Bronx Masquerade

Mar 09, 2013 Carrie rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Reluctant readers; pre-teens and teens

If I were rating "Bronx Masquerade" from my students' perspectives, they would give it 4 or 5 stars; they LOVED this book! Me... not so much. First of all, there were too many characters from too many different backgrounds with too little character development. I couldn't keep everyone straight because almost every chapter introduced a new character, but the chapters were only 2-3 pages long on average. 2-3 pages is nowhere NEAR enough to really flesh out a character enough that I will remember...more If I were rating "Bronx Masquerade" from my students' perspectives, they would give it 4 or 5 stars; they LOVED this book! Me... not so much. First of all, there were too many characters from too many different backgrounds with too little character development. I couldn't keep everyone straight because almost every chapter introduced a new character, but the chapters were only 2-3 pages long on average. 2-3 pages is nowhere NEAR enough to really flesh out a character enough that I will remember him/her. And care about them... not hardly. When I've only "lived" with a character for a couple pages, how am I supposed to feel a connection, feel concern or joy or happiness. Also, the plot, or complete lack thereof, left me feeling "blah" about the book. Each character introduced himself or herself in each chapter, and we got a glimpse at what life was like for that character, then the story moved on to a different character with a completely different story, different life, and different set of problems. There was no real plot to speak of. Throughout the book there were some central themes (and these themes really resonated with my students): everyone is different and different is beautiful; everyone being different really makes us all the same; black, white, or brown we all have similar basic fears, hopes, wants, and needs; etc. But the fact that the author felt the need to have her "narrator," Tyrone, TELL us these things point blank made the theme feel forced to me. Let me have my own realizations; let me come up with my own "truths." TELLING me what you want me to take from your book makes me think you were afraid you weren't doing a good enough job of making it clear through the rest of the story, so you felt the need to say it outright; and that turns me off.

So... did I like this book? No. Will I read it again? Only if I have to for another book club. Did my students like this book? Yes, yes, yes! Boys and girls alike responded very positively to this novel - to the poems and the characters. They identified with the characters in the book and the struggles they were having. And that's a big plus, in my eyes.(less)

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Feb 19, 2008 Rachel Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural-1

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Reference information:
Title: Bronx Masquerade
Author: Nikki Grimes
Publisher: Penguin Group Year:2002
# of pages: 167 Genre: Fiction
Reading level Interest level: 7th-9th Grade
Potential hot lava:
Abuse

General response/reaction: I had a hard time reading this novel because it doesn’t flow the way most of the books I read do. I found it difficult keeping the characters straight and remembering who was who as the book progressed. However, I did enjoy reading the poetry portion of the teen’s narration....more

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Jun 06, 2013 Kelly Trotter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wouldn’t it be more fitting to write poems for the Harlem Renaissance unit rather than essays? At least that’s what Wesley thinks. So he submits a poem instead and Mr. Ward likes it so much that he has Wesley read it in front of class. Neither of them could have ever imagined what would ensue. Now, everyone wants to share poems in front of the class. Now, they begin to breakdown stereotypes. Now, they see past the rumors and the physical appearance. Now, they become more than a class. Now, they...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Ashley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade is not your typical one-protagonist-overcoming-an-obstacle YA novel. It is a collection of chapters written in the first person that personally introduces each student in Mr. Ward’s English class in an inner city high school. The novel seeks to erase stereotypes and first glance snap judgments about teenagers as each teen shares a deep part of themselves through their own poetry during Open Mike Fridays. Tyrone, the student whose view we see the most, comments on the secrets eac...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Matthew rated it 2 of 5 stars

