What do you think?
Rate this book
Bronx Masquerade
When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, some of his classmates clamor to read their poems aloud too. Soon they're having weekly poetry sessions and, one by one, the eighteen students are opening up and taking on the risky challenge of self-revelation. There's Lupe Alvarin, desperate to have a baby so she will feel loved. Raynard Patterson, hiding a secret behind his silence. Porscha Johnson, needing an outlet for her anger after her mother OD's. Through the poetry they share and narratives in which they reveal their most intimate thoughts about themselves and one another, their words and lives show what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 31, 2001
378 people are currently reading
4373 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,121 reviews
February 12, 2017
Nikki Grimes is a poet and author who previously won the Coretta Scott King Award for her Jazmin's Notebook. In Bronx Masquerade, Grimes has created a tapestry of cultures taking place in a Harlem high school. As part of a Black History Month challenge, I have read this young adult novel about teenagers creating poetry as a a means of dealing with the challenges of everyday life.
Mr Ward, a hip eleventh grade English teacher, has inspired his students to share their poetry as part of their unit on the Harlem Renaissance. Over the course of the novel, we meet eighteen students from all walks of life who have found a safe space in Mr Ward's classroom. Most are African American but there are a few Puerto Rican, Italian, Jewish, and Caucasian students. Many believe that they have few friends apart from their immediate family members. All aspire to attend college and move beyond the teenage angst their face on a daily basis. The poetry they write and share in Mr Ward's class has allowed all the students to reflect on their lives and realize just who they are, and what dreams and aspirations they have.
The poetry Grimes has created for each student is raw and powerful. We meet Devon, a basketball player and honors student who desires to be known as more than a jock. Lupe at first wants to have a baby like her best friend Gloria and sister Christina but would like to be the first one in her family to go to college. Tanisha is the class beauty who designs her own clothes and strives to be recognized for more than her looks. Steve the lone Caucasian student would like a career in the theater and just wants to fit in during his school career. Finally, Wesley and Tyrone are the students who have the most to gain by the poetry slams and encourage both Mr Ward and their classmates to keep sharing their work.
A deserving winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Grimes' Bronx Masquerade is a poignant book that takes much effort to create eighteen distinct voices. While always searching for quality books for my children, Bronx Masquerade is such a book that shows teenagers in a positive light both in and out of the classroom. Portraying eighteen students who aspire to lofty goals, Nikki Grimes relates that everyone can attain their dreams if they work hard toward them. A beautiful collection of teenaged voices and poetry, Grimes' Bronx Masquerade is a solid 4 stars.
Mr Ward, a hip eleventh grade English teacher, has inspired his students to share their poetry as part of their unit on the Harlem Renaissance. Over the course of the novel, we meet eighteen students from all walks of life who have found a safe space in Mr Ward's classroom. Most are African American but there are a few Puerto Rican, Italian, Jewish, and Caucasian students. Many believe that they have few friends apart from their immediate family members. All aspire to attend college and move beyond the teenage angst their face on a daily basis. The poetry they write and share in Mr Ward's class has allowed all the students to reflect on their lives and realize just who they are, and what dreams and aspirations they have.
The poetry Grimes has created for each student is raw and powerful. We meet Devon, a basketball player and honors student who desires to be known as more than a jock. Lupe at first wants to have a baby like her best friend Gloria and sister Christina but would like to be the first one in her family to go to college. Tanisha is the class beauty who designs her own clothes and strives to be recognized for more than her looks. Steve the lone Caucasian student would like a career in the theater and just wants to fit in during his school career. Finally, Wesley and Tyrone are the students who have the most to gain by the poetry slams and encourage both Mr Ward and their classmates to keep sharing their work.
A deserving winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Grimes' Bronx Masquerade is a poignant book that takes much effort to create eighteen distinct voices. While always searching for quality books for my children, Bronx Masquerade is such a book that shows teenagers in a positive light both in and out of the classroom. Portraying eighteen students who aspire to lofty goals, Nikki Grimes relates that everyone can attain their dreams if they work hard toward them. A beautiful collection of teenaged voices and poetry, Grimes' Bronx Masquerade is a solid 4 stars.
April 15, 2018
I read some previous reviews and I think they're missing the point.
