
  • From The New York Times: “Marilyn Singer’s ingenious “reverso” poems are child-friendly feats of verbal pyrotechnics: They can be read from the top down or the bottom up, with just small changes of punctuation and capitalization. Reading in each direction yields a completely different meaning and point of view. Singer keeps the poems to a dozen or so mostly short lines, some just one word long, so they look spacious on the page and are easily accessible to younger child readers.”

Becoming Muhammad Ali Book Review

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Becoming Muhammad Ali Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Patterson, James and Alexander, Kwame. Becoming Muhammad Ali : a novel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. ISBN 9780316498166. 

Summary

Becoming Muhammad Ali is a novel in both verse and prose based on the life of Muhammad Ali, who obviously needs no introduction but this book will give young readers access to this outstanding man to help them understand him, his life, and his impact in a way that has never been done before. Although this is a work of fiction and the authors used a fictional character named, Lucius, as the perspective of Cassius’ best friend, this book was “fully authorized by and written in cooperation with the Muhammad Ali estate.”(book jacket) Kwame Alexander wrote from the verse from the perspective of Cassius Clay/ Muhammad Ali while James Patterson wrote the prose from the fictional Lucius/ Lucky. The book follows Ali from his childhood as Cassius in his hometown of Louisville, through the beginning of his love for the ring, his rose as a boxing star, his fame as an Olympian and pro boxer, and then his life post boxing. All the while, making sure to sprinkle in family wisdoms and character truths of the both Ali and the entire Clay family.

Analysis

Poetic elements include rhythm, alliteration, and imagery.

Alexander’s rhythm flows perfectly with the story of Ali, obviously, but especially during the action packed way he relays each match. The rhythm and movement happens mostly in the different fights shown in verse, like the chapter Cassius Clay vs. Francis Turley, “he broke a guy’s nose/ with a left jab,/ then smiled/ when the joker/ went tumbling/ outta the ring,/ blood spurting/… before the bell rang…” Again in Central High School, “jab / step / to the left / duck / step / to the right”, this one is even artisticly arranged to look like Ali does as he bounces from foot to foot. In Talking Trash, his rhythm and flow even skips lines and stanzas like the way a heated conversation can go fast and slow. My favorite part of that chapter is “This hoe ain’t squat, Mr. Big Shot, / I hollered back, still hitting / the speed bags. / These fists I got are meteors, / super-hot, / burn you up like kilowatts, / knock you outta this world / like an astronaut.” Most students love music and feel less intimidated by lyrics than poetry so it is great that many of Alexander’s chapters flow more like a song and draw you in as a reader.

Alexander’s alliteration most often shows itself in the chapters about Ali’s neighborhood and family. One such chapter is Angels, “like Sunday service / is about to start /… wrapped in white sheets / with green wings.” Another is Early Christmas, as he describes his much anticipated present, “SUPER-JUMBO JET / SPEED-RACING / SCHWINN BICYCLE.” Conversations with Lucky, has some great alliteration as well, “To win the Golden Gloves is my goal / and after that, it’s Olympic Gold. / These fists of fury will be my claim to fame. / Kings and queens will know my name.” Alliteration can be such a fun and less intimidating poetic element for students so I think it is awesome that Alexander was able to include so many times and in so many ways.

Imagery happens throughout but is strongest in his childhood memories. Two Louisvilles has great and frustrating imagery as he compares the Louisville he is allowed in and the one he isn’t. “No matter how many times / you hear the crackle / of wooden roller-coasters, / smell the hot buttered popcorn, / and watch thousands / of happy white kids / eat cotton candy, / you know you’re not allowed / in…” Impactful imagery happens during the recount of his matches as in Cassius Clay vs. Ronnie O’Keefe, “when I land a series / of short pops / to his head. / one right below / his left ear / that makes him stumble / into the ropes / right in front of / where Cash and Rudy / and Lucky and my uncles / are sitting / and screaming, / KO! KO! KO!” The beautiful poetic language makes it so easy to feel as if you are really witnessing each moment in Clay/Ali’s life.

Excerpt

Activity Idea

This novel-in-verse is about overcoming challenges, and believing yourself. This excerpt is the last fight described in poem form in the novel and it is all about Cassius/Ali talking about someone he could have been intimidated by or thought was better than him and instead he focuses on all the people and reasons he needed to fight for. Have the students think about a time they overcame a challenge or obstacle and be able to describe all the reasons they had to be afraid or intimidated or worried they wouldn’t succeed juxtaposed with all the reasons they had to fight and persevere and believe in themselves. Everyone has faced challenges and this is a great way for them to relate to someone they admire rather than feel as though they could never be as great. I would reinforce this with a quote from the book, “Granddaddy… you told me / I am the greatest / not because I am better than anybody / I am the greatest / because nobody is greater than me” This is such a great way to reinforce that believing in yourself doesn’t have to mean putting others down or being arrogant but rather that you can take pride in yourself and in “who you are, / and whose you are.”

