poetry Archives - Page 128 of 293

The Seventh Raven
by David Elliott (Author) and Rovina Cai (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: In this retelling of the Grimms’ lesser-known “The Seven Ravens,” after Robyn and his brothers are turned into ravens through the work of an unlucky curse, a sister is their only hope to become human again. Though she’s never met her brothers, April will stop at nothing to restore their humanity. But what about Robyn, who always felt a greater affinity to the air than to the earth-bound lives of his family?

Snippet:
And these are the sons
Of good Jack and good Jane
The eldest is Jack
And the next one is Jack
And the third one’s called Jack
And the fourth’s known as Jack
And the fifth says he’s Jack
And they call the sixth Jack
But the seventh’s not Jack
The seventh is Robyn
And this is his story

Hear the author talk about the book and read an excerpt.

A 2021 Cybils Poetry nominee

Unsettled
by Reem Faruqi (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah’s accent, floral-print kurtas, and tea-colored skin make her feel excluded, until she meets Stahr at swimming tryouts.

And in the water Nurah doesn’t want to blend in. She wants to win medals like her star athlete brother, Owais–who is going through struggles of his own in the U.S. Yet when sibling rivalry gets in the way, she makes a split-second decision of betrayal that changes their fates.

Ultimately Nurah slowly gains confidence in the form of strong swimming arms, and also gains the courage to stand up to bullies, fight for what she believes in, and find her place.

Snippet:
Science Class

Relief.
Because we have
assigned seats.
Relief.
Because there is
a math problem
on the board.
Relief.
Because math problems
are safe
and have only
one
answer.

A 2021 Cybils Poetry nominee