Booked Is a Winning Story for Kids

How do I know this book is good?  Well it focuses on a boy who plays soccer and it is written entirely in verse and my daughter, who is a picky reader, finished it in one day.  The soccer did help draw her in, but the best part was how much she loved a story written completely in poetry.  She liked how quickly she could read the book while still quoting parts that were compelling for her.  The poetry actually turned out to be something about the book she loved!

April is poetry month for kids, and as parents it is easy to get scared by this topic.  However, this book will get kids looking at both reading and verse in a whole new light.

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Title: Booked

Author: Kwame Alexander

Target: Grades 5-8

Series: No

What this book is about: 

Nick is in middle school.  He is a star soccer player, with a crush on a cute girl, but then a talk with his parents reveals that all is not as good at home as he thought.  He is being targeted at school by some bullies and an injury sidelines him from a big tournament.  Things are going from bad to worse.  Of course throw in the fact that he hates words and his father wrote a dictionary and that his school librarian used to be a famous rapper who is trying to get him to read, and life feels pretty bleak.

Why I love this book:

• Did I mention this book, like the author’s previous book, The Crossover, is written entirely in verse?  It will absolutely change the way your kids think about poetry.  It is amazing the type of imagery and emotion Alexander can draw from the reader with this type of writing, and he is masterful. 

• I loved that the book focused on soccer.  My daughter is fanatic so I actually caught all the references and subtle nods to the game and its stars.

• The author did not like to read as a kid, and this book is a tribute to how he felt about the subject.  Kids who are reluctant readers will definitely see themselves in Nick.

Who this book is for: 

Great book for most kids and the fact that it is written in verse will appeal to reluctant readers because of the shorter more mangeable chapters.  Don’t be scared off by the poetry, it reads much more like a rap. No e e cummings or Walt Whitman here.

Final thoughts: 

The Crossover is still my favorite by Kwame Alexander, but Booked is a wonderful second offering which really speaks to kids, especially boys, in a engaging and intelligent way.

To purchase this book:

Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Booked.  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.