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Locomotion

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 1,928 ratings · 433 reviews

When Lonnie Collins Motion "Locomotion" was seven years old, his life changed forever. Now he's eleven, and his life is about to change again. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper. And suddenly, Lonnie has a whole new way to tell the world about his life, his friends, his little sister Lili, and even his foster mom, Miss Edna, w...more

Paperback, 112 pages

Published December 29th 2004 by Speak (first published January 1st 2003)

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May 15, 2008 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lis-565, poetry, chapter-books, tween, childrens

The moving story of a young boy recovering from family tragedy, told entirely through a series of free-verse poems. Lonnie Collins Motion, nicknamed Locomotion, has trouble communicating his feelings and dealing with his grief, so his fifth-grade teacher introduces him to poetry as a means of self-expression. Lonnie discovers a hidden talent and a budding love for various poetic forms as the reader discovers the nature of Lonnie’s loss and gradual recovery. Through Lonnie’s poems, readers see hi...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Rosalinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Main Character/s: Lonnie, Ms. Marcus, Miss Edna, Lilli
Setting: For the most part school and foster homes
POV: Lonnie

This story is about Lonnie Collins Motion or “Locomotion”. Lonnie is an eleven-year-old African American boy who is struggling with several emotional issues. At the age of seven he lost both of his parents to a house fire. Due to their death, he and his younger sister were sent into the foster care system. His sister was quickly adopted by a nice family while Locomotion was unfortun...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Shel added it

Woodson, J. (2003). Locomotion. New York: SPEAK.

Locomotion consists of the poems written by eleven-year-old Lonnie, who is living in a foster home, separated from his sister. Through his poems, Lonnie works to rediscover his voice, his home and his family.

Also central to Lonnie’s story is his relationship with his teacher, Ms. Marcus. Since she is a white teacher working in a predominantly black urban school, a teacher could introduce a discussion of race, stereotypes, whiteness and issues of...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Adair rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of Lonnie Collins Motion (Locomotion)and his struggle to come to terms and deal with the loss of his parents in a fire. Lonnie is 11 and lost his parents when he was 7. He and his sister are in foster care, but living with different families. Through his journal, an assignment in one of his special education classes, Lonnie explores his feelings and accepts his new life with Ms. Edna in foster care.

This book was especially interesting because it is written in free verse poetry....more

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Nov 20, 2008 Jacquelyn Higgins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Poetry Reading level: Age 10+
Lonnie Collins Motion has been encouraged to write poetry in an English class taught by an enlightened teacher in the inner city. Through the prose style chapters, the reader gets a glimpse into the life of a young orphan in the foster care system. Left behind when his sister is adopted, Lonnie is placed in a home with a woman who has raised two sons. Polite, good hearted, and courageous though he is, this young man’s grief over the horrible death of his paren...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Locomotion
by Jacquline Woodson

This book I found hidden in the book corner of my Year 5 classroom. The name and cover intrigued me as the title and cover didn’t appear very child friendly or very appealing for a 10 year old. This book is based on the poems of a young orphan Lonnie whose life changed dramatically when his parents died. He and his younger sister were separated and fostered into very different homes on the opposite side of the city.

Lonnie is an angry boy who has become dis-involve...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was kind of nervous going into reading this book because I am not a fan nor have I eve been a fan of poetry! But these poems make you rethink poetry. Some of the poems are deep and some are just silly simple ones but they are all great.

This story is made up of poems written by the narrator Lonnie. Lonnie is eleven years old and struggling finding himself through all of his emotional issues. When Lonnie was seven years old both of his parents were killed in a tragic house fire. Both Lonnie an...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Genre- Junior-Poetry
This is a lovely story about a seven-year-old, Lonnie, that is adopted. He lost his parents in a fire and his little sister was adopted by another family. He learns to write poetry, which is what the whole book is, and he uses his poetic skills to get his feelings and ideas across. He feels it is the only way to tell people about his life, family, and feelings.
A. Area of comment- plot
B. I know every book is not for everyone, but I was not too fond of this book. I enjoy poetry...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Stephanie Koerner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grade/interest level:3-5th
Reading Level: V
Genre: Poetry