"Bronx Masquerade" is a book about a group of teenages attending high school in the Bronx. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different student, concluding with a poem that the student wrote. These students in Mr. Ward's English class are about of an evoluationary process in classroom structure; after one students asks to read a poem in front of the class, more students express interest in reading their poems. Eventually, Mr. Ward hosts weekly open mics in his classroom. Hearing thei...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nikki Grimes’s “Bronx Masquerade” tells the story about a group of New York City students studying the Harlem Renaissance in their high school English class of Mr. Ward. The novel is written in journal form by a group of teens (Wesley, Porscha, Diondra, Lupe, and a few more) and is mainly lead-narrated by Tyrone. All of these students are of a difference race – and all have different interests such as athletics, art, and religion. Some of the male students worry that they might not “survive” to...more Nikki Grimes’s “Bronx Masquerade” tells the story about a group of New York City students studying the Harlem Renaissance in their high school English class of Mr. Ward. The novel is written in journal form by a group of teens (Wesley, Porscha, Diondra, Lupe, and a few more) and is mainly lead-narrated by Tyrone. All of these students are of a difference race – and all have different interests such as athletics, art, and religion. Some of the male students worry that they might not “survive” to make it to adulthood and see school as pointless, while a couple female students battle with their physical identity/attractiveness and desire to either go to college or start a family at a young age. At first, the students are hesitant about sharing their poetry with each other, but they eventually become excited when they go to open mike nights to read the poetry. Most of the narrators have misperceived notions about each other (primarily because of their skin color), especially Tyrone, but through reading and listening to the poetry, they learn they all have more in common than originally thought. My favorite part of the book is when one girl threatens to physically attack another girl, but they find common ground when they discover that both of their mothers have passed away. I also like the character of Devon, an athlete who is proud of his ball skills but isn’t afraid to carry around a Baraka book and other anthologies of writing and poetry.
At first, I was a little hesitant to read a book narrated by so many narrators, but once I got into the story and began reading about the race conflicts, I quickly became interested getting to the end of the story. The book was a quick read. I found the story similar to “The Freedom Writers Diary.” Grimes’s story is inspiring and has probably influenced many school teachers to incorporate poetry writing/slam sessions in their classrooms. I’m happy the book shown was an urban school is like without showing the stereotypical incidences (gang fights, shootings, students dropping out, swearing). I would have liked to have known more about what happens to the narrators. I would have also liked to have seen an entry written by Mr. Ward himself. I suppose he serves not exactly as a stock character – but a supporting character. The story is more about his students than him, I suppose.
I can see myself teaching this book as a whole class novel. I think the book could be taught in a rural school setting to help educated students about racial differences (and similarities), or in the urban school to show students that their skin color won’t limit them if they are passionate about their dreams. I think it would be fun to ask students to write and share their own poetry while reading “Bronx Masquerade.” This is one idea and book I will have to remember in the next couple of years.
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Jun 05, 2013 Judy Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Bronx Masquerade," by Nikki Grimes, according to the author herself, began as a book of poems. In the introduction, also written by Grimes, she shares that after writing the poems and monologues she sat the manuscript aside. Several months later she was inspired with the idea to weave the poems together by placing the high school characters that the poems were about all together in the Bronx at her alma mater: William H. Taft High School. Grimes tells the intimate thoughts of eighteen high sch...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Deepa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is the voice of eighteen students in Mr. Ward’s English class. Through the perfectly juxtaposed reflective narratives and poems by these students, the book reveals how this high school English class functioned. The young people from various ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds are brought together by expressing themselves through writing and reading out poems about their life/problems/opinions/thoughts/concerns. They talk and write about identity, belonging...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Steven Purgar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade is a book that is structured into the form of a poetry slam or open mike type structure. The book takes eighteen teens from an urban school and brings readers into their lives through the poems that they write for their class’s weekly poetry reading. This all started when a student wanted to read his poem for his class and when other students reacted to wanting to do the same thing their teacher embraced it. The book shows the development of the teens and gives readers an in de...more Bronx Masquerade is a book that is structured into the form of a poetry slam or open mike type structure. The book takes eighteen teens from an urban school and brings readers into their lives through the poems that they write for their class’s weekly poetry reading. This all started when a student wanted to read his poem for his class and when other students reacted to wanting to do the same thing their teacher embraced it. The book shows the development of the teens and gives readers an in depth look at what inner city students really feel like deep inside.
Bronx Masquerade is unlike any book I have ever read. It is structured with each chapter being written by one of the eighteen students that were introduced in the novel. This tended to be a bit confusing for me. I would tend to forget which characters were which and would continuously have to flip back from chapter to chapter to know which characters were being talked about. I felt that I was not able to connect with any of the characters because there were so many and they were all changing constantly. I have never read a book where there was almost no character development and I feel that this book was like this because there were so many characters that would have to be developed. I did however; love the insight that the book gave the reader about the teen students. It was amazing to see how students appreciate things about their classes and education but do not show it on the outside because they are embarrassed or because they think that it is un- cool. As a future teacher this book really helped me connect with the fact that teachers cannot just assume that the students do not care about school or their education just because of what they show on the outside. The book showed that it is not just teenagers’ attitudes that affect their schooling but situations that are occurring in their home life as well. Overall I felt that this was a very good book and a very easy read. It was amazing to see the true emotions of true inner city students.
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Jun 04, 2013 Schalla Benedict rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes takes place in the Bronx, where Mr. Ward is teaching his high school English class about the Harlem Renaissance. In doing so, he introduces poetry and has his students share their own through “Open Mike Friday.” The book includes multiple journal entries from Mr. Ward’s students, along with their selected poetry that they read aloud on Fridays. This poetry focuses as a way out for students to overcome their adversities, whether it be their race, skin color, hair...more Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes takes place in the Bronx, where Mr. Ward is teaching his high school English class about the Harlem Renaissance. In doing so, he introduces poetry and has his students share their own through “Open Mike Friday.” The book includes multiple journal entries from Mr. Ward’s students, along with their selected poetry that they read aloud on Fridays. This poetry focuses as a way out for students to overcome their adversities, whether it be their race, skin color, hair color, or even their name. Poetry offers them a chance to express themselves in a way that feels comfortable and natural to these students. Open Mike Fridays becomes something that each student eventually looks forward to. We see as each individual grow throughout the book, becoming even more comfortable in his or her own skin and in the environment of which they live. In the end, Mr. Ward even hosts an assembly for his students to read their poetry in front of the whole school.

