Locomotion

Just beautiful...a narrative told in a series of poems by boy who lost his parents in a tragic fire, then was separated from his little sister as they went into foster care. Sounds dreadful, and it is heartbreaking, but we can bear it because Lonnie's poet's soul is nurtured (mostly) by the adults in his life, because his grief never turns bitter, because we are better for having met him and heard his story. Brilliantly done.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of Lonnie (Locomotion), a young boy living in New York City after being placed in foster care. Through a series of poems, Lonnie shares his feelings about family, loss, and hope as he adjusts to a new life. The book is powerful because it uses poetry to explore deep emotions and resilience. I would recommend it for middle school classrooms to encourage discussions about identity, writing, and healing through creative expression.

Locomotion is a poignant and hopeful story of family and expression. Eleven-year-old Lonnie has been through a lot in his short years. Both of his parents have died, and he and his sister Lili have been put into different foster homes. With his teacher’s encouragement to write poetry, he begins to work through his feelings to find comfort with his new reality.
In the beginning I thought this book was a tad confusing to follow; but as you keep reading, Lonnie’s poems tell you his story. I thought the author’s choice to write in verse was a unique and effective one. Lonnie loved to write because it helped him remember the past. It was a way of preserving his memories and conveying his emotions. Woodson does a fantastic job of making show more Lonnie such a genuine character by creating an authentic voice through poetry. This would be a great book to inspire children to get creative and use their own voice and emotion to put into writing.
Although I did appreciate this story, I felt like something was missing. I thought the ending had a beautiful resolution, yet I was left wanting to know more about Lonnie and felt as though his story wasn’t ready to end. I don’t fault Woodson for this, but rather applaud her for creating a character I was rooting for so strongly.
Locomotion is a great book about overcoming adversity and finding hope. show less

An admission: I do not like novels in verse. I know that the short lines and quick chapters can make them a great resource for some reluctant or struggling readers, but they're just not for me. Having already read most of Jacqueline Woodson's novels, I steeled myself to read her verse novel - and found that this was one of those times that the form works. I feel pretty strongly that you need to have a really good reason to have your novel written in verse, and this book found one - it's a peek into Lonnie Collins' school poetry notebook. Lonnie has lost his parents in a fire, and he and his little sister are in different foster homes. He works out a lot of his feelings through his poetry notebook. Suggestions for topics and types of show more poetry are provided by his teacher, but Lonnie's writings usually return to the theme of family. He's a wonderful character - an energetic young black boy who has become very thoughtful since the death of his parents. It's nice to see an example of an inner-city school really doing some good in a kid's life - when Ms. Marcus introduces Lonnie's class to poetry it opens up a new way for Lonnie to express himself. Coincidentally, the Guardian recently published a list of Ms. Woodson's favorite children's books. show less

This book tells the story of an eleven year old boy named Lonnie living in foster care separated from his sister Lili after their parents tragic death in a fire. As a result Lonnie has had to deal with his emotions any way he could, until he learns about poetry. He then find a passion in writing poetry and is able to channel his emotions about his parents and write some beautiful poems. When I first began reading this book I was very confused as to what the unusual format had to do with the story. However after finishing this book I feel the way in which this book was written was absolutely genius and adds a whole other layer for the reader to dive into. I also found it very interesting how the reader was able to grasp Lonnie’s show more emotional development without a traditional or obvious statement. We are able to witness this character build courage, cope with the loss of his parents, make new friends and discover his own creativity all through poetry. I think this would be great for a young classroom to read in order to show that not every book is essentially the same. show less

At just seven years old, Lonnie lost both of his parents to a fire. He is still struggling with their death a few years later, and we get to read/feel exactly how he is coping. He tells his story, and experiences, through a series of poems. We learn about Miss Edna, his foster mom, and his sister Lili. Lili was adopted by another family, Lonnie didn't go with her because the family did not want a boy. Lonnie and Lili are able to spend more time together, and Lili thinks Lonnie is the best brother in the world. It is hard for Lonnie to deal with his emotions, so learning to put them into words helps him a lot. As we follow Lonnie on his emotional/spiritual journey, we get to see the things he has dealt with at such a young age. Making show more this book a powerful conversation starter for, not only young readers, but also adults.

I cried when reading a few of these poems. I had never read a book in this format, and I really loved it. I get bored easily, so having the different poems to read was right up my alley. I loved how genuine, and raw, this book was. I really dislike when stories have "happy endings", which is such an American thing to do. I mean, of course I like happy endings, but I love reading REAL stories. I understand that books can be an escape from reality, but sometimes you need the heavy stuff to help you relate things to what is happening in your life. Each poem was powerful, and the shortest ones seemed the most powerful to me. Haiku, was one that spoke to me because there have been days in my life where I just don't care. I related to Lonnie on so many levels, and I think that is why this book was powerful for me. Each poem was a memory from his life, and when I think back on my life experiences they would be in a format of a poem. Going through those experiences, they felt like a novel, but looking back on them they are powerful poems that make me who I am today. show less

A poetry novel from the perspective of a young boy who recently lost his parents in a fire, Locomotion is a story about Lonnie who is trying to find his way through life in a foster home while separated from his little sister. Lonnie finds comfort in writing poetry and is encouraged by his foster mother and teacher to continue writing to express himself. Although Lonnie is a child, he has been through a lot and seems very mature for his age. I found it especially heartwarming how much his sister means to him and he tries so hard to see her and make her happy, even though he is slightly uncomfortable with her foster mother. Lonnie believes that things will only continue to get better and he finds comfort in the memories he has of his show more family when they were together. This was a great book about poetry, loss, siblings, and continuing to find yourself even when your wold seems like it has been turned upside down. show less