Between The Lines

Between The Lines by Nikki Grimes, 216 pages

“Darrian dreams of writing for the New York Times. To hone his skills and learn more about the power of words, he enrolls in Mr. Ward's class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Everyone in class has something important to say, and in sharing their poetry, they learn that they all face challenges and have a story to tell-whether it's about health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. As Darrian and his classmates get to know one another through poetry, they bond over the shared experiences and truth that emerge from their writing, despite their private struggles and outward differences.” This book almost makes me like poetry.  Grimes’s characters have some interesting things to say about poetry that I actually agree with.  I can’t say that I like the poems in this book better than others I’ve read, but I really enjoy the story and I may be able to better appreciate poetry in the future. This is a great book for teens who like realistic fiction, regardless of whether or not they like poetry.