This book was very quick for me to get through. I think a sixth grader could easily pick up this book and get through it in just a few hours, with possibly a few struggles on the poetic end, but still, a very fast read. Going into this book, I was very skeptical and not at all excited to say the least. I had heard from many people that the book was horrible and that it didn’t challenge them in any way. I, however, have mixed feelings about it. I liked the poetry aspect of the book. I thought the students did a great job writing their own poetry and I commend the teacher for allowing them to express themselves in that way. I noticed that the poetry was even complex and very intelligent in most ways (I struggle writing poetry myself so I tend to praise anyone who attempts it). I didn’t like the book because I tend to like books that get super intense! I’m noticing that more and more as I grow through this class. I want something huge to happen and then I want to read about the consequences. Although this book could be seen as intense for some, I didn’t really connect.

I would recommend this book to students and also to teachers or even parents living in inner-city schools. I think such people would be more invested in the read and knowing that it is such a short, easy text, they would probably be more open to reading it. I think it would also be good to read in a class where poetry is being introduced. Students in any classroom can learn how to write their own poetry along with the students from Mr. Ward’s classroom. I think it would be a good “short story” to teach along with some kind of poetry unit. I wonder if there are even videos that go along with this text…I bet there are! Off to YouTube to check it out.
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Apr 11, 2013 Dag Dawit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-reading

The book that i have been reading is Bronx Masquerade. This is a really great book, and has won a coretta scott king award. Bronx Masquerade is about a kid named Tyrone bittings who is the main character, and his classmates. They are learning about the renaissance in english class, and are haveing open mike poetry. I would recommend this book to a friend, because it is passionate,motavating,and teach's high school students how to collabarate with each other. I recommend this book to every teenag...more The book that i have been reading is Bronx Masquerade. This is a really great book, and has won a coretta scott king award. Bronx Masquerade is about a kid named Tyrone bittings who is the main character, and his classmates. They are learning about the renaissance in english class, and are haveing open mike poetry. I would recommend this book to a friend, because it is passionate,motavating,and teach's high school students how to collabarate with each other. I recommend this book to every teenager.
Bronx Masquerade is Passionate, because it takes you in the life of every student in Mr. Wards english class " cant hop on the subeway without thinking of tokyo". You learn a lot through the poems of each student some good some bad. Tyrone Bittings was mostly absent to school"school aint nothing but a joke", but he was really into open mic, because his dream was to be a rapper. You learn things that even the classmates didnt now about eachother. This book is a must read from ups and downs to break ups, and make ups.
Bronx Masquerade is also a very motavating story. Tyrone went from being a wreckless guy that dosent care about school to being on top of his game. Seing Tyrone's changes is really motavating " all of a sudden i realized that poetry is like rap". This book will motivate you to work hard, and put in your best effort. It emphasizes the idea that if you work hard the sky is the limit. Raul who everybody thought didnt speak that much english had one of the best poems "Cape swinging in the breeze teeth showing as expected".
The main idea of this book though is to teach students to collabrate with each other. Tyrone judged all his classmates by thier appearance. After they started doing open mike he realized that he has been misjudgeing all of his classmates " wow i didnt now devon could hoop like that". After listening to each others poems the group became a family, and connected. This book teaches young people that you have to take people one at a time, and see whats in thier mind, and heart before you judge them. Tyrone, and his classmates now care more about each other "I feel like were not as different as i thought" says Tyrone at the last open mike. This book shows that collabarating with other students is an excellent way to learn about each other.
If you are in grades 7-12 you must read this book. It teaches you confidence, and to stand up for who you are. Bronx Masquerade also teaches you to put your talent into use, and dont be afraid. Teenagers will love this book, because it is a story that we all can relate to. There is no drhama or action, but the storytelling, and awesome poems are what makes it interesting. I suggest that you go read this book now you wont be disapointed.

