by Jacqueline Woodson; New Book, slight wear to the dust jacket

Grade 4-6-In Jacqueline Woodson's novel, fifth grader Lonnie Collins Motion, an African-American boy whose parents were killed in a fire four years ago, is given an assignment by his teacher to write different forms of poetry. Collected here are 60 poems in verse that reveal his innermost thoughts about his family, his friends, and his place in the world. Through Lonnie's poetry notebook, we learn that he is a foster child living in New York City, and that he has been separated from his little sister, Lili. This school assignment has given Lonnie an outlet for dealing with his feelings of grief over the loss of his parents and coming to terms with his present situation. JD Jackson narrates the poems with a genuine and honest voice, allowing listeners to feel the rhythm of the different poetry styles from sonnets to haiku to free verse. Jackson's performance is tender at times and full of energy at others, giving Lonnie's character tremendous depth and bringing to life all of the lesser characters. We are able to see directly into his life and feel his sorrow and pain as well as his hope for the future. This novel about survival and the resiliency of the human spirit should be an essential purchase for all libraries with the print version in their collections and should be paired with it at every opportunity.