Lindsey's Library » sean qualls http://www.lindseyslibrary.com Lindsey's Library is here to delight young adult literature readers of all ages as well as act as a tool for parents that is easy to navigate with reviews that are quick and easy to read but contain all of the relevant information for prospective readers. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:37:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Becoming Billie Holiday http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/2009/08/becoming-billie-holiday/ http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/2009/08/becoming-billie-holiday/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:16:22 +0000 lindsey http://www.lindseyslibrary.com/?p=1160
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Becoming Billie Holiday
Carole Weatherford
Wordsong, 2008
Poetry
ISBN: 159078507X
117 pages

Synopsis

A series of fictionalized poems, chronicling the life of Billie Holiday from birth until 25, this text provides an interesting insight into the life and rhythm of one of the greatest jazz performers throughout history. The poems themselves are more like stories broken into poetic line than writing that follow the typical constraints of poetry. Each of the poems is titled after one of Holiday’s songs, bringing a depth into the story of the song, possibly where it came from. Also, the text is, in places, accompanied by beautiful artwork that enhances the experience. 

Critique

I feel like “experience” is a truly fitting adjective for this text. I would actually recommend it to children and adults alike, not only because of the richness in historical value, but also because the stories of Holiday’s life that are told through this medium create a rich experience for all readers. 

I believe, however, that Weatherford’s most phenomenal accomplishment with the text is that it communicates the story in a very similar way to the songs and jazz style of Billie Holiday—her signature style of singing just behind the beat, improvising in subtle but profound ways. All of that, although not represented in the same way, is brought to life throughout the text. I recommend this to all readers.

Rating Rubric

Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars
Poetic Originality: 4 out of 5 stars
Thought-Provoking: 5 out of 5 stars
Language: 4 out of 5 stars
Asthetics: 5 out of 5 stars
Depth In Narrative: 5 out of 5 stars
Poetic Voice: 5 out of 5 stars
Social Commentary: 5 out of 5 stars
Layers/Complexity: 5 out of 5 stars
Classroom Text: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

For the Classroom

This text is a gem for the classroom, not only because of its historical relevance, but because of its poetic style. This is the perfect example of modern poetry that doesn’t have the typical constraints. It would be good for children to grow up believing that poetry doesn’t have to rhyme or have meter in order to be considered poetry. It should be expression, flushed out through whichever medium or style fits the content the best.

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