Words With Wings: Book Review

Words with Wings: Book Review

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. Words with Wings. Pennsylvania: WordSong, 2013. ISBN 1590789857

PLOT SUMMARY

Gabby’s world is full of ideas, creativity, and daydreams. It is these things which allow her to escape her real-world issues, such as her parents and their seemingly never-ending arguments. What was once a simple escape has now turned into much more, and Gabby’s life is taken over by her daydreams. With a little direction and help from a teacher, Gabby the daydreamer may just become more. Can Gabby channel her daydreams into her writing? 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

From the very start of this verse novel, the audience loves Gabby’ sense of hope and wonder, and are captivated by her imaginative daydreams in which she takes comfort in. Readers are instantly taken back to their childhood, connecting with Gabby in her need to escape into her daydreams away from the reality of her parents’ arguments. The writing itself is reflective of that of what a child may write; it is simplistic, yet emotional and colorfully expressive. For example, the poem Mom within the verse novel speaks of Gabby’s awareness of her mother’s watchful eye and concern, stating that her mother wishes she understood her better, to which Gabby internally replies with “if only”. This snippet allows readers to connect to the emotion of feeling misunderstood by the guardians in their lives, as Gabby feels she is misunderstood by her mother. This is a relatable component of adolescence, and especially for those going through hardships such as dealing with their parents separating, as Gabby is.

The imagery in this work serves to create an ambiance of genuine child-like wonder and imagination, spontaneity, and captivating and descriptive language. At times within this verse novel, the way in which words are portrayed upon the page serve to give them life. In the poem Sled, Gabby is describing a snow sledding experience, and at one point choices to write the words “down, down I go” slanted across the page, reflective of how she would be going down if she were riding the sled down a slope. It is the little choices like this that truly bring this masterful work to life, drawing the reader into the daydream, allowing them to experience it through such powerful imagery and word choice. The vivid language makes for a fun, read aloud experience for all, and the words are pleasing to the ear. This is a novel that can be enjoyed in a classroom or group setting, being an enjoyable reading/listening experience!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award finalist

From Booklist: “…Grimes has written a novel in verse that is an enthusiastic celebration of the power of words and imagination…Grimes’ words speak to the daydreamer in every reader.”

From Publishers Weekly: “Grimes packs substantial emotional heft into her poems, especially the way that Gabby’s parents’ separation weighs on her…her poems lovingly convey the rich inner life (and turmoil) of a girl in the process of finding her voice.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Grimes examines a marriage’s end from the perspective of a child…Throughout this finely wrought narrative, Grimes’ free verse is tight, with perfect breaks of line and effortless shifts from reality to dream states and back. An inspirational exploration of caring among parent, teacher and child—one of Grime’s best.”

CONNECTIONS

Use to teach children about how to deal with parents arguing, and creative ways to express their feelings about them.

Read more work by Nikki Grimes such as:

• ·         Garvey’s Choice. ISBN 1629797405
• ·         One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. ISBN 1619635542

Read other Coretta Scott King Award winners such as:

• ·         Aston, Dianna Hutts. The Moon Over Star. ISBN 0803731078
• ·         Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love. ISBN 0060091258