Main Characters: Lonnie, Miss Edna, Ms. Marcus, Lili
Setting: Lonnie's foster home and at school
POV: Lonnie's

Summary:
This book is from the point of view of an eleven year old boy named Locomotion or Lonnie. Every chapter is a poem. The whole story is comprised of poems about Lonnie’s life. He lost his parents when he was only seven. He was put in a foster home separate from his little sister, Lili. Lonnie deeply loves and misses his family. T...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Maria Reyes added it

Shelves: poetry, family, award-winning, print-format, 3rd-grade-5th-grade, faith

Summary

Locomotion is a book about a boy's life. Lonnie Collins Motion (Locomotion) had to adjust too many changes in his life after his parents die in a fire accident. He and his younger sister Lili are separated and are send to different family but Lonnie keeps in touch with his sister by writing letters to her. The protagonist, Lonnie finds a way to express his feelings and memories when his teacher Ms. Marcus introduces him to poetry in which he becomes passionate about.
The book Locomotion...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Nicole Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-5, ages-6-9, chapter-book, poetry, print-format

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A boy by the name of Lonnie lives with his foster parent named Miss Edna, who has had two boys of her own but have already moved out. Miss Edna cares for Lonnie as if her were own, and her sons treat Lonnie as if he were their little brother. Lonnie has lost both of his parents in a fire while Lonnie and his little sister Lili were staying the night at a friend’s house. Every December 9th, Lonnie mourns for the death of his parents and wishes he could see them again. Lonnie has been separated fr...more A boy by the name of Lonnie lives with his foster parent named Miss Edna, who has had two boys of her own but have already moved out. Miss Edna cares for Lonnie as if her were own, and her sons treat Lonnie as if he were their little brother. Lonnie has lost both of his parents in a fire while Lonnie and his little sister Lili were staying the night at a friend’s house. Every December 9th, Lonnie mourns for the death of his parents and wishes he could see them again. Lonnie has been separated from his sister Lili but still gets to see her occasionally if Lili’s new mother lets him.

As Lonnie thinks all hope is lost, Lili gives him a Bible and tells Lonnie to find God in his life so that Lili and Lonnie can soon be together again. At school, Ms. Marcus, Lonnie’s teacher, makes her students practice writing poetry. Lonnie finds a way to cope with himself and writes in his poetry book to describe the way he is feeling each day. In his poetry book, he writes about his past memories rather they are good or bad, and decides to keep them to himself. He also writes several poems about his classmates and the way they make him feel by their actions in the class.

What I had noticed in the story was that it was written in the way that little kids talk. It was hard for me to read the book without correcting the language several of times. There were some parts in the story where I would have to keep myself from crying when Lonnie would talk about the things that he remembered about his parents. The story lets you step into the mind of a child and learn how it feels to have your parents and siblings taken away from you.

I would use this book in class to introduce a poetry unit. This book is a great tool to use when showing students that not all poems have to rhyme. I would also use this book as a reference when teaching the students about the different types of poems. For a lesson, I would have the students read the book on their own first, and then would put them into groups to try to see if they can figure out what is going on in Lonnie’s life. After they have figured it out, they would then write a sequel to the story of about ten poems on how Lonnie is reunited with his sister Lili.

Lexile: 580
Guided Reading Level: N/A but I would say 771-830
Grade Level: 3-5
Independent Reading: end of fourth grade
Appropriate Read Aloud: third grade and up
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Oct 09, 2012 Marianthi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: print-format, poetry, gr-3-5, family, god

Summary:
Locomotion is a book about a boy's life. After his parents die in a fire accident, he and he younger sister are separated and sent to different homes. The book tells us about different people in his life and explains his feelings about these people. Throughout the book he is slowly gaining faith in God to bring his back to his sister.
The main character is very good at writing poetry and is acknowledged for it by his teacher. It seems like he uses poetry to talk about his feelings about...more Summary:
Locomotion is a book about a boy's life. After his parents die in a fire accident, he and he younger sister are separated and sent to different homes. The book tells us about different people in his life and explains his feelings about these people. Throughout the book he is slowly gaining faith in God to bring his back to his sister.
The main character is very good at writing poetry and is acknowledged for it by his teacher. It seems like he uses poetry to talk about his feelings about life and the fire his parents were killed him. The book does a great job showing the reader every thought that the boy is having.

