copyright 2002; Dial Books publishers, New York; hardbound in cornflower blue boards with gilt lettering along spine; very good condition, unmarked pages, appears unread; dust jacket very good.
Nikki Grimes -
Nikki Grimes (born October 20, 1950) is an American author of books written for children and young adults, as well as a poet and journalist.
Plot -
When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, some of his classmates clamor to read their poems aloud too. Soon they're having weekly poetry sessions and, one by one, the eighteen students are opening up and taking on the risky challenge of self-revelation. There's Lupe Alvarin, desperate to have a baby so she will feel loved.
Raynard Patterson, hiding a secret behind his silence. Porscha Johnson, needing an outlet for her anger after her mother OD's. Through the poetry they share and narratives in which they reveal their most intimate thoughts about themselves and one another, their words and lives show what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.