Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt

 

Genre

I chose this book to fit the disability or differences requirement from this age group.

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 8-12. 

Summary

Selah, a new 7th grader, has a strict set of rules to apply by in order to be normal, at least until she can go home. However, when her emotions spill over and she hits someone, her carefully crafted rules start to crumble; as she moves on from that moment, she begins to learn more about herself, her friendships, her family, and works to stand up for herself at a school ready to expel her.

Justification 

I chose this book for its eye-catching cover and for its discussion of autism through the eyes of an autistic child. This book discusses topics such as overstimulation, sensory overload, sensory tools in classrooms, neurodivergent support in the classroom, and much more. I hoped that by reading this book, I would walk away with a better understanding of how being autistic can affect daily life, and what it looks like to support neurodivergent students.

Evaluation

As with many of the poetry novels I have read for this project, the style and language of this book engulfed and engaged me. Kuyatt (2023) is an artist with words: both linguistically and visually. The occasional all-capitalized word for emphasis, the words spread out across pages that create slow reading, and the change in alignment throughout the book create a visually engaging book with just words. One example of this visual poetry is in the poem “Going Inside,” which reads: “Since there are no caves / at Pebblecreek, / I hide in paper, / pull out the notebook Pop gave me / and let all the words / I can’t say / pour / out / on / the / page” (Kuyatt, 2023, pp. 81-82). The last four words of this stanza are spread out across the top of the page, exactly as if they had been poured out. Kuyatt (2023) will engage readers not only with these visuals, but with emotionally charged writing that makes this book such an enjoyable one to read.

Kuyatt’s (2023) characters are well rounded, fallible, and enjoyable. Selah is an engaging protagonist to follow, and her poetry creates an engaging lens through which readers can perceive her world. She is many things, including a poet, a lover of dragons, a friend, and a student: all of which are portrayed through her experience as an autistic child. She learns and grows throughout the book by meeting people, and by communicating more with the people around her. Others around her also learn and grow by speaking with Selah, asking her questions, and learning from her poems. Two of my favorite characters in this book are Pop and Mrs. V, two wonderfully supportive adults in Selah’s life. They, as mentors, are also fallible, and learn alongside Selah as she grows into herself. Their support is part of what enables Selah to achieve her goals throughout this book, and it's a reminder that not only is it important to have someone you can trust, but having adults that can stand up for the neurodivergent kids in their spheres makes a big difference not just for the individual child, but for their whole community.

The themes that emerge from Kuyatt’s writing are that community support makes a difference, including giving you the courage to stand up for yourself. Early in the book, Selah writes that “When I write poems, / anything can happen” (Kuyatt, 2023, p. 93). Many things happen because Selah writes poetry (notably, writing it in a journal gifted to her by Pop): she finds support at school through her teacher Mrs. V, who loves her poetry, she shares her poetry at a convention and finds that people love and relate to it, and eventually she uses it to share her experiences with the whole school (again, with the support of Mrs. V). Sharing her poems allows Selah to find joy and support in places and ways she hadn’t before, and it was through that support—whether a teacher, family, or a kind stranger—that gave her the courage to stand up for herself in the face of bullying and ostracization at school. I loved reading this book, and found it to be a powerful advocate to the importance of support for neurodiverse students and the difference it can make in their experience with school, relationships, and more. Happy reading!

References

Kuyatt, M. E. (2023). Good different. Scholastic Press.

Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson

 

Genre

I chose this book to fit the mystery/suspense category of this project. This book was chosen from the Tayshas list.

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 14-17.

Summary

Stevie Bell, teen detective, manages to get permission from her school for her and her friends to go to London, where they’ll meet up with her boyfriend and experience some England scenery. However, shortly after arriving, a cold case (that suddenly isn’t so cold) falls right into her lap, and Stevie can’t help but try to puzzle this out before they have to return home.

Justification 

I chose this book because I love mysteries. The cover, with its spiraling staircase and Fall colors reminded me of the iconic mystery movie Knives Out by Johnson (2019). The book summary, about a murder that took place among a small group of isolated people, reminded me of Agatha Christie’s (1940) iconic And Then There Were None. Not long after I started this book, I was comparing Stevie to Nancy Drew, just for an older audience. Essentially, what this book was able to tell me visually and summarily, was that it was comparable to some of my favorite mysteries, and I’m happy to say that it lived up to those expectations!