Yes, there are a dozen characters (or more), and the story spans an entire school year. But there isn't really a big plot, per se, so there's not a lot of need for the reader to keep the characters straight. They reference each other enough that you can figure out, if you're really curious, but I think the poems and vignettes are more to illustrate how high school students have so much bubbling below the surface that others - classmates, teachers, family members - don't see.
There is no big conflict in the novel, aside from perhaps the students seeing each other as individuals, but it's not so much developed along a typical plot line as just repeated with each new student voice. Tyrone's regular contributions to the book after each student's poem is an effective repetend, bringing us back to "home base" as he voices what the other students/characters probably were thinking after the highlighted poet performed his or her poem.
As a purely visceral reading experience - my figuring-out brain turned off - this is a 4.5 stars. Grimes's wordsmithing and honest portrayal of the teenagers' concerns and insecurities is so spot-on it's scary. Some of these characters could be kids sitting in my classroom, they're so familiar. As an adult reader, I understand why others don't like it, and I'd give it 3 stars. So let's average to 4.
Yes, there are a dozen characters (or more), and the story spans an entire school year. But there isn't really a big plot, per se, so there's not a lot of need for the reader to keep the characters straight. They reference each other enough that you can figure out, if you're really curious, but I think the poems and vignettes are more to illustrate how high school students have so much bubbling below the surface that others - classmates, teachers, family members - don't see.
There is no big conflict in the novel, aside from perhaps the students seeing each other as individuals, but it's not so much developed along a typical plot line as just repeated with each new student voice. Tyrone's regular contributions to the book after each student's poem is an effective repetend, bringing us back to "home base" as he voices what the other students/characters probably were thinking after the highlighted poet performed his or her poem.
As a purely visceral reading experience - my figuring-out brain turned off - this is a 4.5 stars. Grimes's wordsmithing and honest portrayal of the teenagers' concerns and insecurities is so spot-on it's scary. Some of these characters could be kids sitting in my classroom, they're so familiar. As an adult reader, I understand why others don't like it, and I'd give it 3 stars. So let's average to 4.
March 9, 2013
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.
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.
November 17, 2017
Nikki Grimes is one of my favorite writers and Bronx Masquerade is a delight. A group of teens in a Bronx (probably South Bronx from the sound of it) are studying the Harlem Renaissance in the English class when a student reads his own poem. Soon all the teens are writing and sharing poems about themselves, the struggles, their dreams.
Each chapter is a page or two about one teen, followed by the poem they write. What they discover that as different as they may be--body shape, skin color, jock or beauty queen or self-proclaimed misfit--they have more in common than not. In their poems, they allow themselves to be honest and vulnerable, even the toughest of them. Their feelings of being an outsider, the importance of their dreams, are all very similar.
Grimes creates a group of very different characters with identifiable voices. They may seem to be classic teen roles but Grimes manages to bring them all to life. I especially enjoyed the poems "they" wrote.
A quick but lovely read, filled with the energy of the teens it celebrates.
Each chapter is a page or two about one teen, followed by the poem they write. What they discover that as different as they may be--body shape, skin color, jock or beauty queen or self-proclaimed misfit--they have more in common than not. In their poems, they allow themselves to be honest and vulnerable, even the toughest of them. Their feelings of being an outsider, the importance of their dreams, are all very similar.
Grimes creates a group of very different characters with identifiable voices. They may seem to be classic teen roles but Grimes manages to bring them all to life. I especially enjoyed the poems "they" wrote.
A quick but lovely read, filled with the energy of the teens it celebrates.
July 28, 2023
I love Nikki Grimes and this one did NOT disappoint. It’s a cute book of short stories written as free verse poems. Highly recommend it’s a great story/message
December 2, 2010
This book is about young kids that live in the Bronx who are all in the same english class, and even though they all come from very different backrounds they all come together through the poetry they share with eachother. Before the poetry days, these were kids who never even talked to eachother and were very distant from one another. The kids who would usually have bad grades were acing english class because they were enjoying sharing thier pain through poetry. Basically these kids created a bond through something that was a pure accident, and started a tradition through thier school.
I really enjoyed this book, because I love poetry and how they would have a poem at the end of each chapter. Each poem helped me to understand each character a bit more, and to understand why they are the way they are. Also, the book shared what other characters thought about one another in the through out the book and and after hearing each poem every ones ideas about eachother changed. I really enjoyed this book, I wish it was longer so I could keep reading all of the beautiful poetry.
