Author, Kwame Alexander, takes on some tough issues happening even as I write this review. The issues of teen angst, race relations, prejudices, and police brutality are all addressed in this book.
He also writes about hope and dreams as the main characters Walt and Noah navigate through life.
As I began to read, I enjoyed the way the book was put together. This book is an interesting YA book as it was all written in loose prose and the chapters outlined in poetic titles that made sense. The book also shuttled me back, that is somewhat, to my own high school days.
The subject matter was easy to follow along with but at times hard to take, as again, the same issues are happening today. Walt aka Swing who embraced and chose to have a, "Hug Life" instead of a hateful manner was a delightful character who's friendship with Noah was outstanding.
I saw myself as having a friend in Walt. But I saw also how privilege can be. The two obviously lived very different kinds of life that would ultimately end in me crying at the end of the book. I won't tell you my dear readers but I will say this, I was truly devastated in what happened.
Overall, this book is 4 stars for me. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The review here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours.
~Michelle
Where to find the author:
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New
York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including THE CROSSOVER, which
received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to
American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor,
The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the
Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works
include SURF'S UP, a picture book; BOOKED, a middle grade novel; and He Said
She Said, a YA novel.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Amazon
Mary Rand Hess is a poet,
screenwriter, mixed-media artist, and New York Times bestselling author of
notable and award-winning books such as Solo and Swing(Blink YA), coauthored with Newbery
Medalist Kwame Alexander, Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and
Pictures (National Geographic Children’s Books),
also coauthored with Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, Little Larry Goes to School (National Geographic Children’s Books),
written with renowned photographer and filmmaker, Gerry Ellis, and the
forthcoming picture book, The One and Only Wolfgang: From Pet Rescue to One Big
Happy Family, coauthored with Steve
Greig of @wolfgang2242 Instagram fame. She is currently at work on a few novels
in verse, picture books, and screenplays.
Schedule Can Be Found HERE
Giveaway:
Michelle from Reading Authors is not responsible for the giveaway. Prize distribution is by Blink Summer Reading Tours. Please refer to them for further rules and regulations.
Prize: 5 BLINK Summer Reading Tour Book Bundles (A Touch of Gold, Meet the Sky, No Place Like Here, Pretty In Punxsutawney, and Swing by Kwame Alexander) (USA) Starts: 7/22/19 Ends: 8/9/19
Embed Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
No comments:
Post a Comment