Response:
I noticed that the book is a collection of all types of poetry. I think this is a creative idea to use instead of making the book all the same kind of poem. It leaves room to be creative and it never left me bored. With poetry I think it is important to keep the reader engaged because it is not always telling a story like a novel.

This book reminds me of Picture of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff. Both children are orphans and both children have flashback moments in the book where they are thinking about their perfect families. In Locomotion, Lonnie, the main character, is reminiscing about his family before they fire. Hollis Woods uses pictures to reminisce about her foster family that she loved so much.

Classroom Connection:
I think so really good reading strategies can be taught through this book. I noticed that when I read it I read it out loud. It seemed more natural for me to speak the words because of the way they were written. For me speaking the words allowed me to hear what I was saying and catch every time I made a mistake. Since this is a book of poems, there is not always complete sentences. I think having students read this book aloud will only help this become better readers, and pay more attention to the words they are reading.

Lexile:N/A
Guided Reading Level:V
This book has an interest level of 3rd though 5th graders.

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Oct 09, 2012 Erin Mccall added it

Locomotion is an intimate collection of poems written by the protagonist Lonnie (nicknamed Locomotion by his deceased mother) that logs his emotions within his temporary home, school and being separated from his little sister Lili. Lonnie uses all different forms of poetry, as the introspective journal is being written while his class focuses most of their writing on poetry. The pacing of each poem helps to set the mood and the tone for what was feeling when he wrote each entry. The poem “Pigeo...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Danielle Harriger rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book because Woodson was able to seamlessly portray the heartbreaking emotions of a child who is dealing with a terrible life event. I was most drawn into this novel because of the captivating verses that the author used. When hearing about a verse novel, I expected the book to be a string of rhymes and couplets. However, the variation in the types of poem and the break of lines allowed me to naturally pause while reading, and reflect on how the form related to Lonnie’s thought proc...more I loved this book because Woodson was able to seamlessly portray the heartbreaking emotions of a child who is dealing with a terrible life event. I was most drawn into this novel because of the captivating verses that the author used. When hearing about a verse novel, I expected the book to be a string of rhymes and couplets. However, the variation in the types of poem and the break of lines allowed me to naturally pause while reading, and reflect on how the form related to Lonnie’s thought process. For example, the broken lines and indentations that Lonnie used when watching the rain fall “down” and “down” allows the reader to pause, and vividly visually the falling rain. I also enjoyed that Lonnie was a very authentic character, as he was not writing poems that were overly sophisticated, but rather, the poems were written in a stream of consciousness technique. This device allowed me to feel like I was inside the mind of Lonnie. I think middle school age students would enjoy reading this verse novel because it exposed me to a different kind of poetry that I never knew existed. Also, the book was fast paced and allowed you to remain engaged. Furthermore, I love that the teacher encouraged Lonnie to write, because I believe that when someone is dealing with a hardship, it is hard to relate to others, and sometimes, all you need is to write something down and let it go. I think middle school children would be inspired to write, just like Lonnie. Furthermore, readers who are going through a terrible loss are able to see Lonnie as a friend because Woodson’s choice of details given by Lonnie perfectly portray the terrible emotions of loss. For example, the poignant detail of the smell of his mother, and the way his mother would laugh at his dumb jokes underscores the pain of realizing that these memories with that person are all that are left. I thought one of the most powerful parts of the book was where Lonnie speaks about how “maybe it’s that if you’re white you can’t see all the whiteness around you.” I think that this concept of acute awareness one has when they are not like the majority of people can be related across many different contexts, such as how Lonnie feels left out in the fact that he does not have his parents. This is further shown when he is expected to write a poem about his family, but his built-up frustration makes him want to yell, “What family?”
I loved that I was able to see many facets of Lonnie’s character through his different poems. For example, the Halloween poem underscores the burden of feeling obligated to grow up and not participate in childish activities. This small detail shows the heavy burdens and disillusionment that middle school students face when realizing that you are expected to grow up and leave behind your childhood. Thus, middle school children can relate to the difficult time period of the beginning of adolescence through the characterization of Lonnie. However, this novel resonates most with me because of the hope and optimism that it allows readers to have. For example, the heartwarming detail of Rodney calling Lonnie his “little brother” was a simple, and poignant way to show the eventual happiness that can be restored after a tragic event. The final details of the story (such as Lonnie’s growing friendship with his sister, happiness with his new family, and his newfound faith) show how happiness does not have to come from a huge miracle, but rather, happiness can be found in the simple joys of life when you allow yourself time to heal.