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Mar 18, 2013 Zach rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book a lot. I was very foreign to the inverse style of writing that's presented in the story, but caught on very quickly. It was a very easy, quick read that comprised of a lot of meaning. I love how Grimes expressed characters emotions, showed the effect of open mic Fridays, and presented modern day teenage problems in the book.

Each chapter in the book is focused on a specific characters point of view giving the author a lot of freedom to really show each characters feelings tho...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Amanda Shepard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mr. Ward started something called Open Mike Fridays in his English class one day after one student decided to read a poem he had written in response to one of their assignments. The rest of the class takes this in stride, and each week students read their own poetry in front of the class, poems that pertain to their lives and the various issues that each of them are dealing with. Throughout the school year, the students learn a lot more about each other, and realize that they are all more alike...more Mr. Ward started something called Open Mike Fridays in his English class one day after one student decided to read a poem he had written in response to one of their assignments. The rest of the class takes this in stride, and each week students read their own poetry in front of the class, poems that pertain to their lives and the various issues that each of them are dealing with. Throughout the school year, the students learn a lot more about each other, and realize that they are all more alike than they thought. Each poem gives voice to each of the "stereotypes" in their school: the jock, the teenage mom, the tough rapper, the beauty queen, the artist, etc. In the end, they realize that even though they all come from different backgrounds and deal with different things, they are all more similar than they first realized.

I started this book without really knowing what it was about, I just knew that it somehow dealt with multicultural issues. I found that I liked the way the book was formatted, with the narrative of the student, and then the poem depicting whatever issue they were dealing with at the time. Anyone reading this book could probably find a character that has similar problems to them, and it sometimes helps to know that other people deal with the same things that you do, as the characters learn in the book. I think this book also helps to make poetry cool, as seen through the way the students react when their teacher allows them to create this poetry and read it to the class once a week. They enjoy creating something of their own and being able to show others that they don't necessarily fit the image that was thrust upon them by the rest of the school. Bronx Masquerade definitely shows a melting pot in this high school, and shows that no matter what your skin color, you can get along with everyone else.

For a classroom setting, I think this book would be really good to use in some kind of poetry unit, or multicultural unit, or perhaps the blending of both. The poetry of the students in the book might inspire some of your own students to want to create their own poetry, which is something not a lot of students actually get excited about. Bronx Masquerade could definitely be an excellent tool in almost any classroom setting. (less)

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Mar 13, 2013 Kellie Bingham rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read the book Bronx Masquerade for this unit and I was not happy with the book. I wish I could have read a different book that I could relate to better. I wasn't at school the day that we chose the books so I didn't really have a choice.

One thing I didn't like about this book was how many different characters there were. I never got the chance to get to know any of them because there were so many! When one would start talking, I would have to think really hard about which sotry was theirs. I c...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Savanna Ely rated it 2 of 5 stars

The book I chose to read for this In-verse unit was Bronx Masquerade. I never really found a big interest in the book. I think I would have liked it more if I learned more about the characters. I never felt a good connection to the book, like I usually do with other books. I did like how the whole book wasn’t just a huge bunch of poems. I didn’t like how Tyrone was kind of the only main character. The third thing I liked was how the poems were set up, I understood them pretty well.