Evaluation

Characters are plentiful in this book: from the titular nine people to Stevie, her friends, and her boyfriend, there’s a lot of characterization to go around. Mostly, Johnson (2022) does great with managing all of these characters and their roles throughout the book. Stevie, especially, is a fun teen sleuth to follow. In a Nancy Drew-esque way, she is determined, friendly, and smart. It’s fun to watch the gears in her head turn! Next, The Nine are a group of students who were spending a weekend together on the night of the murders back in 1995. These characters are unique in this book as we go back and forth between their college weekend and their life now, as adults settled into their careers. Johnson (2022) maintains a strong sense of mystery around these characters that contributes to the who-done-it vibe throughout the book. Each of them are a suspect, but all kind enough to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes: a characteristic that becomes increasingly dangerous the more that Stevie learns, and the closer she finds herself to this group. It’s Stevie’s friends that seemed to be missing out on characterization in this book. At one critical point, the narrator says that “There was no Stevie without Janelle and Nate and Vi and David… They were an organism. A system” (Johnson, 2022, p. 325). Reader’s don’t get a sense of that oneness in this book, and for that reason, there are some parts that feel out-of-place. However, given that this book comes later in the series, it’s something that might be able to be overlooked, if previous books are able to fill in that characterization.

The plot of this book is engaging, especially in the way Johnson (2022) has set up her telling of this story. By going back and forth between the present day and the events surrounding the initial murder, Johnson (2022) keeps readers on edge with glimpses of the moment in conjunction with what Stevie has to piece together. In addition to figuring out the murder, Stevie is also forced to grapple with the various relationships in her life, including her long distance boyfriend and her friends that she brings with her to London, with all the best intentions of staying focused on school. These aspects of the plot give it additional tensions that make this mystery feel well-rounded, as well as giving readers incentive to engage with other books in the series. Lastly, this book is driven by the question of who is lying. From the title, readers can gauge that most people in this book are lying in one way or another. I think the most intriguing thing that Johnson (2022) does with this question is implicate the main character among the liars. Stevie learns that “Lies…took energy. They weighed a lot” (Johnson, 2022, p. 252). Stevie’s experience with lying gives her character the weight and drive needed to solve a mystery enshrined in lies. She is no longer a complete outsider to the situation: she is among the liars. 

The setting of this book lends itself to what I would classify as cozy mystery. While there’s nothing cozy about murder, there is plenty of coziness to be found in an environment. Earlier, I compared this book to the movie Knives Out by Johnson (2019). This movie is set during the rainy Fall season, in a grand mansion full of couches, blankets, coffee, trinkets, and board games. Likewise, this book is set in the Fall, in the rainy streets and cafés of London, and ultimately in a large mansion named Merryweather. Much like the mansion in Knives Out, Merryweather is full of many curiosities and surrounded by beautiful, quiet land. A description of Merryweather from the book reads:

This was not a porch—this was a stone stage, balustraded, punctuated on the corners with lichen-marbled urns. Below it rolled lawns and gardens that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, taking in the hills around, which were patchworked in dark green hedge lines and trees (Johnson, 2022, 267).

This serene description, along with others that are reminiscent of an I Spy book, come together to form a place that is equal parts secretive and cozy. Thus, while any murder mystery has its gruesome moments, the setting also partly determines the mood of a book, and Johnson (2022) creates a setting that will make readers want to sit down with a blanket and some tea. The blend of comforting surroundings with the ease of friends, wrapped up in a thrilling mystery, makes this book a perfect rainy day read.

References

Christie, A. (1940). And then there were none. William Morrow.

Johnson, M. (2022). Nine liars. Katherine Tegen Books.

Johnson, R. (Director). (2019, November 27). Knives out [Film]. T-Street Productions, MRC, FilmNation Entertainment.

Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender

 

Genre

I chose this book for the LGBTQ+ option in this age range. 

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 8-12.