Reviews: 

  • From Kirkus: “Told in two voices, with prose for the voice of Lucky and free verse for Cassius, the narrative provides readers with a multidimensional view of the early life of and influences on an important figure in sports and social change. Lucky’s observations give context while Cassius’ poetry encapsulates his drive, energy, and gift with words.”
  • From YALSA: “Fans of Torrey Maldonado’s What Lane?, Kwame Alexander’s other sports books in verse, and the Track series by Jason Reynolds and those who enjoy playing sports video games, such as Madden NFL 21, NBA 2K21, and FIFA 21, will find a lot to love here.”
  • From School Library Journal: “The overwhelming positivity filling the pages encourages readers to never be afraid of who they are, making this story golden. Get this uplifting, informative book onto library shelves and into kid’s hands.”

The Wild Book Book Review

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The Wild Book Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Engle, Margarita. The Wild Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. ISBN 9780544022751. 

Summary

The Wild Book is a novel in verse based on the life of the author’s grandmother as a young farm girl with dyslexia during earlieth 20th century Cuba. She doesn’t get much help at school so she works on her reading and writing with her Mama every night. One day, after her brother is injured from his own accidental gunshot, he decides to be her teacher. Poetry is where she finds the strength to express herself and also what she ends up feeling most comfortable reading, second to riddles. As she learns to read and write, her town is ravaged by bandits who kidnap farm children for ransom money. After a beach vacation, they return to find thieves trying to steal their cattle. One day, she finds a ransom note on the kitchen table from the two infamous kidnappers. Oddly enough, she turns to words to give her comfort. She discovers that the ransom note was actually written by a creepy old man and the authorities are able to arrest him. She has discovered her self-confidence and a new joy in words.

Analysis

Poetic elements include metaphors, hyphens and spacing, and repetition.

Engle’s metaphors are present throughout and help us to see the world as it was then and through the eyes of this young girl with dyslexia, a young girl inspired by the life of the author’s grandmother. There are some powerful metaphors in the first poem of the novel called Word-Blindness. “The doctor hisses it / like a curse. / …. The letters will jumble / and spill off the page, / leaping and hopping, / jumping far away, / like slimy / bullfrogs. / Think of this little book / as a garden, / Mama suggests. / … Throw wildflower seeds / all over each page, she advises. / Let the words sprout / like seedlings, /” We can really see here the struggle of the daughter in her attempts to read and the hopes of the mother who thinks if her daughter just keeps trying, the words and understanding will come. In later poems, the young girl is made fun when she reads aloud or writes in class, and even at home with her sisters, and we see her self confidence diminish. This is so powerful for teachers and for students as we know dyslexia impacts so many and has a ripple effect for every subject and moment in school and in their lives.

Engle uses the hyphens and spacing to illustrate how words appear to her and also how her mother is teaching her to separate them by syllable to help with her dyslexia. This is best illustrated in Homework Fear. “Mama helps me learn / how to picture / the sep – a – rate / parts / of each mys – te – ri – ous / syl – la – ble. / Still, it’s not easy / to go so / ss – ll – oo – ww – ll – yy. / S l o w l y. / SLOWLY! /” She also adds to the illustration of her intimidation of the words on a page in Word Towers, “The long poems / look like towers so tall / that I could never / hope / to climb / all the wispy / letters. /” We see how the author’s attempts to go slow and be patient only partially help. She speaks of the teacher not having time to help her so she works every night with her Mama. But her frustration at her dyslexia leads her to question in Tiny Triumphs, if “all those / scattered / bits / of ti-ny . words” will ever get easier? “Will (her) mind / ever be ti – dy? / Will (her) wild book / ever seem / tame?” It really helps us as readers imagine how difficult and insurmountable reading must feel for her to liken it to animal to be tamed.

Repetition and listing are obvious throughout but most often used to expand on an event in the young girl’s life as in the poem Scribbling. “I spell my own long name: / Josefa de la Caridid Uria Pena. / I sound out the name of our farm: / Goatzacoalco. / I pour out the name of the river: / Manati. / I print the name of the town: / Trinidad. / I whisper the name / of my favorite daydream: / Happiness. /” Throughout the book we see others like names of relatives or the chores she does each day. This helps us to imagine her surroundings and day-to-day life as a young farm girl.

