St. Trigger by Aaron Coleman is one of those books you look and think it will be easy. After all, the publisher review says it only has 52 pages. After reading the first few poems I stopped and went back and re-read them. Started in early-late December, I finished on January 1, 2019. I have no idea what I read. Is there beautiful language and images? Oh boy yes! “A dozen monarch butterflies strewn like candy wrappers in the seaweed.” This was one of many […]
When the Ghosts Come Ashore and every place else
I know I read When the Ghosts Come Ashore. I am just not sure what I read. I mean I know what I read. Jaqcqui Germain is obvious: she explores the issues of race, gender, and violence. She talks about St. Louis and sees it live, laugh, love and bleed. She hits you in the gut and smacks you, too. But same time this is a love story. Germain is not for a one sit reading. You need to read each poem. Chew on it. […]
Christmas Spirit? We got it right here!
I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison and illustrated by Frank Morrison has a lot to like. And a lot of things that you might not be as crazy about. The illustrations of Morrison are lovely. They are quirky and filled with details. And the colors! Bold and sassy and quirky and as spunky as the little narrator herself. They introduce you to a city setting for those who might not be familiar with it and show the setting a lot of kids do […]
Ghost Boys through history
First, Ghost Boys does seem like a fairly balanced look how the shooting of Jerome, a 12-year-old boy, by a white police officer effects not only Jerome’s family, but the officer and his family as well. Perhaps, it is tilted a little more in Jerome’s favor, but that is to be expected. Second, this will bring up the feelings and thoughts we have on the subjects presented: Someone at the hearing yells, “Black Lives Matters.” And the father of Jerome is going to sue the […]