Summary

Caroline Murphy is a young, lonely girl, bullied at school, who dreams of finding her mother. Then, Kalinda joins their school, and as the two become inseparable, suddenly Caroline isn’t so lonely: she has someone to help her find her mom, and along the way she’s experiencing the joy and pain of falling in love with someone.

Justification 

I chose this book because I believe it’s important to read LGBTQ+ literature geared towards kids. Understanding these books, and how the topics inside are presented to young readers, is the first step to combatting censorship. Additionally, as a book about a Black and queer protagonist, this book is more likely to be challenged on library shelves. Apart from the aspects of identity represented in this book, it has a colorful, eye-catching cover, and an intriguing hook about love, ghosts, and luck.

Evaluation

This is one of the many books that I read physically. As much as I love a good audiobook, I’ve always preferred the feel of a physical book in my hands. As I read this book, I tried to pay attention to the experience of a physical reading: I always like to check and see how many pages I have left to go, mark page goals for me to reach, and flip back and forth between different parts of the book to make connections. I think the best thing that reading a physical book does for me is to ground me to the experience. My mind doesn’t wander as easily, and I’m not as distracted. Because the book is paper, I can’t swipe out of it to another app, or to a different book. I have to remain in the moment with it, and that keeps me connected to what is going on. I enjoyed reading this book, and I enjoyed paying attention to what I love about reading a physical book.

Caroline Murphy is the main character of this book. She’s a 12-year-old girl who lost her mother a year and a half ago, lives with her dad, and is “a very lonely little girl” (Callender, 2018, p. 51). Caroline’s loneliness clashes against her desire to be seen and understood by other people, and complicated by people’s racism (from both peers and adults), her ability to see ghosts, and her home that seems just as invisible as those ghosts. Callender (2018) explores Caroline’s conflicting environment and desires through her main goal, which is to find her mother again. Thus, as other characters enter Caroline’s life, they influence her ability to make that goal possible. One of these characters is Kalinda, a young girl the same age as Caroline. Kalinda is charismatic, mysterious, fun, but also capable of hurt. These two main characters of Callender’s (2018) novel create a dynamic that is a beautiful homage to friendship, first love, and forgiveness. 

Whether or not Caroline will be able to find her mother is the driving point of this novel. And, in the periphery all the way through, is the woman in black. This ghost-like figure pulls Caroline to achieve this goal, because of her increased presence since her mom left. These two threads weave together through all of Caroline’s experiences. Because Caroline’s mom is missing, the woman in black is like an ever-present question mark, filling the space in Caroline’s life with shadow as a reminder of that question. Caroline’s determination to answer that question is clear especially in the beginning, when she states, “I knew it before. Knew it then. Still know it now. I have to find her” (Callender, 2018, p. 17). Part of what makes this question and journey so compelling isn’t just that her mom is missing, but it’s Caroline’s strong love for her mom, love for their memories together, and that this love persists in spite of obstacles and fears. The plot of this book is a testament to the driving force that is love, which brings me to the theme of this book.

The theme of Callender’s (2018) novel is that embracing love will bring the people you care about close to you. Caroline, more than anything, wants to love and be loved: she wants to find her mother who she loves, and she wants to tell Kalinda how she feels about her. Early in the book, Miss Joe, the head of Caroline’s school, tells her that she needs to learn to live without her mother. Caroline quietly keeps her true response to herself: “There’s just no way that’s going to happen, because even if my dad and Miss Joe are fine with letting go of people they love, I’m not. And I never will be” (Callender, 2018, p. 59). Caroline remains true to this conviction throughout the book. Her unending love for a lost mother, her love for Kalinda, and her complicated love for her father push her through many difficult and cruel moments of life, but ultimately result in finding the love that she has been seeking. The mix of bittersweet and happy at the end of this novel will leave readers satisfied, knowing that Caroline held strong to her sense of love all the way through. Happy reading!

References

Callender, K. (2018). Hurricane child. Scholastic Press.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall

Genre

I am using this book to fulfill the graphic novel requirement for the 7th-12th grade age range. I chose this book from the ALA: YASLA top ten graphic novels for teens in 2024.

