If you are a hesitant poetry reader, start with this book! Nikki Grimes will astound you with her free verse novel written about two boys from two different time periods who both have issues with their fathers. Ishmael, from Genesis, the first book of the bible, grapples with the truth of his place in the pecking order of the clan, and Sam, a modern day boy struggles when his father decides the grass is greener over at another woman's house. Both boys desperately want their father's love and attention, and at times the poems are almost too raw to read. This was my first experience with poetry in a long time, and I am now in love with this genre!
This book has received the Coretta Scott King Award, and is suitable for 6-9 grade readers. This would be an excellent book to read out loud to your class, and stimulate their thinking for journal writing. As most free verse novels are, this book is written in the first person, which helps the reader bond with the two main characters. This book will leave you hungering for more poetry, and if Nikki Grimes would continue to compare and contrast biblical characters to modern day characters, she would be an even more successful poet! Be sure and pay attention to the titles of the poems, as these are important literary elements in this anthology. Ms. Grimes' careful choice of fonts also lend themselves to helping the reader grasp the difference in time periods of the two boys.
I loved this book, for its simple raw look into adolescent life. Divorce and illegitimacy are two topics that teens face often these days, and Nikki Grimes expertly portrays their emotions. After reading about Ishmael, Sarah and Abraham, three characters that I have heard a lot about in Sunday School, I feel like I know them now more than ever. I would love for Nikki Grimes to re-write the entire bible in free verse, and you will too after you read this book.
Key Words: mediate,inheritance,revelation,mantra,furrowed,enlightenment
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