Module 9- Poetry, Short Stories, and Series: Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

*Summary:

Bronx Masquerade is a Coretta Scott King Award winning novel that follows a class of 18 students and their journey through self-discovery via poetry. Before walking into Mr. Ward’s English class, these students faced hardship, struggle, and poverty. Students such as Wesley, Sheila, Devon, and Tyrone all face struggles such as low self-esteem, teen pregnancy, gang violence, and bullying; but through a weekly Open Mike night they build connections, express themselves emotionally, and grow to love writing. The story is told through the perspectives of each student, and then the main narrator, Tyrone, gives his reaction to the poem of his class mate. 

*Bibliography:

Grimes, N. (2002). Bronx masquerade. New York: Dial Books.

*My Rating:

I love, love, LOVED this book! The format of the book is what made it most appealing to me. Grimes organizes the book by characters and give you a few page introduction to each student and then a poem from each student. This novel is fast-paced, and the poems are great. I teach 7^th grade English at a school where most students are economically disadvantaged, I think my students would really enjoy this book!

*Reviews:

In a world of stereotypes and fear, the 18 teenagers in Bronx Masquerade find a dignity in themselves they never knew they had. It all starts when Mr. Ward, their English teacher, suggests Open Mike Friday, a weekly poetry reading where anyone who wants to participate brings in a poem they have written to read. These hardened teens, used to heartbreak and aware all too soon that if they do not take care of themselves, no one else will, begin to pour their hearts and souls into the poetry they write and perform. Through the poetry, all of the classmates learn more about each other and come to realize that first impressions are not always correct. People can surprise you. They remove their masks and crack open the stony shells that block off emotion to look beyond the masquerade.
In so many unexpected ways, Tyrone, Wesley, Janelle, and the rest of Mr. Ward's English students are brought together and changed by Open Mike Friday. I would recommend this captivating novel to anyone who enjoys the beauty of poetry or wants a good read.

Ford, K. (2002). Bronx masquerade. Voices from the Middle, 10(2), 67. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213931849?accountid=7113

*Uses in a library:

This novel would be an awesome way to introduce students to poetry. Since poetry is now a STAR tested objective (dun, dun, DUUUNNN...I used the "S" word in my blog!), it is even more important to get students interested in it. This particular verse novel would be a great introduction to poetry because it is high-interest, and provides a context for each poem in the pages prior to the poems. If a librarian wanted to create a Slam Poetry club or competition this would be a fun way to introduce the concept. The librarian could read excerpts from the novel and then show a video of someone performing slam poetry.