Rap or Poems?

Nikki Grimes Bronx Masquerade is another one of the Reading Olympics books, and good thing it Bronx Masquerade  is a mix of reflective writing and poetry.  Yup, poetry-aka not my favorite thing.
was because otherwise I never would have picked it up.

But Bronx Masquerade had the best kind of poetry, the kind that creates questions and reflects real emotion.  Grimes takes on the persona of 18 different students in Mr. Ward's English class.  Set in the Bronx each student has a real struggle, real hurt, and real questions.  First you learn about them in a journal-like reflection then you get to see these feelings expressed through a poem.  The poems are raw, gritty, and good.

Some of the students have been writing raps or lyrics and they instantly grasp the connection between poetry and rap.  Poetry becomes something meaningful and through the process of writing and sharing poems they begin to grow as a classroom community.  They challenge stereotypes and realize that what they always believed about their peers may or may not be true.

My favorite part about this book is that what the students are dealing with goes far beyond the Bronx.  It addresses universals that even my suburban students can relate to.

Giving poetry a chance...that's kids stuff.