Excerpt

Activity Idea

This novel-in-verse is about overcoming challenges, fears, frustrations, doubts (of your own and of others.) This poem would give students a great mentor text to discuss or write about a time they overcame a struggle and found comfort and confidence or their newfound strength. I read another book of hers last summer called Drum Dream Girl and it would pair great because it covers a lot of the same themes.

Reviews: 

  • From Kirkus: “The author gives readers a portrait of a tumultuous period in Cuban history and skillfully integrates island flora, fauna and mythology into Fefa’s first-person tale. This canvas heightens Fefa’s determination to rise above the expectations of her siblings, peers and society.”
  • From Chicago Now: “The Wild Book is based on the true story of Engle’s grandmother, and for all it’s beauty, there are harsh realities in The Wild Book authentic to Cuba in the period after the Spanish-American War and the subsequent U.S. occupation.”
  • From Publishers Weekly: “To help Fefa overcome her struggle to read and write, her poetry-loving mother gives her the wild book of the title, a blank book in which Fefa can practice “taming” the letters and words that seem to wriggle away as she tries to read them.”

My Own True Name Book Review

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My Own True Name Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Mora, Pat. My Own True Name. Houston: Pinata Books, 2000. ISBN 1558852921. 

Summary

My Own True Name is a series of poems taken from her larger collections of poems and combined with some newer ones written just for this book, and they are separated into three sections: Blooms, Thorns, and Roots. It is a short book but it offers poems on all kinds of topics and touches on Spanish language and family throughout. From an Ode to Pizza to Abuelita’s Ache to Senora X No More to Learning Enligh: Chorus in Many Voices, Mora covers a wide range of moments and experiences at different times in her life.

Analysis

The cover says “New and Selected Poems for Young Adults” and I think Mora has definitely accomplished speaking into the heart of teenagers about many differents and milestones that they experience. Inside, Mora adds in her forward that she hopes this book “will tempt you to write your own poems about a special person or a special place, about a gray fear or a green hope. What are your blooms, your thorns, your roots?… Bring your inside voice out and let us hear you on the page. Come, join the serious and sassy family of writers.” Some of the poems have the English version on the left and the Spanish version on the right while others that have a few Spanish words throughout have the English translation of those words on the bottom of the page which I think is a great way for the author to stay true to herself while making the poems accessible to those who don’t speak Spanish.

Poetic elements include repetition, personification, and metaphor.

One particularly interesting repetition is the poem The Desert Is My Mother

She starts the first line of every stanza with “I say” and the second line of every stanza with every mother’s action (eg. “She whispers… She offers… She blooms”)

“I say feed me. / she serves red prickly pear on a spiked cactus. / … I say frighten me. / She shouts thunder, flashes lightning.”

It’s interesting that she relates the desert taking care of her as a mother would care for a daughter because many don’t think to see the desert this way. To many, a desert is full of taking or full of lacking, no water, no food, no resources, dry, desolate, etc. But to Mora, the desert is home and comfort and familiar and a mother.

My favorite personification is her poem Oral History.

“You’re dead but your voice spins / out from tape cassettes, reels me back to my child-bed, storytelling / in the dark. While my teenagers bend / to kiss me good-night, I’m lullaby- / rocked by your rhythms, / like a mother’s heartbeat, familiar, / comforting old friends, stories / with names wearing high collars / like Nepomuceno and Anacleta / who walk in genteel shoes on the dirt / streets of tongue-twister towns.”

This is something many can relate to but especially teens because they so often relate to music and it speaks to them in a way that nothing else does. I think this would be a great poem to use in class to talk about how much music lyrics are a form of poetry and this would hopefully help them to be less averse to poetry.

Some great examples of her metaphors are in her poem Tree-Wisdom.

“Those limbs, like moon-drunk flamenco gypsies, stretch / their gold, green, and garnet bangles into wind / wails, whirl wild when thunder claps. / Still, a tree moves, trembles / at the invisible. Without lungs or lips, / whispers and howls. / In wise rhthym, a tree retreats, / strips to feed itself.”

So often we don’t stop to ‘smell the roses’ or really appreciate the beauty of nature and everything it is capable of. This poem is a great one to make us think about the resiliency and beauty of nature and the world around us. This would be a great starter poem template for students to write and use as a mentor text because sometimes it is less intimidating to talk about things around us instead of ourselves.

