Book Review: Words with Wings, by Nikki Grimes

Why I Picked It Up: 

Honestly, I had to find out novel in verse that would be appropriate for grades 3-5 for our up coming High Tech Literature Circles session.  I am one of those people who typically freeze up and become a little panicky, so I wasn’t having much luck.  However, many of the ELA/R blog posts that I follow had been suggesting this read for quite some time.  A little reluctantly, I picked up this book to begin reading.

Why I Finished It:

It was impossible not to!  I didn’t sit down with the intention of finishing the book, but just to begin reading.  Within forty minutes, I had finished this book.  However, for another hour I remained glued in my spot staring at the novel.  As a teacher, I remained fixated on how important it is to allow students grow in their strengths and honor who they are as people, to help students reign in their creativity with words and drawings.  As a parent, I thought of my own children and my own life growing up: remembering how difficult situations are for the young (okay, and the older), but how confusing life is, trying to understand your parents, teachers, and friends, trying to fit in and be accepted, meanwhile figuring out who you are and what you believe.  So, Grimes’ book of daydreaming left me in my own daydream, definitely impressed with her powerful poetry.

Who I Would Give It To:

Elementary and middle school teachers for sure.  I already told Sherry that she must read this one and all those who have a Writers’ Workshop model should add this to their list of mentor texts.

Integration Ideas:

Theme:

There are so many themes in this book, as a teacher you could essentially pick out any theme you wanted to concentrate on.  A few choices might be relationships (with parents, parents relationship affecting the children, with teachers, with friends), perseverance, identify (fitting in), and even compassion.

Some guiding questions for identity could be:

– In a culture where we are bombarded with ideas and images of “what we should be,” how does one form an identity that remains true and authentic for her/himself?

– How is our identity shaped by world events, personal events, and the people around us?

Visualization:

In order to help students slow down and enjoy the words and poem construction, have them visualize the message of the poem.  Not only will this help students use a strong reading skill, visualization, to comprehend the poem, but it will also lead into a great mentor text lesson for writing.  Read one of Gabriella’s daydream poems.  For example, read aloud “Roller Coaster” on page 51.  Read the poem as many times as necessary, while students draw what they hear.  Have students use words from the poem in their drawing that will serve as text evidence.  What words made them visualize what they drew?  When they discuss the words, it is a great mentor lesson for word choice in writing.

Personification:

While many poetic techniques could be taught with the poems in this novel, personification really stood out.  I would hope the students would concentrate on her dreams and Grimes does a great job bringing her imagination to life.  Many times her teacher, her mom, and herself refer to the daydreams as a real being, something you could hold and maneuver.  Have students think about the author’s choice in bringing life into something inanimate.

Writers’ Workshop – Developing Ideas:

Dreams bring color to a colorless world – Gabriella found that she could capture her colorful daydreams in writing and David, her friend, found that he captured his ideas in a drawing.  In a Writers’ Workshop, it is important that students see that they have many great ideas to write about.  They have worthwhile ideas that need to be jotted down.  After reading Words with Wings, have students think about their own daydreams or fantastical ideas and write them down.  Store them in the writers notebook for later.  Of course, like David, they might prefer to draw the ideas.

Vocabulary:

Take time to talk about the following words:

filigree 29

mystifying 59

anxious 59

horizon 72

Using these words as heading in a chart, have students write words that connect below.  For example, under mystifying, students might write magician, love, parents’ rules, etc.  This will not only front load the vocabulary, but will also lend itself to the students writing word choice.

Characterization:

Gabriella is a great character to ponder.  She is sharing her feelings in prose.  Students can discuss how she feels about herself with her mom, her dad, her friends, and her teacher.  Additionally, students can discuss how she changes and grows.  She used daydreaming as a cover to her sadness and to understand a difficult situation, then she blocks it out completely, and finally she finds the strength in her thoughts.  Throughout the novel she is battling fitting in with the other students.  How does her feelings change and grow?