Words with Wings

 Words with Wings

Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. 2013. WORDS WITH WINGS. Honesdale, PA: WordSong. ISBN 9781590789858

Plot Summary

Words with Wings is a short but memorable story about a young girl whose wild and imaginative daydreams help her to block out her parent's divorce and transfer to a new school. She comes to find just how valuable daydreams can be, not just in life but in how they can shape who you are as a person. Written in free verse, Words with Wings, shows us the importance of our imagination and the power words can have.

Critical Analysis

Nikki Grimes shows children and adults the importance of daydreaming in her Coretta Scott King honored book, Words with Wings. Readers are introduced to Gabby, a young girl who escapes into her own head go get away from the aftermath of her parent's divorce and the struggles of starting at a new school.

We are given two different types of free verse poems throughout the story: the ones that are about what Gabby is experiencing in the real world and the ones that are her daydreams. The real life poems follow Gabby through her troubles with her mother and with paying attention in class. They are usually simple and straightforward but written by a wise and colorful mind that just wants to break free. ("Dad is a dreamer and Mom is a maker. I've been thinking, maybe I can be both.") Gabby's daydream poems paint the pages with fantastical imagery that comes straight from a child's imagination. ("Say 'carousel' and pale painted ponies gallop past, I reach for the reins of one, swing up into the saddle, and race, standing still, wind whipping my braids as I fly.") 

Grimes uses these poems to teach a memorable lesson over how important it is not to suppress the imagination of a child. The acceptance of this by Gabby's teacher, Mr. Spicer, and her mother can teach adults how to cherish the art of daydreams and children that it is okay to share these dreams with others. Words with Wings is a book for all ages and for those that love to disappear into their mind for a little while.

Review Excerpts

Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor Book

Horn Book Guide: "Told in free verse, this is a very accessible story about an appealing child who transforms from introverted daydreamer to writer."

School Library Journal: "Most readers will recognize Gabby in someone they know, and this well-crafted tale should have wide appeal. With its focus on creative wordplay and imagination, it could also be an inspiring resource for creative-writing teachers."

Connections

More by Nikki Grimes: Bronx Masquerade

                                       Planet Middle School

                                       One Last Word

More Free Verse by African Americans: Jason Reynolds: Long Way Down, Ain't Burned All the Bright

                                                                 Gwendolyn Brooks: "the birth in the narrow room", "A                                                                                                                                     Bronzeville Mother"

                                                                 Langston Hughes: "The Weary Blues", "I, Too"

Activity" Find the figurative language in Gabby's poems. Look specifically for simile, personification, and imagery