Poems in the Attic by Nikki Grimes

 

-taken from nikkigrimes.com

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2015. POEMS IN THE ATTIC. Ill. by Elizabeth Zunon. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 978-1-62014-027-7. 

2. PLOT SUMMARY

A young girl is staying with her grandmother for a few days, when she discovers her mother’s poems in the house attic. Half of the poems are about the mother’s experiences in all different places, as she and her family moved all around the world due to her father being in the military. The other half of the poems are the experiences and memories shared between the granddaughter and grandmother; it is like a walk down memory lane. The poems go back and forth between free verse and Tanka.  

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Grimes distinguishes between the mother’s and daughter’s voices by writing the daughter’s poems in free verses and writing the mother’s poems in tanka form.  The poems are simple and short.  They are used as short glimpses into special places and experiences. It is similar to flipping through someone’s family photo album. 

As a girl, the mother discovered things about the world in which she lived, she also discovered things about herself.  The daughter enjoys finding connections between herself and her mother. The young girl is only seven years old, so once again, the age of the narrator affects the depth of description and diction. 

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Horn Book Guide starred review

Kirkus Reviews Starred, March 2015, “Succinct poetry shines in this impassioned celebration of history; the stories of this African-American family traveling the globe are rich with heart and color.”

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

5. CONNECTIONS

*In a poetry unit, this book could be used as a great example of the Tanka form, while using other books, such as A to Z Poetry for Kids by Kellan G. Peterson to explore different forms and types of poetry. 

*This would be a great book to read to kids in a more transient community.  It could pair with other books about the coming and going of moving, like Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood and From there to here by Laurel Croza.