I really enjoyed this book, because I love poetry and how they would have a poem at the end of each chapter. Each poem helped me to understand each character a bit more, and to understand why they are the way they are. Also, the book shared what other characters thought about one another in the through out the book and and after hearing each poem every ones ideas about eachother changed. I really enjoyed this book, I wish it was longer so I could keep reading all of the beautiful poetry.
March 28, 2013
Some of the poetry was good, but everything else was just terrible. The whole scenario seemed incredibly unlikely, and there characters didn't really have a lot of depth.
And please, SHUT UP TYRONE. His comments annoyed me so much. They were written way too simple and he just restated the obvious. It didn't add anything, and just managed to get on my nerves.
And please, SHUT UP TYRONE. His comments annoyed me so much. They were written way too simple and he just restated the obvious. It didn't add anything, and just managed to get on my nerves.
September 23, 2017
Here's the formula:
1. A 2-5 page inner monologue by a character
2. A 1-2 page poem by the character
3. A one paragraph response by Tyrone
Here's how good it is:
1. The inner monologues vary from cringey to pretty good. Grimes does noticeably better on female characters than on male characters, and better on people of color than on whites. For example, here's Tyrone:
If you don't think that's forced and inauthentic, then maybe Walter Dean Myers can help you spot the difference.
2. The poems are easily the strongest part of the book. They communicate ideas clearly, use imagery concisely, and evoke emotions through first-person details.
3. Tyrone's reflections are hilariously bad. Tyrone Bittings is a special character. He's a thug with a heart of gold. He learns to overcome thuggishness with sensitivity every 10 pages. Like clockwork. No matter how many life lessons he gets, he is continually surprised that his classmates have feelings. Does he forget easily? Why does he have to relearn every ten pages?
In addition, Tyrone's responses add nothing whatsoever to the book. The reader has just seen an internal monologue and a poem from a character's perspective; no one needs Tyrone to explain it to them a third time. In fact, Tyrone's responses are invariably stupid, semi-caveman versions of what came before, so they feel patronizing. It's as if Nikki Grimes is worried that you missed her point the first two times. CRINGE!
1. A 2-5 page inner monologue by a character
2. A 1-2 page poem by the character
3. A one paragraph response by Tyrone
Here's how good it is:
1. The inner monologues vary from cringey to pretty good. Grimes does noticeably better on female characters than on male characters, and better on people of color than on whites. For example, here's Tyrone:
School ain't nothin' but a joke. My moms don't want to hear that, but if it weren't for Wesley and my other homeys, I wouldn't even be here, aiight? These white folk talking 'bout some future, telling me I need to be planning for some future-like I got one! (p. 7)
If you don't think that's forced and inauthentic, then maybe Walter Dean Myers can help you spot the difference.
Basketball is my thing. I can hoop. Case closed. I'm six four and I got the moves, the eye, and the heart. You can take my game to the bank and wait around for the interest. With me, it's not like playing a game, it's like the only time I'm being for real. (Slam! p. 1)
2. The poems are easily the strongest part of the book. They communicate ideas clearly, use imagery concisely, and evoke emotions through first-person details.
Bronx Masquerade
I woke up this morning
exhausted from hiding
the me of me
so I stand here confiding
there's more to Devon
than jump shot and rim.
I'm more than tall
and lengthy of limb.
I dare you to peep
behind these eyes,
discover the poet
in the tough-guy disguise.
Don't call me Jump Shot.
My name is Surprise.
3. Tyrone's reflections are hilariously bad. Tyrone Bittings is a special character. He's a thug with a heart of gold. He learns to overcome thuggishness with sensitivity every 10 pages. Like clockwork. No matter how many life lessons he gets, he is continually surprised that his classmates have feelings. Does he forget easily? Why does he have to relearn every ten pages?
In addition, Tyrone's responses add nothing whatsoever to the book. The reader has just seen an internal monologue and a poem from a character's perspective; no one needs Tyrone to explain it to them a third time. In fact, Tyrone's responses are invariably stupid, semi-caveman versions of what came before, so they feel patronizing. It's as if Nikki Grimes is worried that you missed her point the first two times. CRINGE!
June 10, 2013
"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 their peers express themselves, these students realize that they are not alone in their struggles, and learn about not only their peers but about themselves in the process.
