From the Bookshelf of 2018 TCPL Reading Challenge! …

[close] Elizabeth Acevedo’s young adult novel-in-verse, The Poet X, takes us to contemporary Harlem and introduces us to Xiomara Batista, a Dominican teen who spends her time writing poems in her notebook, standing up for her twin brother, grappling between the confines of Catholic teachings, and struggling under the weight of her strict mother’s expectations. Through the guidance of her close friends, brother and teacher, Xiomara begins to feel comfortable sharing her poems through spoken word. As I read The Poet X and I found myself both glad that young women of color who aspire to be writers can see themselves in Xiomara. The Poet X is one of my favorite books this year.