Excerpt

Activity Idea

This poem would provide a great opportunity to talk about assimilation and the struggle and pressure when immigrating to a new land, new language, new expectations. This is one of those topics that could be a mirror for some, who have experienced immigration and a window or door for others who have not experienced something like this to learn about experiences different from their own. I’m sure the students could think about fears or worries of their own or they might talk about a time they tried to change themselves or those around them to ‘fit in.’

Reviews: 

  • From Austin American Statesman: “Pat Mora’s new collection of nonrhyming poetry calls on young adults to embrace their identity with passion … Again and again, she compares generations and speaks of differences, of changes. Mora’s goal is to provide confidence for her young readers and to encourage a path of passion and interest without misrepresenting the difficulties they might encounter.”
  • From Booklist: ““Interlaced with Mexican phrases and cultural symbols, these powerful selections, representing more than 15 years of work, address bicultural life and the meaning of family”
  • From Linworth Publishing, Inc.: “Mora gives voice to the soul of the American Southwest … This anthology will enhance unit studies in multicultural issues, American diversity, immigration, and the Mexican-American experience. Using the subtly vivid palette of the desert, Mora applies rich brushstrokes to her canvas to create a Mexican-American reality.”

Behind The Wheel: poems about driving Book Review

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Behind The Wheel: poems about driving Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Wong, Janet S. Behind The Wheel: poems about driving. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1999. ISBN 0689825315. 

Summary

Behind The Wheel is a series of poems, all by Janet S. Wong, about driving which include many different circumstances and positions (driver, passenger, riding the bus, etc.) Though it is a short book, I’m sure most teenagers could find a poem inside they relate to since it covers different phases and moments of driving. From not being able to afford a car so she rides the bus with money from her grandmother’s change jar to driver’s ed to car wrecks to being pulled over, this book covers all the events you could think of associating with driving.

Analysis

The cover features a driver side view of the dash (with spedometer and a tachometer blurred) as well as the blurred road ahead, seemingly inside a tunnel. Inside, her poems are filled with her inner dialogue and also some dialogue between her and her family and friends. She also includes life advice and context of her own life during different life lessons. The nice thing about the poems each standing on their own is you could select a few to teach instead of trying to get through the whole book. You could also have students choose their own from the possible poems so that they each find one they relate to or enjoy. An interesting bit about her poems is they don’t contain so much of a spoken word rhythm but they are spaced out and the words are chosen carefully for maximum impact. The author plays with lines and spacing to create interesting pauses and focus in each poem.

Poetic elements include metaphors, hyperbole and imagery.

One particularly interesting metaphor is the poem Jump-Start 

can’t turn over/ battery’s dead/ need jumper cables/ in/ my/ head/ clamp them on/ start me up/ pour some coffee/ in my cup/ dark strong coffee/ start me up.

It’s interesting that she relates jumping a car to jumping starting herself with caffeine/coffee especially because this is a very adult point of view and in the book she skips to different ages and times in her life. The poem just before and the one after it are both for teenage drivers.

My favorite hyperbole is her poem Insurance for Teenage Drivers: A New Plan

First incident: / Offender must stand / in the middle / of a busy intersection / for one whole day / directing traffic. / Second incident: / Direct traffic, / head shaved bald. / Third incident: / Direct traffic, / head shaved bald, / singing in a microphone / flanked by parents / dressed in pajamas.

This is entertaining and funny while also being something that I could see being very effective. I can absolutely see the teenager directing traffic with a bald head surrounded by parents in pajamas with a look of shame so obvious on their face that everyone can tell they wish the earth would open up and swallow them whole.

One great example of her imagery is in her poem Lessons in Braking.

Each time your mother brakes / on the curve down the hill / where your swimming lessons are / your juice streaks your cheek / flies in the front seat. / You wash your sticky face / blowing bubbles in the pool.

As a mom myself, I can really picture these moments with my own kids. I can imagine how fast the car must seem in motion and in braking. Such a fun perspective to read from and in this poem she continues with her perspectives at nine years old and then at fifteen years old. She does all of these in a such a way that you can really imagine each which is not an easy feat for such different perspectives.

Excerpt

Activity Idea

This poem talks about a class activity where each students uses a metaphor to describe their family. I think this could be a fun and not too intimidating activity because 1) it doesn’t have to rhyme, 2) there are two full examples in the poem, 3) there are four other metaphors mentioned as potential examples, 4) it is short (only 3-6 lines), 5) Their metaphor object isn’t confined to any subject or topic (such as the two examples related to driving) but could be anything. For many reluctant readers and writers, starting with a much smaller task, like this one, will open their minds to larger texts and pieces. I like this activity because it doesn’t ask them to over analyze the poem itself but rather to create one of their own.

