Review for "One Last Word" by Nikki Grimes

BIBLIOGRAPHY  

Grimes, Nikki. One Last Word. New York: Bloomsbury, 2017.  ISBN 978-1-61963-554-8 

  

PLOT SUMMARY  

This book is a collection of poetry, that combines the word of famous poets of the Harlem Renaissance with the author's own original poetry. Nikki Grimes uses a technique called "The Golden Shovel" to write a beautiful and inspiring collection that recounts the words of poets like Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson. This collection contains a forward, an introduction to the history of the Harlem Renaissance, a note from the author, poet and artist biographies, an index, and information on the Golden Shovel poetic model. These resources make this book a great reference tool as well as a wonderful read. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

The idea behind this anthology is brilliant. Grimes provides the words of famous Harlem Renaissance Poets on one page, and then offers her own work, using a portion of the famous poem within it, on the following page. For example, with the poem "Storm Ending" by Jean Toomer, Grimes uses the words in the first line, "Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads" at the end of each line of her poem. Her poem's first line reads, "The truth is, every day we rise like thunder-"

Readers will love the illustrations in this book. The poems are illustrated by a different artists and with different styles and choice of media. Acrylic paintings, oil pastel drawings, collages, pen and ink sketches, and watercolor paintings are some of the techniques used to illustrate the poems in this anthology. Grimes does an excellent job of setting the reader up for success by providing the additional materials within the book. For example, the "Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance", at the beginning of the book, gives readers a frame of reference for the poetry they are reading and makes the words more meaningful for young readers who were not alive during the time period that is described.                                                                                                                                                        

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)  

From Kirkus Reviews:  "An enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny novel in verse." 

From Booklist: “Based in Lai's personal experience, this first novel captures a child-refugee's struggle with rare honesty.”  

The Horn Book Magazine: "The vibrancy of the Harlem Renaissance is illuminated in Grimes’s provocative poetry collection . . . This enterprising and unusual volume not only introduces the Harlem Renaissance to young readers but also presents the challenge of a new way to write and enjoy poetry."  

  

CONNECTIONS  

If you liked One Last Word by Nikki Grimes, check out these stories about diversity and racial equality:  

•                     Oh, Ellen. Flying Lessons and Other Stories. ISBN 978-1101934593 

•                      Bryan, Ashley. Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life. ISBN 978-1481456906 

•                     Wolk, Lauren. Wolf Hollow. ISBN 978-1101994825 

Check out other books by Nikki Grimes: 

•                      Garvey's Choice. ISBN 978-1629797403 

•                      Poems in the Attic. ISBN 978-1620140277 

•                      Words with Wings. ISBN 978-1590789858 

Have students find a piece of writing that inspires them and write a Golden Shovel poem inspired by it. Students can review the section of the book titled "Poetry Form" to learn more about this technique that author, Nikki Grimes, uses in One Last Word. 

Have students develop a piece of artwork inspired by their favorite poem in the book. Have them practice writing artist statements to explain their artwork. 

Use these poems to compare and contrast the social issues of the Harlem Renaissance with the social and racial issues that Americans are facing today. Use these poems as a part of a current events unit.