LitBit Speaks

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems. Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent. In the rapidly growing world of novels in verse, The Poet X...

From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their determination would change it. Richard and Mildred Loving were at the heart of a Supreme Court case that legalized marriage between races, and a story of the devoted couple who faced discrimination, fought it, and won. At first glance, from the title and the description, this book appears to be about the landmark case for interracial marriage to become legal throughout the United States of America. Powell's work, however, is actually much more focused on the couple behind the lawsuit(s), Richard and Millie. Although many people have heard of the case and perhaps a little bit of the background, this book emphasizes the human story behind it all, through personal anecdotes, primary sourc...

To Molly Nathans, perfect is: • The number four • The tip of a newly sharpened number two pencil • A crisp, white pad of paper • Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are often broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Slam Poetry Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with table cloths. Molly’s sure her mother would never miss that. Right…? But as time goes on, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly’s world from spinning out of control. There is so much to love here. An endearing protagonist who is trying so hard to control everything, even though we know she won't be able to, and yet we cheer for her and despair with her every step of the w...

Like lightning you strike fast and free legs zoom down field eyes fixed on the checkered ball on the goal ten yards to go can’t nobody stop you can’t nobody cop you… In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel The Crossover , soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.  Kwame Alexander is a poet And he definitely knows it. He's a master of his art, Always writing from the heart. He knows a good turn of phrase, His thoughts weaving a maze. Each sentence covers new ground, Every stanza seemingly new-found, Each work far-reaching, Every page worth teaching. Okay, I could try to write my whole review in verse, but it would...

Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reape r--a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic--the rebel within Nanette awakens. As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price. You may call this melodrama, but I call it hormones, angst, and trying to discover a place in the world... basically an average teenage experience! Nanette goes from being a star soccer player, a popular girl, and a conformist, to a tortured rebel and self-aware individual. Of course, along the way she makes mistakes, alienates friends, brings new people together, hurts others, and loses some entirely. And all of this comes about because of Mr. Graves, ...