Reviews: 

  • From Horn Book: “[R]eflective…conversational and unfussy…”
  • From Booklist: “Wong’s brief, clear lines will be accessible even to the most reluctant poetry readers, and readers of all ages will be moved by the intersection of poignancy and humor as she describes the thrilling freedom of the car and an emerging adult’s awareness that, although she’s traveled, her road still leads to home.”
  • I was not able to find a third review online but this book was an ABA “Pick of the Lists” and an ALA/YALSA “Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers.”

The Poet X Book Review

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The Poet X Book Review

By Keri Burns

Bibliography 

Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X. New York: Harper Teen, 2018. ISBN 9780062662804. 

Summary

The Poet X is a novel in verse about Xiomara Batista, a teenage daughter of an immigrant, growing up in Harlem and experiencing life change when she opens her emotions and thoughts to expression through poetry. Her Catholic mother doesn’t approve but she is encouraged by her school’s slam poetry club and her English teacher. Xiomara’s true feelings come out when she is writing and she reveals parts of herself she keeps hidden from the rest of the world because she believes she is safer that way. Especially when she begins to have feelings for a fellow student named Aman. Before poetry, Xiomara used her fists to defend herself and shut down those who would give her attention for her body instead of her mind. Now, with the power of expressing herself through words, she won’t be silenced. She knows she needs to perform her poetry and share it with the world. We, as readers, get to see her go through multiple drafts of each poem and follow along as her thoughts and emotions develop. 

Analysis

The cover lets you know it focuses on a young black girl . Inside, her poems are filled with dialogue and rhythm, you can tell they would flow so well when spoken loud. The author spells out words that are unique to her language, culture, or experience, like the main character’s name, Xiomara, See-oh-MAH-ruh. The poems are filled with alliteration and quick retorts while digging deeper to examine her true feelings about each topic. The many spanish phrases in the book remind you that she is hearing and speaking in two worlds and two languages. The font is the same throughout the book but the author plays with lines and spacing to create interesting images and pauses in the text. The dialogue is in almost every poem and it really makes you feel like you can hear her life. Many of her poems resemble a journal entry but with more reflection than just a recording of events. The way she goes back to some poems two or three times, really helps the reader to dig into her thoughts and feelings to a deeper understanding. 

Poetic elements include alliteration, dialogue, metaphors, and repetition.

Acevedo’s alliteration is sprinkled throughout and adds to the descriptive nature of her work. From “Mira, Muchacha” to “stoop-sitting” and “bachata blaring” Acevedo’s language is mesmerizing. The way she weaves the words together in a musical rhythm without losing meaning or leaving out context is truly a gift. The metaphors she makes out of everyday items to show how she is feeling in the space and events around her makes each moment come alive as shown in this excerpt from”Night before First Day of School.” “Even with my Amazon frame,/ I feel too small for all that’s inside me./ I want to break myself open/ like an egg smacked hard against an edge.”

The dialogue present throughout the book really makes the reader feel like you are bearing witness to exactly what Xiomara is hearing and experiencing. In the poem “Stoop-Sitting” we hear the explicit ways in which boys and men in her neighborhood objectify her and her body. “Ayo, Xiomara you need to stat wearing dresses like that!” “Shit, you’d be wifed up before going back to school.” “Especially knowing you church girls are all freaks.” Xiomara is a young girl sitting on the stoop of her home watching others play and enjoying the last bits of summer but even this is tainted and tarnished by the inappropriate expectations and desires of others that are so far from what Xiomara wants for herself and so far from what any girl should have to hear. 

Repetition is obvious throughout but also has subtle changes both in titles and inside individual poems like in the poem Caridad and I Shouldn’t Be Friends. “We are not two side of the same coin./ We are not ever mistaken for sisters./ We don’t look alike, don’t sound alike./ We don’t make no damn sense as friends.” She also uses opposites to accentuate points in this poem. “I’m ready to finally feel what it’s like to like a boy./ Caridad wants to wait for marriage./I’m afraid of my mother so I listen to what she says./ Caridad genuinely respects her parents./” This poem speaks about the differences between Xiomara and her best friend and while they are very different, they have also shared so many memories together since they were in diapers and they have an understanding of one another that goes beyond being similar. Caridad treats her without judgement and that is something Xiomara has trouble finding in her religious mother. Acevedo’s repetition in titles is shown many times, for example in the titles: “When You’re Born to Old Parents”,  “When You’re Born to Old Parents, Continued”, “When You’re Born to Old Parents, Continued Again”, “The Last Word on Being Born to Old Parents.”