The concept of the book really resonated with me as a prospective teacher. The idea of having students share their own work on a regular basis, becoming so invested and engaged by the process and experience, and then compiling all of the poems written by the students into an anthology for the students to keep is a very inspiring idea. However, the book itself did not resonate with me. I had a different time remembering each characters' story, which made the reading process rather choppy and lacking fluidity. The characters and their stories also just seemed too forced, like the author was trying too hard to create this "troubled urban youth finding themselves through expressive and creative means" type of story. I just wasn't able to become invested in the characters, perhaps because none of them were fully developed, as their dialogues were short. Overall, I think the poetry idea in Mr. Ward's classroom was very inspiring and provoked thoughts for my own prospective classroom, but the book itself did not particularly move me.
The concept of the book really resonated with me as a prospective teacher. The idea of having students share their own work on a regular basis, becoming so invested and engaged by the process and experience, and then compiling all of the poems written by the students into an anthology for the students to keep is a very inspiring idea. However, the book itself did not resonate with me. I had a different time remembering each characters' story, which made the reading process rather choppy and lacking fluidity. The characters and their stories also just seemed too forced, like the author was trying too hard to create this "troubled urban youth finding themselves through expressive and creative means" type of story. I just wasn't able to become invested in the characters, perhaps because none of them were fully developed, as their dialogues were short. Overall, I think the poetry idea in Mr. Ward's classroom was very inspiring and provoked thoughts for my own prospective classroom, but the book itself did not particularly move me.
April 25, 2017
I loved everything about this book; the characters were all so funny yet so sincere and I loved hearing their stories. I wonder if at my school, if we did poetry writing like this, what the result would be. In the book it brought everyone together, which we need in this tiny town of Cartersville. I think the main purpose of this book is to realize that understanding is the most powerful force of them all. When we understand each other, we thrive. When we don't understand each other, we divide. And there's proof to justify that.
Read for school.
5/5 stars for being a book that everyone should read and take to heart. Also it had amazing poems and wonderful writing!
Read for school.
5/5 stars for being a book that everyone should read and take to heart. Also it had amazing poems and wonderful writing!
January 27, 2018
I read this one in advance of Grimes' companion title BETWEEN THE LINES (Feb 2018) and am SO happy I did! It is a YA mix of accessible prose and fabulous verse that should be in every high school library if it isn't already. Themes of identity, family, race, and life in the Bronx are covered expertly.
The new cover is a must-buy - all libraries and classrooms should replace their copies ASAP.
The new cover is a must-buy - all libraries and classrooms should replace their copies ASAP.
July 20, 2016
I loved this book. Poems are not really my thing. But this book is amazing.
March 22, 2024
Agreed with my first review, with one new addition: the one problem I have with the classroom or "ensemble cast" format is that it always leaves you wanting more. You don't have enough time to get into the meat of each story, to find out what happens to each person, and while that can be the point, in this case, it was more frustrating to me.
First review
This book reminded me a lot of The Brimstone Journals, with the shifting narrative from kid to kid. It truly does take an incredibly talented author to have so many characters and still give them unique personalities that are memorable but not overblown, and connect them at that.
However, I have to say I liked this one a bit better than Brimstone, partly because it wasn't entirely poetry, which I find easier to follow. Although poetry can give a different kind of understanding - and the excerpts of poems between almost every entry certainly did - prose can allow the author to go more in depth, and I really enjoyed that aspect.
It was just really well done and I enjoyed it a lot.
First review
This book reminded me a lot of The Brimstone Journals, with the shifting narrative from kid to kid. It truly does take an incredibly talented author to have so many characters and still give them unique personalities that are memorable but not overblown, and connect them at that.
However, I have to say I liked this one a bit better than Brimstone, partly because it wasn't entirely poetry, which I find easier to follow. Although poetry can give a different kind of understanding - and the excerpts of poems between almost every entry certainly did - prose can allow the author to go more in depth, and I really enjoyed that aspect.
It was just really well done and I enjoyed it a lot.
October 12, 2018
Maybe it´s just me but I am not a huge fan of poetry... But overall, I thought it wasn´t bad!
February 2, 2025
Initial reaction: Really glad I picked this up again. 4 stars. Teens in the 1990s complete assignments relating to the Harlem Renaissance in a poetry slam that has them understanding each other a little more. This is a combo of prose and poetry that reads quickly, and despite the many characters, gives an eye into each of them that resonates. Some pieces show their age, but if you know the time it makes sense. I think teens today even could find common experiences with the characters here. TW for racial slurs, but the characters push back against them for the label.