I hate books...more

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Mar 13, 2013 No knees rated it 3 of 5 stars

So I read the Bronx Masquerade. This book wasnt aas bad as I thought it would be. Usally when I have to read poetry I get really not into the book and feel liked I have to read the book. This book was different though, it had some really good poems and some very believeable characters. What made this book so good were the poems, real world problems and the amount of different characters in the book.

Some of the poems in the book really had some good messages. It was so cool that the characters i...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Joey Bowen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nikki Grimes puts together a fantastic piece of literature with this novel, which contains characters from a mostly African American school in New York City. For an idea of the exact ratio, a medium sized high school class (which this story mainly takes place in) contains only four white people, five if you count the teacher. There are probably close to twenty characters throughout this whole, rather short, book. The main character is a boy named Tyrone. However, whenever the book focuses on ano...more Nikki Grimes puts together a fantastic piece of literature with this novel, which contains characters from a mostly African American school in New York City. For an idea of the exact ratio, a medium sized high school class (which this story mainly takes place in) contains only four white people, five if you count the teacher. There are probably close to twenty characters throughout this whole, rather short, book. The main character is a boy named Tyrone. However, whenever the book focuses on another character, the story is temporarily told from their perspective.

The story starts when Mr. Ward, a high school English teacher, puts together something he calls “Open Mike Friday”. Open Mike Friday occurs once a month, and it allows for any student of the class to share a poem that they wrote. The day becomes so popular though, that Mr. Ward makes it once a week. Every student of the class has personal struggles that they are forced to cope with, and some want to get things off their chest and tell the class how they feel. The struggles range from a large variety. Whether it be verbally abusive parents, a student who’s older sister’s boyfriend is physically abusive to the older sister, having to raise their baby and go to high school at the same time, being extremely self conscious about ones weight, not fitting in, having a thick Spanish accent which causes people to not want to be friends with them, the list goes on. Open mike Fridays give the students a chance to express how they truly feel about their problems and gives them an opportunity to address any possible stereotypes they might have tacked on to them. The students realize they are more similar to one another than they thought they were. They realize that they can be friends, regardless of which clique or race they belong too. After someone shares a poem of theirs, it receives mental commentary by Tyrone. I won’t say anything about the ending except for the fact that it gave me goose bumps.

If you like books about poetry, or books that focus around black culture, or a combination of both, this is the book for you. Or, if you feel that you have a problem in life that no one else experiences, this book may just prove you wrong. Grimes elucidates the vast variety of struggles experienced by the common teenager of this generation, while at the same time portraying a story in which teenagers with these problems grow closer to one another, and find similarities that bind them to friendship. The only problem I have with this book is the repetitiveness of the beginning. The cycle it follows is: student explaining themselves to the reader, same student performing a poem to the class, mental criticism by Tyrone, then repeat with a different student. As the book goes on, however, the students start to have more interaction with each other, and although it follows this cycle nearly all the way through, it seems to get more and more different with each reader. In other words, if it seems boring for the first few characters introduced (I would say chapters but I cannot as there are no chapters), stick it out until, say, a third of the way through the book and if you don’t like it by then, then this is not the novel for you.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Arabella Adrienne rated it 1 of 5 stars

RACIST.

Ok, if I wrote a book about this but with the races reversed, where a bunch of white people were talking crap about black people (and white was always White, with a capital letter), it would be massacred under press and the publishers would probably have to take it back because it was offensive. And I agree - that would be offesive. VERY offensive. And see, that is exactly what this book is. Offensive to whites. As if because white people (in the book, that is) actually had DREAMS, they w...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Evette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Genre: Poetry
Title: Bronx Masquerade
Summary: Bronx Masquerade is a novel centered on inner-city, early 90’s children, each with his own personal problems. The focus of the novel is to show the lives of these children through the poetry that they write, which the author weaves into the text as material to identify each new character.
a) Area for comment: Style
Critique:
b) The strength of this novel is through the author’s creative style of making short vignettes intertwine with one another to cre...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Pamela Dees rated it 2 of 5 stars

I finished reading Bronx Masquerade By: Nikki Grimes. I did not like this book at all. I tried to get into the book but I could not get into the book at all. There were many characters in this book like in Keesha’s House. The characters were not interesting at all and have little problems. I’m not sure what grade they were in but it felt like they were in middle school.