Rhyming isn’t as prevalent so much as a strong sense of rhythm. You can hear how the words would be delivered with a steady flow and the author creating space on the page where longer pauses would be. 

Excerpt

Activity Idea

This novel-in-verse covers many unique persepctives such as being a 1st generation American, being objectified for your body, being boxed in by parental religious expectations. The excerpt above provides a great opportunity to talk or write about expectations placed on us by society or others and how our own views,beliefs, and hopes may be different. Especially for teenagers, it is important that they be given the space and time to think about what they really believe and want instead of only adhering to society and other’s beliefs and desires for them. Providing a space to discuss and reflect in their teenage years so that they can truly find their own values and desires will help them to not be lost later in life when others plans for them are challenged. 

Reviews: 

  • From Latinxs in Kid Lit: “Acevedo so seamlessly addresses weighty topics with ease and care, and the book never feels like it’s teaching you a lesson. The novel addresses issues such as sizeism, street harassment, homophobia, misogyny, sexual shame, and abuse, particularly when that abuse is paired with religion.”
  • From Kirkus Reviews: “It’s a book not just about the power of expression, but about the power of being heard.”
  • From The New York Times: “The force and intensity behind her words practically pushes them off the page, resulting in a verse novel that is felt as much as it is heard. This is a book from the heart, and for the heart.”

Mental pictures of Summer 2019

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In the last week, Levi has gotten more creative in how he wakes me up in the morning. Of course, he wakes up at his normal time between 5-6:30am because our work schedule had him conditioned to wake up at this time and drink his morning bottle before diaper change and loading the car on our way to GiGi’s so mommy and daddy can go to work. No one told Levi that summertime meant he didn’t have to wake up between 5-6:30am. However, I am happy to say that he has learned summertime means that after that morning bottle he snuggles up with me and usually we fall blissfully back to sleep for a couple more hours. So the creative wake ups are the ones post snuggle. This week he has pulled the sheets back to give me a raspberry, he has ‘got my nose’, and he has stuck his finger in my ear. Although I have no idea where he learned the latter, I was tickled at his goofy and playful approach to waking me. I am typically more of a grouch than a morning person but playing with my little man is definitely the best part of waking up.

Father’s Day weekend we enjoyed swimming, ping-pong, croquet, and brisket at GiGi and Papa’s house.

At the end of June, we took Levi ‘camping’ at my Grandma’s by pitching a tent in her lakeside front yard. We had a blast despite many mosquito bites. Levi enjoyed crawling in the grass and chasing the dogs and cat, even while he was feeling under the weather. It feels like Levi has had a virus every month for most of the last six months. The doctors say it is normal and nothing to worry about but I have decided I hate viruses because there is no medicine or way to help, we are told just to ‘wait it out’ and ‘let it takes it course.’ Which, as any parent knows, leaves you feeling utterly helpless while your baby is in pain.

For July 4th, Nate drove to Midland to see his Dad and Ross and the girls. Levi and I stayed home and Rachel came to spend the week with us. Nate and Ross popped off lots of fireworks with the girls and Nona and Pa. Rachel, Levi and I went to my parents house to swim and watch fireworks over the lake. It was really a precious week for us and for Nate. We are going to Odessa in a few weeks together to help his Dad get the house ready to eventually sell and move.

This past weekend we drove to Granbury to visit my friend Amanda and her family who actually live in Montana and only get to come to Texas once or twice a year. They didn’t come down last year because she was pregnant with Finley so it had been an extra long time since I had hugged their necks. And I hadn’t met baby Finley yet who is now 7 months and already crawling everywhere and pulling herself up! We also got to see my cousin Chris who just moved to Granbury with his wife and kiddos. His wife and kiddos were in Dallas this weekend for her nephews birthday party so we only saw Chris but we had a good time hanging out. Levi loved playing with Chris. And with Amanda’s daughters. We also got to hang with Rachel who lives an hour from there. It was a nice little getaway and we have really enjoyed getting to take some trips this summer.

Levi still isn’t walking on his own but he has stayed standing more often by himself and for a little longer each time. He has 9 teeth now! He is 22 pounds and 31 inches long. Also, he is starting to look a little chunkier since being on regular whole milk and solid foods, no more Nutramigen formula. He loves meat by itself (no gravy, sauce or condiments of any kind), potatoes, fruits, chips, bread, some veggies and especially loves chocolate.

