Words with wings

By Nikki Grimes

Subjects: Novels in verse, Word games, Stories in rhyme, Families, Moving, Imagination, 1000blackgirlbooks, Girls, Fiction, Writing, American poetry, Creative activities and seat work, Juvenile fiction, Poetry, Family life

Description: Gabby daydreams to tune out her parents' arguments, but when her parents divorce and she begins a new school, daydreaming gets her into trouble. Her mother scolds her for it, her teacher keeps telling her to pay attention, and the other kids tease her...until she finds a friend who also daydreams and her teacher decides to work a daydreaming-writing session into every school day. With a notebook "thick with daydreams," Gabby grows more confident about herself and her future. This verse novel poignantly celebrates the power of writing and the inspiration a good teacher can deliver.