Mr. Ward has decided to make every Friday "open mike" day in his English class. All 18 of his students will have the chance to recite their own poetry. Through this verse, we meet a varying cast of struggling characters and listen to them share who they truly are, not just what is seen from the outside. The voices are true, and the emotions and beliefs are familiar to teens, no matter what the socio-economic status. See me for who I really am, not just my weight or my color or my race. Just plain awesome.
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
Sequel: Between The Lines
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This award-winning novel is a powerful exploration of self, an homage to spoken-word poetry, and an intriguing look into the life of eighteen teens.
When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, some of his classmates clamor to read their poems aloud too. Soon they're having weekly poetry sessions and, one by one, the eighteen students are opening up and taking on the risky challenge of self-revelation. There's Lupe Alvarin, desperate to have a baby so she will feel loved. Raynard Patterson, hiding a secret behind his silence. Porscha Johnson, needing an outlet for her anger after her mother OD's. Through the poetry they share and narratives in which they reveal their most intimate thoughts about themselves and one another, their words and lives show what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.---from the publisher
