You gotta swing your hips now

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	• Locomotion (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books) Jacqueline Woodson, 2003 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

You gotta swing your hips now

Like snowdrops in the spring, books like Jacqueline Woodson's, "Locomotion" have sprung up en masse over the last few years. Their popularity comes from a variety of different areas. "Locomotion", like its fellow verse novel brethren, follows a sad youth as he discovers the beauty of verse and chronicles his life's problems and joys through this new medium. The result is a story told entirely in different kinds of poems. Long poems, short poems, sonnets, haiku, and letters to be exact. Kids love this book because it's a quick read. Educators like it because it teaches children about the beauty of free-flowing verse and is spotted with such mentions as Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. And librarians like it because it's a clever way of getting kids to read. Is the book the most original of its kind? No, not so much. But it is interesting and well-written and fun. A superb addition to any library, whether public, private, or at school.

Know a kid who just can't keep still? Who fidgets and yells and just generally enjoys life itself? Then you know a kid like Locomotion. Lonnie Collins Motion (Lo-Co-Motion) is frisky but deeply upset. It's not been long since his parents died in a house fire and he and his sister were separated between different foster families. Lonnie's staying with Miss Edna, a woman who enjoys silent kids but has a real soft spot in her heart for Lonnie. His sister is with a different woman, one who enjoys clean houses, religious children, and people who are NOT Lonnie. Fortunately, Lonnie's teacher at school, Ms. Marcus, has gotten him interested in writing down his thoughts in the form of poems. Suddenly Lonnie can't stop writing them! He puts down everything in his life that there is. His friends (one of whom comes down with sickle cell anemia), the girl he likes, his nights on the roof staring up into the stars, and many memories of his parents. Through the course of the book you get a real feel for Lonnie. You know that he's the kind of kid who'll end up doing well. And you know you shouldn't worry too deeply about him. He's smart enough to know how to get along in life. After all, he's already been through the worst.

The book tackles everything from race (Lonnie's black and often notices when white people, like his teacher, stumble along ignorantly) to class to personal integrity. This is perhaps one of the first children's books I've read that discusses soldiers fighting in the Middle East overseas in a straightforward manner (most impressive when you consider its 2003 publication date). I suspect "Locomotion" is bound to be parsed apart by eager teachers for the benefit of their students. I harbor some slight hope though that maybe some kid will find the book all on his or her own. Maybe they'll be attracted to its cover, where Lonnie dances about goofily. Maybe they'll like its form or what it's not afraid to say. And maybe, just maybe, some kid reading it will be inspired to write a poem or two about their own life. That's not a crazy thought, right?

"Locomotion" is like a slightly older and more mature version of Sharon Creech's, "Love That Dog". But while "Love That Dog" deals with the death of a pet and a boy's discovery of poetry, "Locomotion" is about the death of parents and a boy's discovery of what it means to be alive. Between the two, I'd choose "Locomotion" any day. A funny touching story that perfectly compliments its rambunctious narrator. If you've a reluctant reader on your hands, it's at least worth a shot to let them discover it.

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Young Expressions

LOCOMOTION by Jacqueline Woodson tops the list of originality with thought provoking words from a little boy named Lonnie. Although LOCOMOTION is categorized as poetry, it is not written as one of the traditional styles of poems that rhyme. LOCOMOTION is a collection of poems that reads as a story with uniqueness and wonderful grandeur. Every word echoes a young child's hurt and rediscovery of self.

Lonnie, who lost his parents in a fire, writes in first person in the book. He tells a story through poetic form of suddenly being left alone and separated from his little sister, Lili. Lonnie is encouraged by his teacher to write down all this thoughts as soon as they hit his brain. He writes about living in a foster home, visits with his sister and going to school each day. Lonnie continues his thoughts about the new kid in school, his friends and learning about sickle cell anemia for the first time. He writes of trying to believe in God, as his little sister has done, believing one day they will be together as a family. The most heart wrenching part was his words of about not having his parents with them anymore and learning that he and his sister would be living in separate homes.

I have never read such an enjoyable children's book as LOCOMOTION. Jacqueline Woodson has opened new doors of poetic style and humble offerings. Although this book is written for ages six to twelve, a book of this magnitude can be enjoyed by all ages. Several selections brought tears to my eyes and caused my heart and soul to interact with each word. The heartfelt meaning of why Lonnie was expressing himself through words was moving. Jacqueline Woodson has indeed written another award winning children's book.

Reviewed by Kalaani
of The RAWSISTAZ? Reviewers

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5

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