Three words to describe this book: reconciliation, disillusionment, optimism(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Isabel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Verse. I loved this book. The poetry was so deep and fresh. I loved Lonnie as a character, and Jacqueline Woodson really made his voice come alive and be believable. Although this was a really, really short read I still found myself really relating to Lonnie and wanting to connect with him. I think this would be a wonderful method to help a child connect to poetry in a new way. When I was younger I really didn't enjoy poetry, and didn't want to read it. Almost everything we read was inane or I c...more

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Aug 30, 2012 MissSusie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, ya

I accidently read the second book in this series (Peace, Locomotion) first thinking I was reading the first and really enjoyed it, so thanks to YASync I was able to listen to this one.
Lonnie (Locomotion) has had a tough time of it his parents die in a fire and he and his sister are sent to separate foster/group homes. Lonnie has a flair for words and with the encouragement of a great teacher he starts writing poems and learning about different poems. I love how this teacher kind of takes these...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Long Wang rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9th-grade

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is a novel about a person name Lonnie Collins Motion who is eleven years old, and his teacher Ms. Marcus thought him to write his own feelings on paper in poems. Lonnie wrote his life in the poems, about his family, his friends, gods and religion, and himself. His parents died when he was seven, which changed his life totally. His younger sister Lili was adopted by someone else, while he was consigned to foster homes. His sister Lily’s new mother hates Lonnie, so...more

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Jun 03, 2012 A_Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: poetry

I read this book as an iBook, it had 145 pages. Poetry has several definitions, but the one I found and liked was "Poetry is a precise form of language, with intense feeling, imagery, and qualities of sound that bounce pleasingly off the tongue, tickle the ear, and leave the mind something to ponder" (pg. 170). This book definitely follows that definition. This story is told in poetic verse by Lonnie an eleven year old boy who finds his voice through poetry after the death of his parents and bei...more

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May 02, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-lit

I really liked this book. It is set up differently than any of the other books I have read; the entire book consists of poems written by the narrator, an 11-year-old boy who has lost everything important to him. There is no real plot in the story; it is all just a record of his daily life, his experiences in school, his dreams and memories, and his visits with his little sister, Lili. But I still found myself crying every time Lonnie mentioned his parents or the fire that killed them. I loved ho...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Jane Woodside rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is a very touching story. It is about an eleven-year-old boy named Lonnie whose mother and father die in a fire. Lonnie and his sister Lilli are then get split up, and his sister goes to a nice family and Lonnie is placed with a woman named Miss. Edna. Then, in school, Lonnie’s teacher introduces poetry to the class and Lonnie finds his hidden talent and what he enjoys doing which is writing and being able to show his emotion in the poetry.

Jacqueline Woodson does...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is such a moving story. This book tells a story in verse about an eleven year old boy named Lonnie. He is faced with a huge tragedy when his mother and father’s lives are taken in a fire. He and his sister are split up and placed with two different families. Lonnie’s sister Lilli is placed with a nice family, who live in a nice house and neighborhood. Lonnie is placed with Miss Edna, who has already raised children of her own. Lonnie’s teacher is introducing the...more Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is such a moving story. This book tells a story in verse about an eleven year old boy named Lonnie. He is faced with a huge tragedy when his mother and father’s lives are taken in a fire. He and his sister are split up and placed with two different families. Lonnie’s sister Lilli is placed with a nice family, who live in a nice house and neighborhood. Lonnie is placed with Miss Edna, who has already raised children of her own. Lonnie’s teacher is introducing the class to poetry and Lonnie finds out he really likes writing and expressing himself through his writing.

