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April 2022 -The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

 

Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award!

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. 

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

“Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice.” —Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation

“An incredibly potent debut.” Jason Reynolds, author of the National Book Award Finalist Ghost

“Acevedo has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero.” Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street

This young adult novel, a selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List, is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in grades 6 to 8

Comments

  1. Overall, I really enjoyed the parts of the novel I was able to read. I think this novel would be accessible to most of my students because of the strong motifs surrounding family, love and Latinx culture. I especially like how honest Xiomara is about here life and how aware she is of her environment. From a literary point of view, the poetry is well constructed. The author uses literary devices, especially repetition and formatting to hammer home her themes and highlight language. I think this book could replace a novel I have been using for several years, Inside Out and Back Again by Thannah Lai. I think this would be a good choice as an alternative in my curriculum.

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  2. This is one of my favorite reads from this summer. It is very relatable to our students and shows how students can find their voice through writing what they know. This is relatable also because of the close look at Latinx culture and how culture drives beliefs but also a questioning of those beliefs through Xiomara’s questioning of religion and her brother’s disovery of his sexuality. The verse is well crafted and builds on major themes in a teen’s life. I have recommended this book several times to teachers who found their students were highly engaged with the reading. I think this is a great book to use either as an independent reading, book circle or standalone book for a unit. Students will be able to see themselves in her verse and the situations that Xiomara finds herself in.

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