sc104906's review against another edition
2.0
Narrator describes her life in Queens, while paralleling it to the events surrounding Tupac's career. She talks about her friend D, who lives with a foster mother, is a nomad, and has had a rough past. It is a quick historical novel with an inner city vibe.
tobyyy's review against another edition
4.0
Unread shelf project 2021: book 11.
Beautifully but simply written. This is not an action-packed book but instead is slice-of-life, driven by the passage of time and the final years of Tupac’s life. It addresses a multitude of issues (racism, homophobia, the prison system/unjust treatment of black men, the foster care system) without being preachy.
Jacqueline Woodson is a very gifted author whose writing makes her characters and settings come alive on the page, without using overly purple prose or trying too hard to be lyrical. Definitely recommend.
Beautifully but simply written. This is not an action-packed book but instead is slice-of-life, driven by the passage of time and the final years of Tupac’s life. It addresses a multitude of issues (racism, homophobia, the prison system/unjust treatment of black men, the foster care system) without being preachy.
Jacqueline Woodson is a very gifted author whose writing makes her characters and settings come alive on the page, without using overly purple prose or trying too hard to be lyrical. Definitely recommend.
hrector's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
emilyrose72's review against another edition
3.0
JACQUELINE WOODSON
Neeka and her best friend (the narrator, who is unnamed) meet D Foster the summer when they are 11. They immediately click, and the girls are jealous of D's ability to roam, because they're not allowed off the block. They all share a love and respect for Tupac, especially D, who really relates to his song. The narrator explains how D has impacted her and Neeka's lives, but when they're 13, D is removed from foster care and given back to her mother, and they move away. The book deals with race issues, and the girls hopes a dreams. This is a great middle-grade book, can provide a quick day-in-life-of book. It's not too eventful, but it's meaningful and deep, kind of like a coming-of-age novel because the girls move from seeing things black-and-white, to a world of gray.
Neeka and her best friend (the narrator, who is unnamed) meet D Foster the summer when they are 11. They immediately click, and the girls are jealous of D's ability to roam, because they're not allowed off the block. They all share a love and respect for Tupac, especially D, who really relates to his song. The narrator explains how D has impacted her and Neeka's lives, but when they're 13, D is removed from foster care and given back to her mother, and they move away. The book deals with race issues, and the girls hopes a dreams. This is a great middle-grade book, can provide a quick day-in-life-of book. It's not too eventful, but it's meaningful and deep, kind of like a coming-of-age novel because the girls move from seeing things black-and-white, to a world of gray.
iffer's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I really liked this book. It packs so much in its 151 pages without feeling like it's packed to the gills or that the author is trying too hard. Even going into reading this book knowing that it was a Newberry Honor book by Jacqueline Woodson, I was surprised, impressed, and touched by the story. I don't really even want to write the details of what I liked. Just read the book.
P.S. It might be a turnoff to some people that Tupac is in the title (It was for me.), but it actually doesn't make it too cheesy.
P.P.S. [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mo4YSDB-L._SL75_.jpg|2219449] must/better be really good...
P.S. It might be a turnoff to some people that Tupac is in the title (It was for me.), but it actually doesn't make it too cheesy.
P.P.S. [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mo4YSDB-L._SL75_.jpg|2219449] must/better be really good...
mothtimothy's review against another edition
5.0
so good. jacqueline woodson outdoes herself. made me cry on a bus from nyc to philly, which is pretty much my favorite thing ever (novels that made me cry on buses).
krissyronan's review against another edition
4.0
Great great great
Quick read and LOVED it.
Realistic characters
Glimpse into a time/place that I've read about, plot I've read before, but Woodson's writing made it fresh.
Cried (only a little) even though the ending is revealed in the beginning
Quick read and LOVED it.
Realistic characters
Glimpse into a time/place that I've read about, plot I've read before, but Woodson's writing made it fresh.
Cried (only a little) even though the ending is revealed in the beginning
readerpants's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite of Jacqueline Woodson's chapter books, by far. Beautifully written, thoughtful, and -- what really makes me prefer this to her other books -- swimming in complicated real-life situations without becoming too issue-driven.
My favorite thing about this book is that it feels very much written for a younger audience despite topics that are normally reserved for didactic picture books or teen readers: it addresses injustice, prison, homophobia, racism, the foster care system, and other issues that touch families and affect many of my urban kids, but maintains a voice and perspective that's warm, loving, righteous, and utterly age-appropriate for 9-11 year old readers. It's beautifully written and avoids overly lyrical phrasing, something that I think often gets mistaken for good writing for children. I wouldn't recommend this as an insightful or gritty read for a teen, and I think even older middle-schoolers wouldn't really identify with the girls' lack of rebellion... the main characters are young, sheltered, mostly observing rather than acting, and not yet arguing with their protective mothers. (The exception of course is D, whose hard-knock life has resulted in an impressive, if unrealistic, level of maturity that allows her to offer timely insights.)
I'd love to see this in 5th grade book clubs, as a classroom read-aloud, and absolutely as a book on tape, maybe with some actual Tupac thrown in. I'd also be happy to see it win the Newbery... I think it's a much, much stronger offering than last year's Newbery Honor [b: Feathers|272334|Feathers|Jacqueline Woodson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437018787s/272334.jpg|264041], and many of the Newbery speculations I've heard so far this year. A must-purchase for my K-5 library.
My favorite thing about this book is that it feels very much written for a younger audience despite topics that are normally reserved for didactic picture books or teen readers: it addresses injustice, prison, homophobia, racism, the foster care system, and other issues that touch families and affect many of my urban kids, but maintains a voice and perspective that's warm, loving, righteous, and utterly age-appropriate for 9-11 year old readers. It's beautifully written and avoids overly lyrical phrasing, something that I think often gets mistaken for good writing for children. I wouldn't recommend this as an insightful or gritty read for a teen, and I think even older middle-schoolers wouldn't really identify with the girls' lack of rebellion... the main characters are young, sheltered, mostly observing rather than acting, and not yet arguing with their protective mothers. (The exception of course is D, whose hard-knock life has resulted in an impressive, if unrealistic, level of maturity that allows her to offer timely insights.)
I'd love to see this in 5th grade book clubs, as a classroom read-aloud, and absolutely as a book on tape, maybe with some actual Tupac thrown in. I'd also be happy to see it win the Newbery... I think it's a much, much stronger offering than last year's Newbery Honor [b: Feathers|272334|Feathers|Jacqueline Woodson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437018787s/272334.jpg|264041], and many of the Newbery speculations I've heard so far this year. A must-purchase for my K-5 library.