The main character was Tyrone and he was a regular boy who doesn’t cares for school and likes to write poems. But to be this so...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Idris Reed rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well this week my group and I read "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes. From the start this book was interesting. It wasnt mind blowing but it was a good read. Alot of the characters in this book had a major self struggle which interested me the most. It wasn't a drama filled book really but to think about their problems got you thinking. It had me thinking about how thier view of life and issues were set by their surroundings and not thier teachings.Like Tyrone for instance he believed there was...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, contemporary, poetry-verse, ya-fiction, corretta-scott-king

Why I picked it up: It was the August book for my library book group. It’s also on a lot of lists of YA books and I had never read it.

At a high school in the Bronx, English teacher Mr. Ward taught a unit on the Harlem Renaissance. At the end of the unit, one student wrote a poem which he then read out loud. The response from classmates was so strong that Mr. Ward starts doing Open Mikes on Fridays, where students can read their poems out loud. The book is told from the point of view of multiple...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Maria Nesmith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

I enjoyed reading the book Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. This book was about Mr. Ward's high school English classroom in the Bronx New York. Mr. Ward is teaching Harlem poetry when all of the students begin to want to share their poetry to the class. Mr. Ward then begins to hold “Open Mike” on Fridays for the students to share their poetry from that week. The book shows how the students relieve all their feelings and learn to become a family minus their backgrounds.

The book showed no rhymin...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Hattie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
"Bronx Masquerade" is one of my favorite YA books. This is because I had the chance to feel what teens are truly feeling. Often, teens hide their emotions for fear of being laughed at by peers, being disciplined by parents or just because there not sure they aren't the first person in the whole wide world who has felt the same way or wanted to act the same way. "Bronx Masquerade" is about students in a New York school have a very creative teacher. This book is mos...more

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Feb 24, 2010 GenreGroup marked it as to-read

Shelves: realistic-fiction, realistic-fiction-school-stories

This book has been added based on the professional reviews. It is a books that focuses on the life and relationships of individual students. This book has been added to the list because it is a much-needed multicultural addition to the list. Additionally, it is geared for the more mature tween.

The following is a review from SLJ:

Gr 8 Up-A flowing, rhythmic portrait of the diversity and individuality of teen characters in a classroom in Anywhere, U.S.A. Each teen's story is told by combining his...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Stacey Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s all about a high school English class. There are the students –Black, White, girls, boys, wistful, bold, and real. There’s the teacher, Mr. Ward. There’s the Bronx - described best by the students, sometimes optimistically: “Where else do cabbies and garbagemen, bankers and businessmen all walk with a beat” and sometimes with grit: “I be lucky if I make it to twenty-one with all these fools running round with AK-47s.”

And then there’s the poetry. Written by the students for Mr. Ward’s Open M...more It’s all about a high school English class. There are the students –Black, White, girls, boys, wistful, bold, and real. There’s the teacher, Mr. Ward. There’s the Bronx - described best by the students, sometimes optimistically: “Where else do cabbies and garbagemen, bankers and businessmen all walk with a beat” and sometimes with grit: “I be lucky if I make it to twenty-one with all these fools running round with AK-47s.”

And then there’s the poetry. Written by the students for Mr. Ward’s Open Mike Fridays, these heartfelt verses fuse all of their lives into one plot. Sure, it’s a plot we’ve all heard before: people misjudge each other, people see the truth, people grow to understand and appreciate everyone else. But it’s a wonderful plot and one that can unfold in so many wonderful ways. And I love Nikki Grimes’ way – with each character taking turns with his/her own narrative followed by an original poem.

I’ll admit that I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters for the first 30 pages or so. Providing some coherency, however, is the voice of Tyrone, the outspoken and somewhat cocky kid who figures that if the streets don’t kill him first, he’ll be a rapper someday. Tyrone’s voice at the end of each new narrative reassures us that the newfound appreciation among the students is indeed underway.

I wish I could’ve written poetry like this in high school – described a sunset as “dripping mango light” or written a verse like this:

You laugh,
rap my woody shell
with wicked whispers shaped
like knuckles,
then toss me aside.