Full review:
So "Bronx Masquerade" is a book by Nikki Grimes I haven't thought about in years. Considering my love for poetry, of course I remember my love for this one. I remember around the time it released, I was still a teen in high school and I read it from my local library, so I was exactly the right age to pick up this book when I did. How, would you ask, years after the fact did this book get back on my radar? South Carolina very recently tried to permanently ban it from their schools for "sexual content." I'm like..."Where on earth did you get any kind of sexual content from this book? Who lied to you? There's legit nothing in here having to do with that."
It has an updated cover now and has since been reprinted, but I picked up the audiobook to reread it for the first time in over 20 years. And while moments show its age - Shaq and Scottie Pippen references included, if you know the context of when it takes place, it holds up quite well. Very quick read. The story revolves around a group of teens in the same class who are given an assignment regarding the Harlem Renaissance and asked to do poetry readings/poetry slam sessions. I like that they actually mention famous writers of the Harlem Renaissance in text to give flowers to the figures of that age, and it's more than just the well known ones. Each of the teens have their own stories of various issues they're facing in their day to day lives, but as they hear from each other, they all begin to relate to each other better from the poems they share. The class is composed of mostly Black and Latinx (Hispanic as noted in text) kids, but there are white students who are also highlighted in text for their experiences as well. It's really a text that chronicles all of the things they're going through as they march up to the end of the year. Tyrone is the central voice in the collective book, who offers his feedback pieces after he observes each of his classmates participating in the slam.
I think teens today could read through this quickly and be able to relate to some of the things that the teens talk about with respect to their families, lives, wants and desires. Some might be a little awkward considering the context of the discussions, but there are other perspectives from peers' experiences offered that create discussions and food for thought between the teens on page. By the end of the novel, which is the end of the year where their poems come off the wall and Tyrone reflects, you feel the shift of how the students have grown from the experience.
I do give a trigger warning (this book is older, it doesn't have them) for uses of racial slurs, but they're pushed back against in text and talked about by those students who have been subjected to them. But I really liked coming back to this one, and the multi-cast audiobook narration is a solid presentation as well.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
Full review:
So "Bronx Masquerade" is a book by Nikki Grimes I haven't thought about in years. Considering my love for poetry, of course I remember my love for this one. I remember around the time it released, I was still a teen in high school and I read it from my local library, so I was exactly the right age to pick up this book when I did. How, would you ask, years after the fact did this book get back on my radar? South Carolina very recently tried to permanently ban it from their schools for "sexual content." I'm like..."Where on earth did you get any kind of sexual content from this book? Who lied to you? There's legit nothing in here having to do with that."
It has an updated cover now and has since been reprinted, but I picked up the audiobook to reread it for the first time in over 20 years. And while moments show its age - Shaq and Scottie Pippen references included, if you know the context of when it takes place, it holds up quite well. Very quick read. The story revolves around a group of teens in the same class who are given an assignment regarding the Harlem Renaissance and asked to do poetry readings/poetry slam sessions. I like that they actually mention famous writers of the Harlem Renaissance in text to give flowers to the figures of that age, and it's more than just the well known ones. Each of the teens have their own stories of various issues they're facing in their day to day lives, but as they hear from each other, they all begin to relate to each other better from the poems they share. The class is composed of mostly Black and Latinx (Hispanic as noted in text) kids, but there are white students who are also highlighted in text for their experiences as well. It's really a text that chronicles all of the things they're going through as they march up to the end of the year. Tyrone is the central voice in the collective book, who offers his feedback pieces after he observes each of his classmates participating in the slam.
I think teens today could read through this quickly and be able to relate to some of the things that the teens talk about with respect to their families, lives, wants and desires. Some might be a little awkward considering the context of the discussions, but there are other perspectives from peers' experiences offered that create discussions and food for thought between the teens on page. By the end of the novel, which is the end of the year where their poems come off the wall and Tyrone reflects, you feel the shift of how the students have grown from the experience.
I do give a trigger warning (this book is older, it doesn't have them) for uses of racial slurs, but they're pushed back against in text and talked about by those students who have been subjected to them. But I really liked coming back to this one, and the multi-cast audiobook narration is a solid presentation as well.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
March 18, 2025
Overall, this book was a very enjoyable and uplifting book about a school uniting through a series of poetry open mics in an English classroom. I enjoyed the way the book wove the poems of the students with the stories of their lives. I thought this was a compelling way to know more about the characters and what they were going through. However, I found that there were too many characters to keep track of, and towards the end, I got lost trying to remember who the characters were. This took away from some of their depth as I didn't feel that we go to know that characters as well as I would have liked to.