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 12 and up.

Summary

In 1930s Mississippi, magic is only allowed to be practiced by white people. A group of BIPOC witches enjoy the competition and community of broom racing, working together to avoid unjust arrest and eventually move their families to better places.

Justification 

I was drawn in by the multiple historical topics, racial identities, and queer identities explored in this book. From the portrayal of segregation through the use of magic, to trans identity, to the topic of residential schools, this novel clearly addresses the realities of life in America for multiple marginalized groups of people. The summary on the inside of the book calls this “a queer, witchy Fast and the Furious that shines light on history not often told” (Walls and DuVall, 2023, n.p.). That description, along with the colorful art made this an easy pick for me.

Evaluation

The first aspect of this book I want to look at is its language; not necessarily the diction, but the non-English languages that are used throughout the book. This graphic novel features Spanish, Indian Sign Language, Cantonese, and Chahta. The variety of language representation in this book was beautiful and enriched the interactions that the characters had with one another, giving those conversations a sense of familial closeness and authenticity (since conversations aren’t always translated in real life). Walls (2023), at the end of the book, talks about her decision not to translate any of the non-English languages, stating that she wanted to “[let] readers rely on context to understand what is being said if they don’t know the language” (Walls, 2023, unpaged). I felt that this decision worked well and didn’t detract from the experience of reading this book, since most of the book is in English.

The illustrations in this book are beautifully rendered, from the linework to the colorful pages. The clean, easy to read artwork is in perfect form for conveying sign language. Since the lines don’t blur too much and the colors are blocked or blended in a simple way, the sign language is easily visible, as are facial expressions, character movements, and scenery, all of which are critical reading in a graphic novel for conveying what is going on during a scene. That being said, it’s not just the ease of visibility that makes this novel well-illustrated. The artwork is expressive through characters’ facial expressions and body language, clearly captures the flow of the plot, and the variety in composition and color creates a visually engaging novel. There’s no time to feel bored with whatever is going on on the page, because DuVall uses their artwork to create 

Because the tension in this book is based in the realities of historical oppression, the authors are able to call on attitudes, body language, phrases, practices, and more that portray how white society has oppressed BIPOC people in the United States. Working through this historical perspective, the creators don’t have to delve into much worldbuilding, instead focusing on the plot of the races and the risk the characters take to maintain these communities for themselves. The plot also takes its journey through each of the characters, looking at their lives outside the races, where we discover their hopes and dreams, mixed with the pain they experience in a world that discriminates against them. 

Lastly, the theme of this graphic novel is that community support is stronger than oppressive governments. This book isn’t meant to solve or give a happy ending to early American racial tensions. Instead, it highlights the variety of experiences felt by each of the characters; pain, joy, relief, love, anger, friendship, & more. Together, this cast of characters stands up against and protects each other from the unjust practices and accusations of white society, and supports each other in their joy as they move each other towards more hopeful and more free futures. I enjoyed this graphic novel, and especially enjoyed seeing the amount of people that were involved in putting it together. Happy reading!

References

Walls, J., DuVall, T. (2023). Brooms (T. DuVall, Illus.). Levine Querido.

brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

 

Genre

I chose this book to fill the informational/biographical requirement for this project. Woodson’s (2014) book is a Coretta Scott King award winner, as well as a Newberry Honor book.

Targeted Age Group

The age group for this book is geared towards ages 10-14.

Summary

Brown girl dreaming is Woodson’s autobiographical reflection on a variety of aspects of life, all while growing up Black in America.

Justification 

I chose this book because Jacqueline Woodson is a prominent American author, and I wanted to learn more about her through this autobiography. 

Evaluation

There is so much to love about the style and language of Woodson’s (2014) autobiography brown girl dreaming. True to the love of writing that she observes in herself throughout the book, her free verse poetry is emotionally evocative and visually draws readers into the places that she lives and experiences throughout her life. Even one line of poetry—simply her name—takes on deep meaning within the context of Woodson’s (2014) written reflections on her name (p. 244). One of my favorite quotes from the book comes from the poem “gifted,” where Woodson (2014) writes, “I want to catch words one day. I want to hold them / then blow gently / watch them float / right out of my hands” (p. 169). This is just one example of the way Woodson’s creates expressive and beautiful images. When I read this quote, I picture myself picking a dandelion from the grass and blowing its loose seeds out into the wind. Another reader may picture blowing bubbles from a bubble bath, another may picture blowing dry leaves picked up from the autumn ground. Woodson (2014), writing about her love of words, creates an image of an experience that can be recalled in a variety of ways from various readers, and it is this kind of imagery and diction that makes up the whole of her autobiography.

