Exploring Books by Black Poets in Middle Years

This month two of my classes have been exploring novels-in-verse by Black authors. In part, this was to recognize Black History Month, with many of the stories focusing on different points in history. Other books included Black characters in contemporary settings that offered a range of different themes and topics, including justice, family, identity and more. Novels-in-verse have a lot to offer for students. Jason Reynolds has discussed how poetry, particularly novels-in-verse, can be a good entry point into reading for many reluctant readers. As well, poetry facilitates the study of figurative language and sound devices and helps students better understand the power language holds in exploring ideas, emotion, and themes.

To start our unit, I chose to prepare students with poems by late and living Black poets, including Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou and Clint Smith. We identified characteristics of each poem, comparing and contrasting what we noticed from each. In particular, the students noticed that big ideas were explored in each one. While we couldn't settle on a clear definition of poetry, we started to understand some of the territory that poetry can cover. We also returned to some of these poems later on as our understanding of poetry deepened in order to better understand the craft of these poets.

In selecting books for this genre study, I chose novels-in-verse by several authors. For our read aloud book, I chose Jason Reynolds' book For Everyone, which offers advice relating to pursuing dreams and fostering creativity and contains complex and compelling figurative language. I also included his book Ain't Burned All the Bright, which features artwork by Jason Griffin. This book is a challenging read for middle years, but worth it for the exploration of the pandemic and racial inequity. Finally, while I didn't include Reynolds' Long Way Down in this poetry study, since the book is often studied in grade eight at my school, it would also be an excellent choice for students.

Kwame Alexander is another poet who is well known for his novels-in-verse. His earlier books focus on different sports and the dynamic stories have long been popular in my classroom. The Crossover is the story of two brothers who love basketball and start to grow distant when one develops a crush on a girl. Rebound is the prequel which focuses on the boys' father as a teenager when he is dealing with grief. Booked focuses on a kid who loves soccer and who is dealing with his parents' divorce. Swing, written with Mary Rand Hess, mixes the story of two friends, baseball, unrequited love, and a hard hitting ending. Solo, also written with Mary Rand Hess, tells the story of the son of a famous rock star who in seeking independence discovers a family secret.

I also included the first two books in Kwame Alexander's planned trilogy of historical fiction. The Door of No Return relates the life of 11-year-old Kofi who is growing up in Upper Kwanta when he is kidnapped by slavers and taken to the Americas. Black Star focuses on Kofi's granddaughter Charley who dreams of being a baseball player while dealing with the realities of segregation. Both of these books are excellent examples of historical fiction, which start off exploring the characters and historical setting, but lead to intense endings that emphasize the injustices of these time periods.

Another novel-in-verse that uses a historical setting is Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson. This memoir tells of her childhood in South Carolina and New York during the 1960's and 70's. As Woodson grows up and becomes more aware of the Civil Rights movement, she also discovers the importance of stories and the joy of writing. Woodson covers similar territory in Locomotion, where fictional character Lonnie learns how to process the tragic death of his parents, the separation from his sister and his experiences in the foster care system through writing. My students have also been enjoying her book Before the Ever After, which focuses on ZJ and his father, who is dealing with the aftermath of concussions from his football career. I enjoy the varied territory that Woodson covers as an author, as well as the expertly crafted poetry in her books.

Another poet that has proven popular is Elizabeth Acevedo, who is Afro-Latina and who includes queer representation in her books. The Poet X focuses on Xiomara Batista, who uses poetry to express herself, even as she feels pressured by her religious mother to follow a strict set of rules. Clap When You Land is about two sisters who grew up apart and discover each other's existence when their father dies in a plane crash. Seeing the struggles, different life experiences and developing relationships of each sister in New York and the Dominican Republic makes this book a page turner.

Finally, I included Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam. This book was informed in part by Yusef Salaam's personal experiences where he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault as a youth and was later exonerated. In the book, the main character Amal Shahid is convicted of a crime he didn't commit. The book focuses on racism that is embedded in the justice system and how Amal must struggle to overcome these structural barriers. This book can offer students insights into what justice means when the system is stacked against a person.

Overall I had some success with this unit, although I will likely adjust my approach next year. This will include shifting my focus from a genre study to a literature circle to allow students more time and space to discuss and reflect on these themes and stories together. As well, next time I need to start the unit off pre-teaching more Black history, since gaps in understanding impacted how students engaged in the books this time around. Finally, since these stories are mainly centered on the United States, I'm hoping that I can find a novel-in-verse that focuses on Black Canadian experiences too.

Despite these considerations, I am pleased with how this collection of books offers diverse perspectives from many Black poets. Historical and contemporary stories focus on systemic racism and its impact on Black people throughout history and beyond. At the same time, many stories also celebrate Black lives, with stories centered on the experiences, families, relationships and identities of Black youth. Using these stories and perspectives to teach about the power of poetry and words is something I am looking forward to exploring again.