November 13, 2017
3.5, tirando a 4
Creo que no me habría gustado leerlo, porque hay muchísimos personajes y estamos muy poco tiempo con cada uno de ellos. Pero escuché el audiolibro con la intensión de consumir ficción mientras me ocupaba de mis cosas mundanas, y wow. Viene realmente bien escuchar una serie de historias, narradas por diferentes personas (y así los reconoces por su voz), mientras haces una cosa u otra. No pasa nada por pausarlo mil veces, las historias son pequeñas y bastante obvias en su intensión. Y escuchar poesía es algo completamente nuevo para mí, quizá me haga fan.
Creo que no me habría gustado leerlo, porque hay muchísimos personajes y estamos muy poco tiempo con cada uno de ellos. Pero escuché el audiolibro con la intensión de consumir ficción mientras me ocupaba de mis cosas mundanas, y wow. Viene realmente bien escuchar una serie de historias, narradas por diferentes personas (y así los reconoces por su voz), mientras haces una cosa u otra. No pasa nada por pausarlo mil veces, las historias son pequeñas y bastante obvias en su intensión. Y escuchar poesía es algo completamente nuevo para mí, quizá me haga fan.
October 26, 2017
I chose 4 stars because it was a book with everyone's different perspectives. I liked how Tyrone said what he thought about the people's poems and how he thought only what he thought true. it could have been better if each person got more than one chapter like Wesley. Most of the characters changed throughout the story and they found who they really are on the inside, and Tyrone said that them doing the Open Mike's and the poems brought them together in a way. Some of the characters stopped being so shy like Janelle and she was proud of herself near the end of the book. I think that the characters felt they were like a family and they were all friends....Even Steve.
December 19, 2017
I enjoyed reading Bronx Masquerade it was cool because I learned about new poets at the beginning and I learned you can express yourself in words and not actions.
September 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this book which I believe was realistic fiction. It was full of new experiences and lessons that the main character Tyron points out. One day Wesley Boone, a classmate of Tyrone Bittings, shares a poem with his high school class. This act drives other students in his English class to want to share poems they had written about themself and what they think of themselves. After a while, the teacher Mr. Ward decides to make this an annual thing. They call it Open Mike Fridays. More and more kids shared their poems about personal topics and started opening up to the class. Through the narratives and poems, each one of them shows Mr. Ward's class a lesson that everybody is very similar in many ways, but just because they are of a different race doesn't mean that person is someone that should be treated differently. For anyone looking for an interesting and engaging book, I would highly recommend this novel to you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
A really great YA read about the power of poetry to help teens grow, forgive, and accept themselves and others.
November 5, 2024
I liked this book and read it all in one sitting. sometimes it was hard to remember which character was who and what their story was. I thought it was unique how you learn about different experiences through poetry, and how each character interacted with each other. How the author tied in with all of them getting to know each other in a different way was interesting. I especially think it’s cool how into the students got into poetry and how it brought students from outside classes. I’m not sure how realistic that would be, but it was cool to read about.
October 26, 2017
I gave this book 3 stars because it is a really good book but i just think its a little confusing to read since its mainly about characters life.
Someone else should read this because after the characters chapter it has a poem that they write and if you enjoy poetry i would recommend this to you
They should put more chapters about the characters in this book to make it better because the characters only have about 1 chapter each.
Someone else should read this because after the characters chapter it has a poem that they write and if you enjoy poetry i would recommend this to you
They should put more chapters about the characters in this book to make it better because the characters only have about 1 chapter each.
February 23, 2018
While studying the Harlem Renaissance in English class, Mr. Ward begins holding Open Mike Fridays, allowing students to read their original poems to the class. Each of the students' stories and backgrounds are introduced and at first, the students think they have nothing in common. Some characters are Raul, an aspiring artist; Raynard, who struggles with dyslexia; Porsha, whose mother died of an overdose; Janelle, who teased about her weight; and Tyrone, a reluctant student who gets into poetry. Over the course of the year, the students realize they have more in common with each other than they thought and feel a better connection/understanding with each other.