There isn’t just one central theme to Woodson’s (2014) autobiography; the themes that penetrate her book are varied, multifaceted, and clear. She discusses memory, friendship, religion, family, through her experience of growing up Black in America. One example of the way Woodson’s (2014) themes are woven throughout the book is the way she writes about her experience of being the youngest child in the family, until another brother comes after her. At first writing about her own birth, she says that her older brother wanted to send her back to the hospital, not understanding that “something so tiny and new can’t be returned” (Woodson, 2014, p. 19). Later, when her brother Roman is born, she writes that “I want to send it back to wherever babies live before they get here” (Woodson, 2014, p. 138). She, like her older brother, lacks the understanding that new babies are there to stay (or perhaps, understands this just enough to realize that things will be different). Finally, after Roman has to be taken to the hospital, she writes that “I am finally / the baby girl again, wishing /  I wasn’t” (Woodson, 2014, p. 188). The interconnectedness of each of these stories demonstrates Woodson’s (2014) exploration of the topic of family in her book, and this type of clarity of writing and interwoven text is what defines the writing in this book.

Finally, Woodson’s (2014) autobiography is an authentic look at her life. She writes about joy and fear, about love and hate, about community and what ‘home’ is. Her recollections of the history and figures around the civil rights movement of the sixties and beyond also remind readers of the joy and pain, revolution, community, and change that was going on during these years of her life. Her first iteration of the poem “how to listen,” of which there are ten throughout the book, states that “each laugh, tear and lullaby / becomes memory” (Woodson, 2014, p. 20). Not just in the text, but in her notes at the end of the book, Woodson (2014) discusses memory; what is remembered, who is remembered, where memories begin and end, and where they come back. Her ode to memory in this book lends itself to the authenticity of her words; she values remembering, and readers can trust Woodson (2014) to remember these things well, and to convey them well to her audience.

I want to make one more comment on this book, which is more a personal observation than a specific evaluation. Early on in the book, Woodson (2014) describes a moment with her sister. The excerpt is below:

“How amazing these words are that slowly come to me. / How wonderfully on and on they go. / Will the words end, I ask / whenever I remember to. / Nope, my sister says, all of five years old now, / and promising me / infinity” (Woodson, 2014, pp. 62-63). 

Woodson (2014) learns early on of the infinity of words, and her love of them is what makes this autobiography so memorable. Towards the end of the book, she writes, “Words are my brilliance” (Woodson, 2014, 248). That brilliance, that love for and way with words is evident throughout this book, and I would encourage anyone who loves reading and writing to make time for this autobiography. Happy reading!

References

Woodson, J. (2014). brown girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

 

Genre

I chose this book to fulfill the Printz Award requirement for grades 7th-12th.

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 14-17.

Summary

Starr Carter, a young high schooler, witnesses the murder of her friend Khalil by a white cop. Over the course of the book, she grapples with how Khalil’s death—and what follows—affects her relationships, herself, and her commitment to speaking out against systemic racism.

Justification 

It wasn’t difficult to choose this book once I found it on the Printz honor list. I’d already heard so much about it, especially during the year 2020, which was a year defined by the Black Lives Matter movement. So, besides already being on my to-read list, I was also looking forward to reading this book for its discussion of contemporary issues, including police brutality and systemic racism. These are critical issues, and seeing how they are explored through youth literature can give insight to how these topics affect the youth audience that they represent.

