Skip to main content

Words with Wings


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, N. 2013. Words with Wings. (First Edition) WordsSong. ISBN-10: 9781590789858

PLOT SUMMARY
Nikki Grimes’ Words with Wings, was awarded the Coretta Scott King Book Award in 2014. The narrative poem tells about a young girl, Gabriella, who lives her life in a daydream. Every word jumps off the page and takes her on a journey. Her daydreaming gets her in trouble at school and at home. Her parent’s divorce has caused her much distress. Her mind is a place where she can disappear and her thoughts take her on beautiful adventures, but she is constantly reprimanded for it. She decides to quit her daydreaming in hopes her life and relationships will improve. As the story moves along, Gabriella discovers a friend, David, that is much like her. Mr. Spicer, Gabriella’s teacher, recognizes her talents with words and that is when the story takes on a more positive tone. Gabriella starts to get recognition from those around her and she realizes her daydreams have turned into real dreams. She ends the story by giving insight to her real life as she becomes a well-known author and signs books by the bundles.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Words with Wings is a beautiful rendition of a young girl whose mind is filled with words that have wings. For Gabrielle each word transports her into several different scenarios that come alive in her mind. Young readers will be able to identify with the main character, Gabriella, since she has issues making friends in school, moves to a different school, has family problems, teacher problems, and lack of concentration in her classes.

Gabriella’s struggles are relatable to children on so many levels. The narrative poem is perfect for young readers because it is simple and easy to follow along. The transitions between sections helps the readers move from reality, to a daydream, and to the next. The author uses imagery, figurative language, and sensory language through the stanzas to make her thoughts come alive. “Some words sit still on the page holding a story steady. Those words never get me into trouble. But other words have wings that wake my daydreams. They fly in, silent as sunrise, tickle my imagination, and carry my thoughts away. I can’t help but buckle up for the ride!” Readers will feel as if they are inside the characters mind. The story is a roller-coaster of emotions until stability reaches Gabriella in the end when she is finally understood. The ending gives readers hope that things will turn out ok in the end.

EXCERPTS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Although Grimes hits the “importance of dreaming” theme a bit hard, her poems lovingly convey the rich inner life (and turmoil) of a girl in the process of finding her voice. Ages 8–12.” (2013)

KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Throughout this finely wrought narrative, Grimes’ free verse is tight, with perfect breaks of line and effortless shifts from reality to dream states and back.” (2013)

CAMPBELE WORDPRESS: “Nikki Grimes is a writer whose words have wings. She’s one of the few who write in open verse that actually manages to say more with fewer words.” (2014)


CONNECTIONS
Student Activity: Have students write small verses of random words that pop into their mind. Display them on the wall.

Library Activity: Have more poems available for students.

·         Grimes, N. 2016. Garvey’s Choice. WordSong. ISBN-10: 9781629797403.

·         Grimes, N. 2017. One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. Bloomsbury USA Childrens. ISBN-10: 1619635542

·         Grimes, N. and Wood, M. 2015. Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts. Orchard Books. ISBN-10: 0439793386


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Screencasts

The digital world is taking over businesses, entertainment, and education. Guiding people through a series of steps online just got easier with screencasts. With its booming popularity and effectiveness, it can be difficult to choose from various softwares. I recently tried Screencast-O-Matic and Screencastify. Although they both got the job done, one was more simple to navigate through, and another offered more features. Both have its advantages and disadvantages. I will give you a run-down on both screencasts down below. https://screencast-o-matic.com/ : Screencast-O-Meter is super simple to navigate through. It gives you the option to create a free account or sign in through gmail. There is a Free Plan, Solo Deluxe ($1.65/month), or Solo Premier ($4.00/month). They allow for a free 30-day trial for video editting. You have to launch a screen video recorder. For the free plan, it only gives you the option to record the computer screen with narration. It will not record through yo
Post a Comment
Read more

Readings #17-25 (5385)

Anderson, J. (2017). Midnight at the Electric. HarperCollins. ISBN-10: 9780062393548. Jodi Lynn Anderson’s creation of Midnight at the Electric will leave readers captivated from beginning to end. The setting takes places in the future of 2065 with Adri Ortiz as a chosen colonist for Mars. She’s been waiting for this moment her entire life. She is smart, witty, and has no connections to people on Earth since she’s been in foster care all her life. Her attitude has never helped her make friends either. Adri is ready to leave Earth behind and start a new life in another planet. Before her mission to Mars, her team’s director gives her one last assignment on Earth. She has to spend a few months with her long lost, 107-year-old, cousin in Canaan, Texas, close to the Wichita science facility where she will be training. Her director wants her to have some closure before the journey of no return. When Adri arrives at the house, she is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland.
Post a Comment
Read more

Paperboy

BIBLIOGRAPHY Vawter, V. 2013. Paperboy . Yearling. ISBN-10: 030793151X. PLOT SUMMARY Vincent Vawter writes a coming of age historical fiction, Paperboy , in which a young 11-year-old “Little Man” encounters the cruel reality of adulthood. The story takes place in 1959 in Memphis, Tennessee during a difficult time in U.S. history. Segregation, discrimination and racism play a role in the character’s development and overall theme. Main character, Victor, struggles with a speech impairment that makes his new job as a paperboy more difficult than expected. Live-in nanny, Mam, is a major support for Victor throughout the story. His stuttering gets him in trouble at times, but also carries some advantages. Victor meets different people along his summer journey that help him understand the adult life in a deeper level. A troubled alcoholic woman, Mrs. Worthington, a knowledgeable and well-read philosophical merchant marine, Mr. Spiro, and neighborhood African-American scary junkman,
Post a Comment
Read more