Today, he showed us he can climb DOWN the stairs! It was pretty crazy! We haven’t taught him to climb down like that so it was very cool. He loves climbing on anything and everything. He likes to pretend to type on the laptop and shut it really quickly when he sees me coming lol. He is strong and loves to push the heavy wooden kitchen chairs all around. He loves watching signing time while eating breakfast and getting his patch time in in the morning. He also enjoys sesame street, word party, and pocoyo when I’m trying to get house chores done. When we are watching TV he likes to turn off and on the Xbox or the TV with the buttons on the devices themselves or with the remotes. He loves remotes and controllers. Last night he showed us he knows how to open ALL our doors, they all have handles instead of knobs so he has really enjoyed being able to open successfully on most of his attempts. We are definitely into the get into everything phase but it is hilarious and fun. Tonight he also made the most hilarious little excited screech. He was eating a few bites of brownie from Nate while sitting in between us on the couch. When he turned my direction and realized I also has brownie he let us his little excited screech realizing there was MORE chocolate haha. He is definitely my kid.

I love how cuddly he is! He really enjoys hugs and loving on each other, and even just cuddling whenever, wherever. I am cherishing all this sweet affection even more because I know one day he will be ‘too cool’ and ‘too big’ to cuddle with his mama.

Hopefully next week we will make it to the splash pad for Levi’s first time.

Common sense, drive-thrus and not safe for public clothes

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“The dye is killing your brain cells” my relatives joked when I got my first blonde highlights at age 14. Their humor was harmless enough but it stung slightly because I felt I was vastly lacking in the common sense department. That is the implication when someone tells you that you have book smarts instead of saying that you are smart. I heard this a lot back then. So I decided to do my best to ask questions and learn from others so that I would no longer lack common sense. I did not enjoy being someone’s punch line and it was motivation enough for me. I would love to say I also still held on to my desire to be book smart but that wouldn’t be true, strictly speaking. Especially in regards to textbooks, which is ironic given my current profession. I like to think I have a lot of common sense now but the truth is there are still many times my questions lead others to give me the look. You know the one, the look that says “seriously, how do you not know this?” My cousin gave me the look just last weekend. I was explaining how wonderful I thought it was that the donut shop near his home had a drive through and gestured ‘mind-blown’, to which he asked “have you never seen a donut shop with a drive through?” I replied that I had not but then thought on it for a minute and realized one of the beloved donut franchises in my hometown did, in fact, have a drive through but to me they were so different than other donut shops. Also, this was a prime example of my not thinking before speaking, thus still lacking common sense. Oh well. 

I have developed a very deep and sincere appreciation for out of the ordinary drive thrus since having a baby. I am a big fan of anything to keep from waking up the little being, who finally fell asleep for their first nap of the day, and not having to take them out of the car seat and go inside, only to return them so quickly to the car seat, which will lead to them being very frustrated, very loudly. So the only gas station in my hometown to have a drive thru now has my sincere applause. The burger joint down the street that, despite their lack of a physical drive thru, will deliver your food to your parking spot if you call when you arrive, has my vote. The dry cleaners that offer a drive thru window, even though I never have anything dry cleaned, now have my thanks. The no longer in business drive thru beer and wine store, known as eskimo hut, and their delicious frozen marvin the martian drink in my hometown are sincerely missed by me. I have also learned that a drive thru pharmacy is actually a serious disappointment because, while they will shoot your prescriptions through the pipe, they will not send through the childrens tylenol (for the screaming baby with a fever in the backseat) or any other medicine you find on the shelves. Wouldn’t it make sense to not bring the sick baby into the store? It is for these same reasons that Amazon along with H-E-B, curbside and home delivery, now have my sincere financial devotion. 

Also, staying at home this summer with my adorable, silly, funny, loving and curious son has led me to prescribe to the idea that if I am not leaving the house today then I do not have to and therefore, will not, wear a real bra or clothes I would wear in public. I will, instead, choose to watch Daniel Tiger and microwave chicken nuggets from the comfort of pajama-esque attire. Yet another reason why I did not ‘tidy up’ entirely as prescribed. I kept the clothes that are too large, have stains, or aren’t entirely flattering specifically for lounging at home days. I won’t mind my lounging at home clothes getting covered in spit up and crumbs. This way, on my venturing outside the front door days, all my acceptable clothes are still clean and thus laundry day can be delayed that much longer. At least until the underwear drawer starts running low but that belongs in another post entirely. Because while these not safe for public clothes don’t bring me joy in public, wearing them indoors and therefore saving my nice clothes for enjoying in public and less wear in the washing machine, does bring me joy. My son usually eats his breakfast in just his diaper for this same reason, that and he is extra messy with buttered toast. 