Evaluation

I listened to this book on audiobook. Of the audiobooks I’ve listened to throughout my life, this will remain a favorite. The audio was performed by Bahni Turpin (2017), whose character voices, vocal range, and expressive, emotional reading made this book an incredibly moving listening experience. For my first time with this book, I’m glad I chose to do the audiobook; I believe it lent an aspect of storytelling to the reading, as if Starr was telling her story to me, the listener. If I could have done anything different with listening to the audiobook, I would try to condense my reading period to as few days as I could. With audiobooks, I usually only listen to them while driving, which is what I did with this book. I still fully enjoyed it, but for the sake of this assignment, I believe I would have benefitted from a more condensed listening period.

Starr is the protagonist of this book, and the witness to what happened the night of Khalil’s death. She is many things, among which are humorous, stubborn, thoughtful, and loving. Her reaction to the events unfolding around her and the trauma that she has experienced are portrayed realistically, especially from the perspective of a young highschooler who is trying to sort out many aspects of life. Just some of the multifaceted aspects of her character explored in this book include her experiences with racism from people at school, her favorite tv show that she shares with her boyfriend, and the fact that throughout multiple opportunities to testify and interview about what happened on the night with Khalil, she doesn’t feel brave (Thomas, 2017, pp. 82, 111, 284). The characterization that Thomas (2017) puts into Starr is thoroughly well-rounded, and serves to show the audience how Starr, as well as the other people in her life, are infinitely more than the stereotypes that are placed on them by a white supremacist society.

Next up is the plot: Thomas’ (2017) novel is well paced and well layered. The crux of the story is the murder of Khalil, whereupon multiple events roll out, whether as a result of that moment or because existing issues were exacerbated by the events, emotions, and consequences that followed that moment. Thus, the conflict in the plot of this book isn’t just the fact that Khalil was murdered; conflict is found in how Starr’s white classmates and friends react to this event, it’s in the way that the police department drags out the investigation of what happened that night, it’s in Starr’s internal conflict with what to say, who to say it to, and when and where to say it. Regarding this latter aspect of the plot, Starr, early on, muses on the act of speaking up: “I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down. Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak” (Thomas, 2017, pp. 34-35). From this point, we know that Starr will be working towards building up the courage needed to speak out. It comes incrementally throughout the book rather than all at once, which I think is a fantastic bit of writing from Thomas (2017). She gives Starr the time to grow throughout the book, speaking up in a variety of settings as she gathers the bravery she feels she is lacking. The way that the plot unfolds over the course of this book feels true-to-life, which will give readers the trust they need in Thomas (2017) to follow the book all the way through.

Lastly, the theme I took from this book is that justice requires ongoing action. Starr reflects on what she has learned at the end of the book, saying, “It would be easy to quit if it was just about me, Khalil, that night, and that cop. It’s about way more than that though” (Thomas, 2017, p. 443). Starr doesn’t just speak out about Khalil’s murder once; she does so several times throughout the book, each time building more courage in her words. She stands up to racism in her friendships and relationships, learns from past Black activists like Malcolm X and Black Panther leaders, addresses her own biases, and more—all along the way to seeking justice for Khalil. Most notably, she takes to heart Tupac’s words that Khalil shared with her: “‘’Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody’” (Thomas, 2017, p. 17). Starr learns that in order to “un-fuck everybody,” the hate has to be addressed, has to be challenged, in order to move towards justice (Thomas, 2017, p. 432). 

Overall, I found this book to be a poignant reflection on the very real harm that racist systems, ideas, and ignorance cause in our society. I hope I get the chance to sit with this book again, and I hope you enjoy reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017)!

References

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray.

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give (B. Turpin, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Balzer + Bray.

They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems by David Bowles

 

Genre

This is a Pura Belpré honor book, as well as a 2021 Texas Bluebonnet Award book. I am using it to fill the poetry/verse requirement for this age category. 

Targeted Age Group

This book is targeted to ages 8-14.

Summary

This book is about a young Mexican American boy and his experiences while living on the South Texas border. The poems follow him, his friends and family, throughout their work, school, familial gatherings, and many other experiences that are informed by their home on the Mexican-Texan border.

