Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 3.5 stars “Life is for us, and is shining. We have a right to sing.” An colorfully illustrated edition of Brooks’ poem, “A Little Girl’s Poem”, to celebrate her 100th birthday. A lovely poem wishing the best for all the children in the world. Promotes themes of acceptance, joy, love,…
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Illustrated by Faith Ringgold 4 stars A nice collection of poetry focused on the lives of children in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. The book includes a variety of themes expressed with different rhythms and rhymes. It covers relatable topics of friendship, moving to a new place, making new friends, dealing with illness, death of…
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Edited by Amber McBride, Taylor Byas, and Erica Martin 4 stars A fantastic collection of poetry from a variety of poets from past and present. I loved the showcase of different styles, formats, and topics. It was wonderful to read poems from familiar modern favorites like Ibi Zoboi and Kwame Alexander; famous poets throughout history…
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by Harold Green III Illustrated by Melissa Koby 3 stars Such a great idea for a poetry collection. Pulling from various fields including sports, politics, music, art, and activism, Green highlights powerful Black women who have impacted and inspired him. This includes women such as Tarana Burke, Misty Copeland, Kamala Harris, Janelle Monáe, Nikole Hannah-Jones,…
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by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III Forward by Jason Reynolds 5 stars A phenomenal collection of poetry focused on race, identity, equality, and justice. The book blends elements of history, resistance, injustice, and anti-racism. It also explains various concepts such as privilege, intersectionality, and stereotypes. Each…
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2 stars Okay collection filled with passion and perspective. I think this is best experienced when performed by the poet himself. Reading it, it was often difficult for me to get the right rhythm and flow of each piece. For me personally, I didn’t really connect with the poems. There were wonderful descriptions and images…
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