Common Sense Note
This journal in poetry by an 11-year-old boy may inspire children to try their own, and teachers can be inspired by the assignments Lonnie is given.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Writing novels in free verse has become quite a trend since Out of the Dust won the Newbery Award. It's a form that can be awkward and even silly if not handled well, and too often the form and subject don't match, making the reader wonder why the author chose to write the story this way. But rarely, if ever, have form and subject matched as perfectly as they do here.
The reason for the poetry is part of the story -- it starts as assignments from a fifth-grade teacher, and then takes on a life of its own as Lonnie discovers his talent -- and his voice. He has suffered great loss, but his life is improving, and his chronicle of past and present is powerfully poignant as he tries out a number of poetic forms, and comments on the art of writing as well as his life and thoughts. Woodson creates a voice that is lyrical, yet seamless and real, and packs a surprising amount of intellectual and emotional material into this short, simple book.
From the Book:
New boy's across the yard talking
to a little girl look like him, she
got high-water pants on too
only hers are pink and she got brown shoes that look
about a hundred years old. Her hair in four
big braids like Lili likes to wear sometimes maybe
she's Lili's same age. New boy puts his arm
around her shoulders and they just stand there like
that looking out over the yard. Watching
them I feel something in the back of my throat
close up and choke at me. Then slide on
down to my stomach and make itself some tears.
Plot Summary:
In a series of free-verse and other forms of poems, Lonnie, having lost his parents four years ago in a fire when he was seven years old, tells about his life. He is separated from his sister and living in a foster home with an elderly woman, Miss Edna. He loves his sister, but sees her infrequently, as her new parents don't like boys. But Ms. Marcus, his teacher, tells him he has a gift, and encourages him to express his thoughts and feelings in writing.
Related Books:
Other Books by Jacqueline Woodson
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun
I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This
Maizon at Blue Hill
If You Come Softly
More Stories in Poetry
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Under the Pear Tree by Brenda Seabrooke
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse
Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland
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CommercialismSeveral products mentioned favorably, including Twinkies. |
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