TITLE: LocomotionAUTHOR: Jacqueline Woodson
STARTED: May 23, 2009
FINISHED: May 23, 2009
PAGES: 102
GENRE: Juvenile
FIRST SENTENCE: This whole book's a poem 'cause every time I try to tell the whole story my mind goes Be quiet!
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] When Lonnie was seven years old, his parents died in a fire. Now he's eleven, and he still misses them terribly. And he misses his little sister, Lili, who was put into a different foster home because "not a lot of people want boys-not foster boys that ain't babies." But Lonnie hasn't given up. His foster mother, Miss Edna, is growing on him. She's already raised two sons and she seems to know what makes them tick. And his teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper.
Told entirely through Lonnie's poetry, we see his heartbreak over his lost family, his thoughtful perspective on the world around him, and most of all his love for Lili and his determination to one day put at least half of their family back together. Jacqueline Woodson's poignant story of love, loss, and hope is lyrically written and enormously accessible.
THOUGHTS: This book was more somber than I expected. When Lonnie writes his poerty, it is full of self-introspection, good and bad. This book has several layers to uncover and part of me questions if it is actually should be read by an older (or at least more mature) audience. Woodsen's Lonnie touches on death, guilt, religion, and being away from family. Woodson a fantastic job of looking at these themes through a child's eye. The way she makes Lonnie's innocence slip into unexpected wisdom is impressive. While the book has a happy(ish) ending, it left me feeling a little sad.
RATING: 6/10 [Good]
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