The author does a great job of meeting the criteria for poetry. The book does not necessary rhyme but the words are used to show sounds and emotion in the words express sound and force us to use our imaginations while reading. There are no pictures in the book but the details also allow us to imagine what we think Lonnie, his teacher, classroom, home, etc. would look like if we were there. While reading this book, my heart ached for Lonnie, at such a young age he has experienced more pain and loss than some of us will ever have to go through. He is coping with this basically on his own, and missing his parents each and every day. The observations he makes about life and poetry show the reader his insight on life and what he has been through. The message of the story can raise our spirits at the end, but also make sure the reader never forgets what this young boy has had to face in his short years of life so far. I believe that his book meets the criteria for a positive stretch as well, even though it is not extremely positive, it still teaches the lesson of never giving up and handling whatever life throws at you. This book would definitely be appropriate for teaching children about being thankful for what they have and making the best out of every possible situation.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is such a heartwarming story. If I were to use this book in my own classroom, I would use it for a poetry unit and to show the students that poetry does not only have to be one poem, but can be multiple poems that tell a story. I really think the students would enjoy this book and take something away from it, whether it is a new love for poetry or even just to be thankful for what they have and learning to reach out to those who may need some support. From what I gathered many of Lonnie’s peers do not know or cannot comprehend what happened to Lonnie and how much the loss of a parent can affect a child’s life, therefore it is important to teach children never to judge an individual because we have no idea what that person has been through in their life. I loved this book and would recommend it to children and adults.
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Jan 19, 2012 Dan Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before I began my present reading program (I require my students, and myself as well, to read 30 books during the school year,) I would rarely, if ever, have read a book of poetry, and most definitely would not have read one that was intended to tell a single story through the entire book. Yet, this is exactly the type of book Locomotion is. It is the story of Lonnie Motion, a 5th grade student who lives in New York City. Lonnie has lost his family due to a terrible tragedy. Now, as an orphan, i...more Before I began my present reading program (I require my students, and myself as well, to read 30 books during the school year,) I would rarely, if ever, have read a book of poetry, and most definitely would not have read one that was intended to tell a single story through the entire book. Yet, this is exactly the type of book Locomotion is. It is the story of Lonnie Motion, a 5th grade student who lives in New York City. Lonnie has lost his family due to a terrible tragedy. Now, as an orphan, is placed in a home with Miss Edna while his sister, Lili, is placed in a different home somewhere else in the city. Lonnie "discovers" that he can write poetry which he uses to tell his story. This discovery has come through the caring and encouragement of his 5th grade teacher, Ms. Marcus.

As I read my heart ached for Lonnie. Jacqueline Woodson has found a way to, through Lonnie's voice, tug at your heart strings. You can't help but feel sad for Lonnie. As I read I could only imagine the pain, heartache, and sadness he felt as he tried to deal with the losses he feels. What makes this story so interesting is that Lonnie's writing is being done three years after the tragedy and yet he still feels the pain, almost as if it had just happened last week. It made me want to try doing something for him and Lili to help them understand that eventually the pain will diminish. Although I am much older than Lonnie, I can speak from personal experience as my Dad passed away 12 years ago and even though I still miss him, the feeling now is not so much a pain as it is a longing to see him again

There is also a nice lesson which can be learned from this book. The lesson is that if you let them, others will love you, and help you through your times of trial and sorrow There were some very interesting and pleasant turns in this book which I didn't expect but which made me happy for Lonnie in the end. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who may be of the mindset that they don't like poetry. My suggestion to you is 'give it a try, you may just be pleasantly surprised" Before reading this book I had never heard of this author, now, having finished the book I've looked her up on the internet and found that she has written quite a number of books. I'll definitely have to try reading some of her other works. (less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Nicole Perez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-lit, child-s-voice, children-ages-9-12, fiction, inspiration, memoir, poetry, read-aloud, realistic-fiction, wide-reading-project, ya-biographical, ya-memoir, ya-poetry, young-adult, theme-loss