I wish I could’ve written a story and poems in so many distinct, believable teen voices. I wish I could’ve created interesting, imperfect characters who genuinely care about the media’s cynical view of teenagers and who are determined to “be the ones who write the news./Starting now, we can create ourselves a whole new crew.”

Well, so maybe those wishes aren’t mine to come true. But you know what else I wish? For a book that makes me gasp out loud because words are just so beautiful. A book that renews my love of freestyle and spoken word poetry. A book with succinct phrases like “I love my moms” that make me cry. I wish for a book I love so much that the first time I finish it, I turn right back to the first page to start reading it again.

Wish granted. Thank you, Nikki Grimes.(less)

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Nov 13, 2009 BiqqdaddiiexD rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about varies of students.There's a kid name Tryon Bittings and he like a hood kid.So the teacher made him read a poem.Every one thought that all he was going to talk about was guns ,sex,girls, etc.So when he does his poem it came out to be a clean poem.It wasn't what every one expected it to be.Mostly everyone in the class was surprise.The teacher liked tryon poem so much he made he made a open mike Friday.Then students realized if he could express himself by peoms and show the real...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-2010-school-year, fic

Flitting between characters, Bronx Masquerade, tells the story of eighteen sophomore's at a large, diverse school in New York City. It's a bit stereotypical, but it hits a nerve. Behind all the racial issues we have amongst ourselves for whatever reasons we may, we're all struggling to grasp on to anything we can. We all want an identity and a niche, some place to carve out for ourselves where we belong. Struggling with all sorts of problems (from abuse, children, "fitting in") they find an outl...more

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Apr 03, 2009 Adriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

BRONX MASQUERADE BY NIKKI GRIMES IS AN AMAZING BOOK. IT IS INSPIRING AND IT SHOWS GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF URBAN TEENS. EACH TEEN HAS THEIR OWN LIFE STORY, DIFFERENT FROM THE NEXT. THE BOOK IS FULL OF POETRY AND SHOWS THE EVERY DAY STRUGGLES PRESENT WITHIN TEENS LIVES. POETRY FROM TEEN MOTHERS TO ASPIRING ARTISTS AND STARS. EACH TEEN HAS A DIFFERENT DREAM AND GOAL IN LIFE AND EACH TEEN IS FULLY CAPABLE OF REACHING FOR THE STARS. THE TEENS LIVE IN AN URBAN AREA WHERE THEY ARE NOT TAKEN VER...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Holly Kregel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is a set of journal entries and poetry from 18 kids in Mr. Wards' english class. Readers get insight into what is important to each of the characters: their friends, their torn up families, their hopes, and their fears. There are jocks, artists, teen parents, and many others. Following each entry is a poem written for and shared at the Open Mic Fridays by the character in the journal entry. As the characters learn about who their classmates really are, they lea...more Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is a set of journal entries and poetry from 18 kids in Mr. Wards' english class. Readers get insight into what is important to each of the characters: their friends, their torn up families, their hopes, and their fears. There are jocks, artists, teen parents, and many others. Following each entry is a poem written for and shared at the Open Mic Fridays by the character in the journal entry. As the characters learn about who their classmates really are, they learn how to forage friendships with people of different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, family styles, etc. Some characters such as Gloria are fleeting, others like Tyrone, come up regularly. They all learn a few common things; they begin to realize that everyone is struggling with who they are and who they want to become and everyone thinks they are alone in the struggle.

It took me awhile to get into the book, and I didn't know if I liked it until the very end. In the beginning, the reader is thrown a lot of characters to juggle at once, as well as every other character's interpretations of each character. I needed a map to undertake the beginning, but as the characters continued to develop, it got easier. In the end, it really did touch me. I found myself emotionally drawn to the action, specifically the character Tyrone. It wasn't an easy read, for me, because poetry is not my thing. The thing that drew me in the most was the personality in the writing style. The characters were so realistic, their poetry seemed real to me. While written by one author, each character had a daringly strong, unique voice. I can't think of anything this book reminds me of. It's pretty different.

I would leave this in a classroom for kids 7th grade or older, but I probably wouldn't use it as a class-read. I'd recommend this book children who like poetry or who might relate to the characters search for meaning and identity in high school. As a multicultural text, it could be relatable for anyone who struggles with racial identity. (less)

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Bronx Masquerade

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