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readingwhilemommying 's review for:
The Poet X
by Elizabeth Acevedo
I bought this book but saw it was available from @Libby. Since Acevedo herself reads it and it’s an entire book of verse, I figured I'd listen to the slam poetry performed by the author, while reading parts to it, too. It was POWERFUL.
Xiomara is a Dominican teen living in Harlem. She’s confused about so much: Her ability to share her voice in poetry but not our loud in life, her sexual feelings, her relationship to the Catholicism her mother preaches, and her body, bigger than the cultural blueprint of what’s considered attractive but still enough to get repeatedly propositioned by boys and men. While Xiomara has no problem standing up for her twin brother or herself when bullied, she does have trouble standing up to her mom and speaking her mind about the intense Catholicism her mother preaches.
The only way Xiomara can get her feelings out is to write slam poetry. She has notebooks of verses where she talks about the calm of stoop sitting, the shame she feels about her sexual urges, her frustration with her mother's strict Catholicism, the embarrassment she feels about her “bubble butt,” and so much more. This book is a poetic force - an #ownvoices beauty that celebrates the power of the written word while realistically addressing the frustrations, pain, and dreams of a young Dominican girl in Harlem. It’s the perfect way to introduce all teens to the experiences of a woman of color in the city. Highly recommend this for teens AND adults.
Quote I loved:
“…before I can tell her that Jesus feels like a friend
I’ve had my whole childhood
who has suddenly become brand-new;
who invites himself over too often, who texts me too much.”
Soapbox Postscript: This book has been repeatedly banned from public school reading lists and libraries in the last two years. Nothing in here is anything teens can’t handle. All teens (heck most adults!) struggle with feelings related to sex, love, using their voice, religion, and family. Is this one not allowed because it’s a girl of color in Harlem? Why is The Catcher in the Rye OK for me to read in 1992 but this isn’t OK for kids today? If you have a teen or just want to see what the fuss is about, give this one a read today. Reading is supposed to entertain AND educate and this book is a great way to do both.
Xiomara is a Dominican teen living in Harlem. She’s confused about so much: Her ability to share her voice in poetry but not our loud in life, her sexual feelings, her relationship to the Catholicism her mother preaches, and her body, bigger than the cultural blueprint of what’s considered attractive but still enough to get repeatedly propositioned by boys and men. While Xiomara has no problem standing up for her twin brother or herself when bullied, she does have trouble standing up to her mom and speaking her mind about the intense Catholicism her mother preaches.
The only way Xiomara can get her feelings out is to write slam poetry. She has notebooks of verses where she talks about the calm of stoop sitting, the shame she feels about her sexual urges, her frustration with her mother's strict Catholicism, the embarrassment she feels about her “bubble butt,” and so much more. This book is a poetic force - an #ownvoices beauty that celebrates the power of the written word while realistically addressing the frustrations, pain, and dreams of a young Dominican girl in Harlem. It’s the perfect way to introduce all teens to the experiences of a woman of color in the city. Highly recommend this for teens AND adults.
Quote I loved:
“…before I can tell her that Jesus feels like a friend
I’ve had my whole childhood
who has suddenly become brand-new;
who invites himself over too often, who texts me too much.”
Soapbox Postscript: This book has been repeatedly banned from public school reading lists and libraries in the last two years. Nothing in here is anything teens can’t handle. All teens (heck most adults!) struggle with feelings related to sex, love, using their voice, religion, and family. Is this one not allowed because it’s a girl of color in Harlem? Why is The Catcher in the Rye OK for me to read in 1992 but this isn’t OK for kids today? If you have a teen or just want to see what the fuss is about, give this one a read today. Reading is supposed to entertain AND educate and this book is a great way to do both.