This story is very inspirational and sad, as it tells the story of 13 year old Lonnie, whose parents died in a fire. Lonnie has to live in a foster home in the city, apart from his sister, without his mother and father. As he struggles to overcome the painful memories and events in his life, he is encouraged by his teacher, Ms Marcus, to begin writing poetry because it's a way to express himself. Throughout Locomotion, we see Lonnie grow and use poetry as a way to heal and express himself. It's...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: poetry

Locomotion is a beautifully written novel by Jacqueline Woodson who is writing as the young boy living in a foster home, Locomotion. Locomotion lost his parents in a fire and has been separated from his sister through the foster care program. His teacher helps him to discover his voice through writing poetry. He reflects on memories of his parents and what his life is like now in his foster home.

This novel is written as many free verse poems (and some Haiku) compiled to tell a story. They are a...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Claudia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge-150-books, ya-books

This little novel in verse is flat-out amazing. Woodson writes in the voice of Lonnie C. Motion, a young boy trying to cope with the unimaginable: the deaths of both parents, his separation from his sister, and his move into a foster home from an inhumane group home. We see Locomotion (his mother's pet name for him) find his voice in poetry, inspired by his beloved and baffling teacher, Ms. Marcus. This white woman reaches him in ways other can't.

Locomotion uses his poetry to tell his story, to...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Nicolewinter2011 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-american, intermediate

I love the voice Woodson gives Lonnie, the first person narrator of the poems in Locomotion. I hear the voice of an adolescent. With some exposure to life as a young African-American, I believe all students can find parts to relate to because what came across most to me was the voice of a boy coming of age. One aspect in which I believe many young adult readers could relate is the concept of being a "tween." Lonnie admires the teens and young adults that are older than he, but he also has a long...more I love the voice Woodson gives Lonnie, the first person narrator of the poems in Locomotion. I hear the voice of an adolescent. With some exposure to life as a young African-American, I believe all students can find parts to relate to because what came across most to me was the voice of a boy coming of age. One aspect in which I believe many young adult readers could relate is the concept of being a "tween." Lonnie admires the teens and young adults that are older than he, but he also has a longing for his past and to be a boy at times. On p. 6 I was drawn in early to read more about Lonnie's character with "I felt safe then. I held Lili tigher. Maybe if I was eleven then and if one of my friends had been around, I would have been embarassed, I guess. But I was just a little kid and nobody else was around. Just me and Lili and Mama and the pigeons. And outside the sun getting bright and warm suddenly like it'd been listening in." I can't picture an eleven year boy using these words, but I think the sentiment it conveys seems real. So perhaps a boy of 11 might think this way. I recall being a girl at this age and loving my parents and wanting to spend time with them, but also not wanting to necessarily be "seen" with them. Also, on p. 24, Lonnie writes to his dad of the things he hasn't forgotten- time with his father. I think many children (but not necessarily all) have memories of those sweet simple moments where the parents may think that the children are not listening, but they are. I think tweens typically go back and forth between letting you know they're listening and perhaps pretending they're not listening. On p. 88 when Rodney is describing the beauty of living upstate with "I had to live there awhile... Just to be with all that green, you know?" and Lonnie responds with "I nod, even though I don't." I can imagine this 11 year-old-boy looking up to this "big brother" and just wanting to believe and relate to him in anyway he could. I think many (but not all) children have had someone in their life like that. I've just named one aspect that I think children could relate to. However, I think there are so many others. Since the book is about writing poetry, finding "inspiration" for that poetry and giving it a more youthful power, I think whatever children could find to relate to, they could then try to write a response/share a connection in the form of a poem. (Ms. Marcus would approve I'm sure.) I wish this was an assigned book for me to read in middle school!
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Nov 13, 2010 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: poetry-plays

