Alexander, Kwame. Booked. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.
This novel-in-verse is about Nickolas
Hall, an eighth-grader who would rather do anything else than pay attention in
class. He loves thinking about soccer and this girl he really likes named April.
He has a best friend named Coby that share the same interests and bullies as
well. His father is a writer that keeps on eye on his education, requiring
reading more and memorizing words from a dictionary he has created. His mother
loves horses and accepted a job out of state. His parent’s relationship is not
going too well since they both dedicated too much time to their professions. He senses something wrong is happening, but when they
announce they are separating it is definitely a shocker. In result, Nick
allows his home life to get in the way of his performance in the classroom and
the soccer field. Throughout all this, Nick develops a friendship
with Mr. MacDonald, the school librarian and a former rap producer who
encourages the unenthusiastic Nick to read. Many changes are happening and
on top of everything he develops a perforated appendix that leads to emergency
surgery. His mom comes back to live with them, however they later announce they
are getting a divorce. With the support of Mr. Macdonald, Coby, and April, Nick
is able to become physically and mentally stronger.
This
poetic novel is definitely something very different to read. It tells you a
story but in poetic form, which I’m sure many students are interested in
reading. I like how soccer was incorporated for those sport lovers. Divorce and bullying were also included to
show how it is and how it can be handled. You can see that Nick goes through a
lot but the support of his friends and librarian really make a difference.
Book trailer:
About the author:
Other books by the author.
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