June 8, 2017
First Line:
What Dazzled: This syncadudiobook 2017 had a full cast narrating the story. Great readers! This was pair with Teenage Diaries: Then and Now
What Fizzled: I didn’t enjoy Tyrone’s comments after each student shared their poem. He wasn’t rude or anything, which was actually surprising since most teenagers I know would have been pretty snarky. Instead Tyrone was really positive and showed empathy towards the students, but he was doing all the work for the reader. The other ‘fizzle’ were the poems. Nikki Grimes is an amazing writer and her poems are amazing, but I’ve taught English and the vast majority of students are nowhere near that level of writing. So I had a hard time believing these students were really that articulate and eloquent. But that’s just me.
Jots and Thoughts: A poem by me!
I ain’t particular about doing homework, you understand, p.3But a poetry slam? That’s a whole other thing. Bronx Masquerade opens the classroom door into the lives of 18 high school students. What started out as an essay assignment from Mr. Ward quickly turns into a weekly open mike session. Now the class of mostly black and hispanic kids are finding out there’s more to each other than all the superficial and stereotypical labels. Each chapter is from a different student’s perspective followed by their poem and then a brief commentary from Tyrone the main narrator.
What Dazzled: This syncadudiobook 2017 had a full cast narrating the story. Great readers! This was pair with Teenage Diaries: Then and Now
What Fizzled: I didn’t enjoy Tyrone’s comments after each student shared their poem. He wasn’t rude or anything, which was actually surprising since most teenagers I know would have been pretty snarky. Instead Tyrone was really positive and showed empathy towards the students, but he was doing all the work for the reader. The other ‘fizzle’ were the poems. Nikki Grimes is an amazing writer and her poems are amazing, but I’ve taught English and the vast majority of students are nowhere near that level of writing. So I had a hard time believing these students were really that articulate and eloquent. But that’s just me.
Jots and Thoughts: A poem by me!
If I Were to See Myself in High School
I bet I’d find myself in the high school cafeteria
eating doritos and drinking a Dr. Pepper over a paperback
because we weren’t allowed to have food or drinks in the library.
If I found myself in class I’d be towards the back
where the teacher wouldn’t see me
trying to get your attention
to figure out what we should do Friday night.
February 24, 2012
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 rhyming sounds. However the book had great imagery. When reading this book I could visualize exactly how the students felt and what they experienced. The book showed great insight on what the students were dealing with and the challenges they were facing. I felt like I was a part of the class when reading the story. The book was a positive stretch and taught children that if even if they have different backgrounds they can still learn to become friends. This book is appropriate for the occasion when teachers begin to have their students write poetry.
This book gave me a great insight as to what students in the Bronx are dealing with. It shows how students can relieve a lot of stress and can tell their life stories through poems. I liked how the author told their life story and showed how they used their life experience in their poetry. One thing that struck me the most is what these students have to deal with outside of the classroom. This book relates to me because in the summer I tutor high school kids that are mostly African American and they face some of the same problems as the students in the book. I would use this book in the classroom when I want to have students write poems about their life experiences. It can teach them how to open out through writing.
The book showed no rhyming sounds. However the book had great imagery. When reading this book I could visualize exactly how the students felt and what they experienced. The book showed great insight on what the students were dealing with and the challenges they were facing. I felt like I was a part of the class when reading the story. The book was a positive stretch and taught children that if even if they have different backgrounds they can still learn to become friends. This book is appropriate for the occasion when teachers begin to have their students write poetry.
This book gave me a great insight as to what students in the Bronx are dealing with. It shows how students can relieve a lot of stress and can tell their life stories through poems. I liked how the author told their life story and showed how they used their life experience in their poetry. One thing that struck me the most is what these students have to deal with outside of the classroom. This book relates to me because in the summer I tutor high school kids that are mostly African American and they face some of the same problems as the students in the book. I would use this book in the classroom when I want to have students write poems about their life experiences. It can teach them how to open out through writing.
April 4, 2009
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 VERY SERIOUS, BUT ONCE THEY ARE GIVEN THE AMMUNTION BY MR, WARD, THE BECOME FREE TO DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO BE AND ARE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES OPENLY WITHOUT JUDGEMENT.
THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN NYC IN A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. THE OPEN MIC CLASSES TAKE PLACE IN MR. WARDS ENGLISH CLASS EVERY FRIDAY. THE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED BY HIM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. EACH STUDENT IN HIS CLASS FACE THEIR OWN PERILS. THERE ARE MULTIPE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY . EACH OF THE STUDENTS ARE CHARASMATIC AND TALENTED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FROM WRITERS TO PAINTERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. EACH OF HIS STUDENTS HAVE A DREAM.
