The story: A group of high school kids get to know each other on a completely different level through the medium of poetry. Everyone ends up in Mr. Ward's class for different reasons, but learning to use the right words helps them deal with their issues: Darrian's mom is dead, Jenesis is about to age out of foster care with nowhere to go; Tyrone's dad was innocent but got busted anyway, Freddie's mom is a drunk and Freddie is stuck taking care of both her mom and her niece, like she's the adult. Poetry helps them work through the pain--but can it take them to the next step?
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death of a parent, foster care, parental over-expectations, alcoholism, and others, yikes!) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: Word-wise, this is not a difficult book, and it will speak to a lot of different people. Recommended reading for teens looking for a ray of hope, and for kids on the affluenza end of the spectrum as well.
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