The Poet X

The Poet X

Publisher

HarperTeen

Publication Year

2018

ISBN

9780062662804

Pages

368 pages

Genre

realism

Format

novel in verse

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, Xiomara Batista has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. She pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers--especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. Mami is determined to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, and Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. When she is invited to join her school's slam poetry club, she can't stop thinking about performing her poems.

Grade Level

6-8; 9-12

Lexile Measure

HL800L

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; Culture/Ethnicity; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Family violence; Language barrier; Multicultural; Gay/Lesbian; violent parent; abusive mother; different languages; multicultural community; gay brother

Main Character

female teenager

Race/Ethnicities

Dominican American

Family Formation

mother and father

LGBTQ+

gay male

Awards

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2018, Winner, Fiction and Poetry
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Poetry

Keywords

poetry; journal; Catholic; Christianity; Harlem; twins; first love; body issues; body acceptance; self-acceptance; battle with religion

Diversity Impact

indirect

The Poet X

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