THIS BOOK IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT AGE OR SEX YOU ARE. THE BOOK COVERS LIFE STORIES THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO. THEIR ARE STORIES FROM THE PLAYER, THE BEAUTY QUEEN, THE ARTIST , THE TEEN MOTHER AND MANY MORE. EACH PERSOONALITY IS EXTREMELY UNIQUE BUT RELATABLE. THE BOOK IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE BECUASE THE CHARACTERS ARE PEOPPLE THAT WE COULD ALL IDENTIFY WITH AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER. I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE I KNOW, EVEN POEPLE THAT DISLIKE POETRY WOULD BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE BECAUSE OF THE MANNER IT IS WRITTEN IN
THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN NYC IN A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. THE OPEN MIC CLASSES TAKE PLACE IN MR. WARDS ENGLISH CLASS EVERY FRIDAY. THE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED BY HIM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. EACH STUDENT IN HIS CLASS FACE THEIR OWN PERILS. THERE ARE MULTIPE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY . EACH OF THE STUDENTS ARE CHARASMATIC AND TALENTED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FROM WRITERS TO PAINTERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. EACH OF HIS STUDENTS HAVE A DREAM.
THIS BOOK IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT AGE OR SEX YOU ARE. THE BOOK COVERS LIFE STORIES THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO. THEIR ARE STORIES FROM THE PLAYER, THE BEAUTY QUEEN, THE ARTIST , THE TEEN MOTHER AND MANY MORE. EACH PERSOONALITY IS EXTREMELY UNIQUE BUT RELATABLE. THE BOOK IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE BECUASE THE CHARACTERS ARE PEOPPLE THAT WE COULD ALL IDENTIFY WITH AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER. I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE I KNOW, EVEN POEPLE THAT DISLIKE POETRY WOULD BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE BECAUSE OF THE MANNER IT IS WRITTEN IN
June 26, 2009
This book is *awesome*!!! I was not expecting it to be anywhere near as good as it was. It's a story about a group of kids in a high school English class in the Bronx who start reading poetry to each other. The writing is a mix of the individual teens' stories (where you get to know them and the problems they are facing) as well as their poems, which are always somehow related to their identity struggles. One boy named Tyrone usually comments on the poems and that helps to create a flow in the writing that might not have been there it was just a series of somewhat unrelated stories and poems. Tyrone sort of serves as a narrator who links the characters together.
The writing style is amazing. The characters are so well developed even though there are so many of them. I love that Nikki Grimes really got down and dirty with identity issues and talked about everything -- race, color, ethnicity, size, family structure, relationships, I mean everything -- that might make teens insecure and uncertain about who they are. I love her overall positive message that tells teens not to give up even though they face a lot of obstacles. Beautiful, engaging, and definitely something I'd recommend to young adults.
The writing style is amazing. The characters are so well developed even though there are so many of them. I love that Nikki Grimes really got down and dirty with identity issues and talked about everything -- race, color, ethnicity, size, family structure, relationships, I mean everything -- that might make teens insecure and uncertain about who they are. I love her overall positive message that tells teens not to give up even though they face a lot of obstacles. Beautiful, engaging, and definitely something I'd recommend to young adults.
May 22, 2016
Bronx Masquerade sets out to teach kids that "poetry can be cool" and doesn't take the time to focus on anything else, like plot or character development or keeping the reader entertained. Grimes gives you a barrage of ridiculously underdeveloped characters dog-eared by one minor character flaw or minimalist back story. They all seem like outlines, or casings of characters that she meant to go back and fill in later. Even worse is Tyrone, our hype-man who follows each of the increasingly worse poems with a half-page statement saying "Wow! I didn't know that __________ had that problem in his/her life. Now I see him/her totally different," his entire personality and word-choice changing based on who's poem he just heard. Grimes gave us a half-assed accumulation of terrible poetry from one-dimensional characters who are easily interchangeable sue to their bland personalities and absence of character development. This was easily the worst book I've ever read. In no way is this hyperbole, this book was awful. If you are looking for a book to show students that poetry can be cool, look at one of the hundred other books that does it in a compelling way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,121 reviews