Justification

I chose this book because of its form in poetry, and because it is a Pura Belpré Honor book. I also chose it because of its setting in Texas. The politicization of the Mexican-Texan border is an issue that I have been at least somewhat aware of since I was a child, and that awareness has only grown in my adulthood. I chose to read this book, aware that it is a fictionalized version of these experiences, while also aware that it could highlight some of the experiences and realities of people who live on this international border. 

Evaluation 

To start off, the style and language of this book is a well-executed blend of thoughtful poetry and languages. Bowles’ (2018) novel is full of varying styles of poetry, from the firm structure of haikus to free verse. The Spanish language is woven throughout the text, and the most concise example of this is Güero’s poem that he writes in response to a bully: “ Yo, bullies: lero, lero / I’m the mero Güero / a real cacahuatero, / peanuts and chile / all up in this cuero / this piel, this skin— / it’s white, that’s true / but I’m just as Mexican / as you and you and you” (Bowles, 2018, p. 64). The rapid back and forth between English and Spanish shows his grasp of language as a young poet, as he creates rhyme and rhythm with both languages. 

It isn’t just the balance of English and Spanish throughout the book that demonstrates Bowles’ (2018) love for language. There are many moments throughout this book that evoke emotions and sensory experiences with the reader. One example of this is in the poem “Records”, where Güero talks about his time spent listening to music with his Bisabuela. In this poem, he writes, “From the hiss and crackle / emerge these old-timey / but beautiful sounds. / I watch her lean back in her chair / closing her eyes, / transported to the past” (Bowles, 2018, p. 40). Anyone whose grandparents managed to keep around their old record player has experienced these same sounds, of an old record crackling out the songs it has played for years. Güero, or rather Bowles (2018), captures many similar moments like this as he describes the familiar sights and sounds of family gatherings, celebrations, and time spent with friends. While all of these experiences are portrayed through a specific cultural lens, readers can see themselves in similar settings with their own friends and family, because of the clarity of Bowles’ (2018) writing.

Bowles’ (2018) novel lacks a plot, but that is because it functions as slice-of-life fiction, and he fulfills the task of examining life through poetry by writing about a variety of topics, such as immigration, racism, identity, love, death, and more. Regarding plot, Young et al. (2020) states that “Every plot must have a conflict, and how that conflict is resolved carries the book to its conclusion” (p. 19). I don’t believe there is one singular conflict that Güero must overcome in this book. Like life, there are several conflicts going on in his world, whether they are his own, those of his family, or larger social issues. Despite not having a plot that takes the book from a clear opening to a clear resolution, Bowles (2018) makes a statement early on that will define the flow of the book. While crossing the border from Mexico back into Texas, Güero’s dad says, “No wall, no matter how tall, can stop your heritage / from flowing forever, like the Río Grande itself” (Bowles, 2018, p. 9). Indeed, Güero’s heritage as a Mexican-American child flows throughout the book, and can be seen through food, language, and family. It is these experiences that drive the novel, rather than plot.

Lastly, one of the defining quotes of this novel is a quote from Güero’s teacher, who says, “‘Poetry is the clearest lens for viewing the world’” (Bowles, 2018, p. 33). I don’t believe that I could ascribe one specific theme to this book, but if I had to, I would choose this idea. As was mentioned previously, this novel is slice-of-life fiction rather than plot-driven fiction. Bowles uses the medium of poetry to shift between various topics of life, as well as to explore how Güero uses poetry throughout his own life. When Güero asks his girlfriend what he can give her for Valentine’s Day, she says “hold my hand, write me a poem” (Bowles, 2018, p. 71). When confronted with a bully, Güero writes poetry in response, saying “it felt good to stand my ground and clap back with rap” (Bowles, 2018, p. 65). By the end of the book, Güero can hear poetry in the nature around him. These instances demonstrate how Güero took the words of his teacher to heart, looking for and creating poetry to process his world. I believe readers of this book, like Güero, will come away from this book with a greater appreciation for writing, for poetry, and for poetry’s ability to enhance and enlighten our view of the world. Happy reading!

References

Bowles, D. (2018). They call me Güero: A border kid’s poems. Cinco Puntos Press.

Young, T. A., Bryan, G., Jacobs, J. S., Tunnel, M. O. (2020). Children’s literature, briefly. Pearson Education, Inc.