A WHOLE YEAR of a whole new world!

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Levi turned one on Friday! We had his Marvel-ous 1st birthday party (Avengers theme of course) at our home on Saturday. I can’t believe it has been a year already. He is growing and changing so fast. The time is flying by right before my eyes. Much too fast. And so wonderful at the same time. He shows his personality so much more now and he is learning and changing every day. He has been pulling up for a little while now and walking along the edge of the couch. Last night, he picked his hands up and stood by himself, only for half a second, twice, but still. He is experimenting with anything and everything he can get his hands on. Except his smash cake, he wasn’t happy about experimenting with that haha.  The way he looks at me and his Daddy is definitely the best thing ever. I am holding him so tight and cherishing all these moments of him wanting and needing us because I know, all too soon, it won’t be cool to go to Mommy when he is upset or tired, it won’t be cool to tell me about his day, it won’t be cool to check in so I don’t worry, it won’t be cool to live at home past 18, and the list goes on. I am soaking up his laughter and hugs and kisses and even the hair pulling. Yes, it hurts. Yes, he holds my hair likes the reins on a horse. But, right now he still wants Mommy to take him around and he doesn’t care where we go or what we do as long as he is with me. That is insanely precious. He is so loving and kind. Lately, his favorite thing at mealtime is sharing his food, sometimes even before it has gotten soggy lol. He cuddles with me even when he isn’t tired or sad. He lets me hold him and squeeze him. He laughs at my jokes. And he has my slapstick humor!!!! So awesome! Seriously, I know there are many awesome and wonderful things yet to come as he grows and learns but right now, it is pretty dang cool. Right now, he wants to snuggle in our bed at night. Right now, he wakes us up by sitting up and drumming both hands on our bodies. Right now, he chases us around the house in a speed crawl. Right now, he relishes climbing up his slide, doing flips with Daddy, and swinging around. And I am soaking it all up because he will never be this young again.

Sparking joy instead of “angry cleaning”

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I started the break with the best of intentions. Plans to clean house, play with my son, spend time with family and apply for jobs. As is typical when faced with more time than usual, time disappeared faster than usual.

We had my father-in-law in town the entire first week of break and then we drove to Odessa that Friday to bring him home as well as spend New Years weekend visiting with our friends. While my father-in-law was in town, I was able to get some cleaning done but with holiday festivities, packing for a trip (our first with our 8 month old son) and trying to entertain him and my baby, the week flew by. New Years weekend was a whirlwind of visiting with friends and family from back home that we don’t get to see often enough. When we got back January 1st, knowing my hubby was supposed to go back to work the next day we tried to soak up the last evening of his holiday break. I convinced my grandma to come in town on January 2nd to stay for a few days and play with my son while I attempted to clean house. That morning, while waiting for her to arrive I began watching “Tidying Up.” This was a blessing and a curse, for as anyone who watches the show has seen, you must first bring everything out. Sorting, throwing out, categorizing and putting everything away takes much longer than getting it all out. So my house is still a mess. Most of it is an organized, work in progress, mess that will be much better by the end of the month. And even though the house is nowhere near finished and currently looks worse than before, I have already begun to feel a sense of calm. My husband agrees he does as well. We have begun to be excited about the space we have and all the things we can do with it. We rearranged our living room, which has made everything feel so much more open already. This week we will rearrange our bedroom and next the front room. We have also already sorted all of my son’s and hubby’s clothes and the kitchen (except the pantry.) We already have several huge bags full of donations and carted off three huge bags full of trash.

Even though I did not get around to applying for a single job, I feel I was productive and purposeful over the break. We even had time to go to the Cowboys v Seahawks playoff game!!!! Which was AMAZING! I may not have accomplished all I intended, but I am proud of how we spent our time.

Marie Kondo mentioned “joy” a lot in her show “Tidying Up.” I have a special fondness for this word, as it is my maiden name.  Despite my familiarity and fondness, using the word to describe tidying, cleaning, or any other form of house work was new to me. I had never thought before about how to enjoy the tasks or how to approach decluttering with anything but nostalgia and procrastination. In my house, we have often “angry cleaned” more than regular cleaned. The dishes and laundry often pile too high and live in various states of progress. I have never found enjoyment in house work before. But by being intentional about what objects we keep in our home and how they make us feel, I am beginning to feel calm and joy more often and worry a lot less.