With a Star in My Hand: Ruben Dario, Poetry Hero by Margarita Engle

With a Star in My Hand: Rubén Darío, Poetry Hero by Margarita Engle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow I just continue to love all the novels in verse Margarita Engles writes and Ruben Dario's life was depicted authentically in this poetic rendering. I loved how Engle uses poetry to tell his story, also how he created the Modernismo literary movement blending poetry and prose. From his first beginnings as a cast away child, listening to the magical stories from his uncle and others and vowing to be like them wandering and speaking and writing like the storytellers who grew up listening to. With the passing of his uncle, life moves on and known as Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento as a lad, his adopted family decides to change his name to Ruben Dario and so begins his journey in nature, life and adventures in poetry. This is a must read!

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Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this Gary D. Schmidt book so so much! The writing, the characters, and the 1968 setting were optimal for an authentic middle grade read! Meryl Lee Kowalski's life has been turned upside down with the death of her best friend and her parents decide to start her fresh at a prep school, away from the grief and possibly problems at home. But it is at St. Elene's Preparatory Academy for Girls where Meryl Lee tries to find out who she is by participating in sports (a hoot!), writing, and artwork. As lonely and despondent as she is, she runs into a kindred soul in Matt Coffin (who acts like her dead best friend) who has a horrid past he is running from. And each time he runs, those he has come to care for are in danger. I could not put this book down!!! The beauty in Schmidt's writing was present in nature with both Meryl Lee and Matt reveling in the sea, the shore and skipping stones. Many of the teachers were authentic and sympathetic with changes abounding as time goes by. I loved the characters of Dr. MacKnockater and the sea captain, the servants Betty and Althea and the Vietnam War was woven seamlessly throughout this wonderful novel that burns with warmth and humanity. Highly recommended and I loved seeing the characters from his other novel, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy in this book too!

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In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such an achingly beautiful, sorrowful book with two protagonists, who are each other’s best friends and support group and their first year at a prep school. Jeff Zentner’s writing is always so full of soul, deep yearning, and powerful messages. Through Cash, the beauty of Sawyer, Tennessee is found in the water, the land, Papaw and Mamaw. With parents addicted to drugs, Delaney and Cash met each other at a meeting and a forever friendship begins and is cemented over the years. Cash despairs as his beloved Papaw is struggling with emphysema, and he must decide if he will attend Middleton Academy with Delaney. Cash is such a good, good person and his love for his grandparents, Delaney, and his Middleton friends is deep, devoted, and courageous. Readers will love Cash’s sincerity, fear of failure, despair, grief, and his whole persona as he looks back on his life with a drug addicted mother, his deep insecurities, his profound love of Mamaw and Papaw, and struggles daily in his new life at Middleton Prep with his crush, his friendship with Alex Pak, taking up crew and writing poetry, and always worrying about Delaney. This is a must read and the mentions that harken back to each of Zentner’s other books made my heart pound with so much love. Highly recommended!

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Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is so important now, with the wrongful arrest of Amal, his trial and conviction. In a hard hitting novel in verse, Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam, craft an all too real story of a young African American who is failed time and time again, jailed and stripped of his humanity and hope. I grasped onto his anger as he turns it into hope through art, drawing and painting, he begins to accept those he is incarcerated with and how together they must become peaceful yet powerful to right the wrongs of racial profiling and prison reform failures. A must read for all!

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Eyes Bottle Dark With a Mouthful of Flowers by Jake Skeets

Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers by Jake Skeets
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful, brutal, and needed poetry; an award winner, a must read!

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Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was so so much and MORE!!! Whether you have read SPEAK or not this book deals with so much more than Melinda's story; it is Laurie Halse Anderson's story and also any person who has been sexually violated. In the audiobook version Laurie's voice resonated with so much truth, anger, empathy and wonder. Everyone needs to read this memoir of Laurie's rape, her family life growing up, her writing and the many stories she has from her readers. This call to action shows the readers how the culture of rape has not changed.

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A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This audiobook read awesomely by Michael Chamberlain nails the Wow what a tear jerker, heart breaking story of best friends viewed from Matt's POV ( I would have loved to gotten Tabby's POV) as they enter high school. Matt & Tabby have been inseparable since they were babies (Matt's family helps raise Tabby because she has single Dad, no other family), lived across the street, played, and laughed. Matt loves basketball, has such an insecure brain (it does more harm than good) and fell in love with his best friend when they were 12 years old and they were being bullied and Tabby came to the rescue. Matt never tells Tabby about his feelings but hopes she knows. Mistake #1 because Tabby is a very special girl and as 9th graders, senior Liam Branson falls for her. Matt hates him (but Branson is nice, nice, nice) and after seeing Branson pick her up Matt stays up all night fighting jealousy and make a "do list" of the girls in the school. When Tabby finds this list and takes Matt to task- does he come clean and admit his feelings? No he makes it worse and so begins a few weeks of them avoiding each other. Reviews call this book funny, I never saw anything funny about it. Matt is a typical boy who does not confide in anyone- just us readers and what good does that do him. When life takes an even crueler turn, Matt may not be able to survive his crushed feelings, may not be able to relate to his family, and lose his coveted spot on the basketball team. What will Matt do? Reck's debut tore me up and will be one teens talk about and pass around for the authentic voice of flawed, insecure, yet lovable Matt Wainwright (his poetry is an added perk to the book).

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Rhyme Schemer by K. A. Holt

Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great novel in verse! Bully Kevin has it tough with being a bully, a family of mean brothers, trouble in school, teacher issues, and family misconceptions. Once his notebook is stolen, he is discovered as The Poetry Bandit, then Kevin gets bullied, gets detention in the library, and as life gets tougher, maybe Kevin gets tougher in a good way too. Bad boy Kevin maybe is not what everyone thinks - through his words, poems, thoughts and dreams, the reader will root for Kevin as life begins to give him nice things in the form of a teacher, a librarian, a girl, a band and a poetry slam. Highly recommended!

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Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Magarita Engle

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this as part of the 2016 Hub Challenge and Margarita Engle's book ripped my heart apart for her loss and longing for Cuba, her mother's homeland. While Magarita remembers her younger years, her poetry weaves a life between 2 worlds that she embraced - horses, gardens, food and relatives of Cuba and her American life that she loves but does not understand why relations are so strained between the two countries she loves. Highly recommended as all Margarita Engle's books are- but this book is her memoir and is very special in verse, memories, and history.

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And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emily Beam is a confused girl who has lost her boyfriend (killed himself in the school library), was sent to a boarding school, and must now try to figure out her own feelings and guilt by reading the many poems and biographies of Emily Dickinson. Will she be able to find her voice, make new friends, live with her decisions and navigate a world without Paul. This slim novel was very powerful and part of The 2015 Hub Challenge Printz Award. Emily's journey was slow, introspective, and her poems were as important as Emily Dickinson's. A must read.

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