This anthology tells of an African American pre-teen, Lonnie, who has been orphaned; his only surviving family member is his sister Lili. Lonnie expresses his hardships, hopes, observations, memories, and many other aspects of his life through different forms of poetry. As he states in one of his poems, writing poetry, especially free verse, comes naturally to him. I thought this collection of poetry told a sad, yet beautiful story. We see Lonnie growing throughout. In the beginning of the antho...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Q_joanneknowles rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: students learning poetry

Shelves: poetry-plays

Locomotion is the story of Lonnie Collins Motion, whose mother used to call him Locomotion. When he was seven, his life changed forever because his parents died. Now Lonnie is eleven and he's in a different foster home than his sister, and he struggles with his identity and what "home" means to him. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, shows him how to put his feelings on paper when he writes poetry. The book is a collection of poems written by Locomotion in various poetry styles. It would be an excellent b...more

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May 01, 2010 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary:
From School Library Journal
"Lonnie Collins Motion, the Locomotion of the title, is a New York City fifth grader with a gifted teacher who assigns her class to write different forms of poetry. The house fire that killed Lonnie's parents and the four years of trauma and slow healing that follow are gradually revealed through his writings. In a masterful use of voice, Woodson allows Lonnie's poems to tell a complex story of loss and grief and to create a gritty, urban environment. Despite t...more

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Apr 09, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book came to me very highly recommended, so I had some pretty big expectations. Fortunately, this book delivers in every way imaginable. The story is powerful and moving, the form of the novel is completely conducive to its overall feeling and mood, and the characters are relatable and most importantly, realistic.

A lot of novels, especially for children, water down “tough” issues like poverty, race, inequality, education, and death, but Woodson doesn’t go easy on her readers. The main char...more This book came to me very highly recommended, so I had some pretty big expectations. Fortunately, this book delivers in every way imaginable. The story is powerful and moving, the form of the novel is completely conducive to its overall feeling and mood, and the characters are relatable and most importantly, realistic.

A lot of novels, especially for children, water down “tough” issues like poverty, race, inequality, education, and death, but Woodson doesn’t go easy on her readers. The main character and narrator (or maybe poet in this case) is Lonnie Collins Motion (nicknamed Locomotion after his mom’s favorite song, “Do the Locomotion”) is a fifth grader who has already experienced more loss and pain in his short life than some of us are lucky to never experience in a lifetime. I don’t want to give away too much, but his parents have died in a tragic accident and he and his little sister Lili are left behind with no one to care for them. Lonnie ends up with one foster mother, Lili another because her foster mother doesn’t like boys. Lonnie is very intelligent and perceptive for his age, and he understands that single women know young black boys in New York City are prone to getting themselves in major trouble. Lonnie’s foster mother, Miss Edna, is not worried by Lonnie because she has already raised sons of her own and knows how to handle young boys.

Lonnie’s gifted mind truly gets to shine in Ms. Marcus’ English class through her assigned poetry exercises. Lonnie starts off a little slowly and has some trouble grasping the idea of poetry, but it soon becomes apparent that not only is he good at poetry, he has natural talent for the medium. Through assigned and unassigned poems, we get to see Lonnie’s thoughts and spirit and see how they change over time as he matures. We learn more about his past, his parents, and the love he still has for his sweet little sister. Lonnie is mature beyond his years, probably because he has to be mature in his situation, but he is still a young boy looking for a place to belong, which becomes clear through his interactions with Miss Edna’s son, Rodney.

Woodson is one of the most celebrated authors of recent memory, and I can see why just through this relatively short book. I love the free verse style and I love Lonnie’s story. He is so real that you just want to meet him and maybe even hang out with the young guy. I had to fight back tears while reading, but I think that even further proves just how powerful this book is. Another book that I cannot more strongly recommend to anyone.

Taken from my blog: libchickreads.wordpress.com
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About Jacqueline Woodson

I used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.

I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories a...more I used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.

I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.

I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.

That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.

Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.(less)

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