Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne

Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice Reviews

• 
  Katy O.

  Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I can’t wait to read this stunning poetry collection to my 5th graders this winter. Accessible and with wide-ranging topics, I can’t recommend book this highly enough for all middle grade classrooms and libraries.
• 
  David

  Woke: to fight for your civil rights and to fight for the rights of your neighbors. These poems have strength. They are easy to understand, yet make you think with every line you read. Themes of injustice, being a friend, remembering names of leaders who spoke out, gender fluidity allowance, immigration, love your own body, acceptance of others. But most of all, learn to speak out on all these themes.
  
  This is a very well designed book with excellent big art accompanying each poem. Strong white text on a darker background or vice-versa allowed me to remain focused as I immersed into each poem. I am getting goose-bumps reading almost every one of these. Too difficult to pick favorites here.
  
  Easy 5*
• 
  Mariah Roze

  "Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.
  
  With Theodore Taylor's bright, emotional art, and writing from Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood, kids will be inspired to create their own art and poems to express how they see justice and injustice."
• 
  Ms. Stephens

  I liked this book much better in concept than in reality, though my classes and I all really enjoyed the poem "Rock the Boat."
  
  I prefer my poems shorter and less prose-y... maybe a little less heavy-handed on the lessons (even if they're awesome lessons that everyone should hear and absorb).
• 
  Caitlin (CMAReads)

  Beautiful poetry. Thought provoking topics. Great for middle grade readers and beyond.
• 
  Kelly Hager

  If you are like me and you find poetry a little intimidating or inaccessible, this is a great one to pick. I don't mean that it's easy or simplistic, because that's not it at all, but it's just things that need to be said and said in a straightforward way.
  
  I've been trying to read more poetry and this is now one of my favorite collections. I wouldn't at all present myself as an expert here, but I love how it can convey emotion in a way that prose sometimes doesn't.
  
  I love every poem in here, but my favorite is Rock the Boat. Elizabeth Acevedo wrote it (she's a contributor) and it's so great and so valuable. It's a call to arms to speak up when things are wrong. It's scary and potentially dangerous but it's also the most valuable thing we could be doing.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
• 
  Rebecca McPhedran

  A MSBA choice book for 2021/2022
  
  WOW! This book of poetry definitely packs a punch! Between the lyrics and the pictures, I'm absolutely in love with this entire book. I think it's so important to have books like these easily accessible to students. Amazing.
• 
  Leslie

  I really love this book - the poems and the illustrations are fit to engage multi-generational audiences on a range of humanitarian and social justice topics for understanding. The copy I read was borrowed from the library but I had to special order a copy from a favorite independent bookstore for my own library - to enjoy and use in my poetry residencies with young people. 24 poems. 54 pages. On the back cover is the following list of all the things the poems and illustrations in these pages touch on: "activism, ableism, ally, body positivity, community, empathy, equality, forgiveness, freedom fighters, gender, immigration, intersectionality, individuality, joy, justice, prejudice, privilege, protest, resistance, resourcefulness, silencing, stereotyping, and volunteering."
  
  "We Carry Our Roots"
  by Mahogany L. Browne and Elizabeth Acevedo
  
  On Friday nights, the mothers of my church
  arm themselves in prayer and weave hope together
  like wreaths of flowers placed on the doors
  of sick people at the hospital who have no one to visit them.
  
  On the first Saturday of the month,
  my cousin grabs a book from the bookstore shelves.
  Little kids gather around, claim their seat on the carpet.
  Eyes beam bright lights as he begins to read out loud.
  
  On Tuesdays, my best friend shakes off tiredness,
  even when it cloaks him like a coat. He sits
  across kids who struggle with a subject he is great at: math.
  He is patient and watchful as he helps them understand.
  
  During the winter break, we beeline assembly-style
  at the shelter. We ignore the icy rings around our breath.
  We spoon soup into bowls until the pot is empty
  and return to the church’s kitchen to grab another offering.
  
  Ready to begin again.
  We don’t serve for an award we believe we deserve.
  We use our hands and our words knowing the seeds will emerge.
  We may not see the fruit, but we carry the roots
  we move forward every time we give back.
• 
  Lindsey Rojem

  I picked this book up on a whim and it was lovely and powerful. It is a collection of poetry by 3 authors aimed towards both children and adults and it focuses on important and moving topics like race and equality and kindness. Very touching and I think it would be easy for anyone of any age to follow and understand.
  
  
  Would fit
  The 52 Book Club's 2021 prompts:
  1 - Set in a School
  24 - A Book You Think They Should Read In Schools
  26 - An Author Of Colour
  36 - A Nameless Narrator
  37 - An Educational Read
  38 - Recommended on Bookbub
  40 - Found via #Bookstagram
  
  
• 
  Kim Bahr

  Very thought-provoking; loved “What’s in My Toolbox?” to understand the idea of privilege.
• 
  Kimberly

  There are some excellent, thought-provoking poems in this collection. I didn’t love all of them, but I appreciated how many created a picture that made me stop and reflect, both on my experience/privilege and the experiences of POC.
• 
  Caroline

  "Woke" is a wonderful collection of poetry about the world around us - body positivity, racial injustice, standing up for what's right...it's a great way to introduce kids and young teens to the concept of being woke. I loved that the pages had a subject at the bottom so that parents could focus specifically on race or prejudice if they felt there was a particular subject they wanted to focus on with their kids.
• 
  Robert

  After a being a target of book banners at a local school library, which thankfully was reversed, I thought I'd check it out. When trying to find it at a local library they it was already checked out and so were all the others in their network. I had to go outside the local network, about 40 miles away, so much for trying to denying others to see it.
  
  The book itself has vibrant colors and is beautifully illustrated. The poetry is touching, enlightening and inspiring. Even as an older adult I found the book compelling. It seems in the current political environment some find talking about race, minority, LGTBQ and handicapped are offended or made to feel uncomfortable, sometimes that's the point. The poetry here is meant to be joyful, educational and inspiring.
  
  I highly recommend this book for everyone of all ages, even those that are uncomfortable.
• 
  Becky

  Twenty-four poems that address woke topics such as discrimination, ableism, body positivity, prejudice, privilege and more. This is a book that older elementary, middle and high school students could learn and be inspired by.
• 
  Kris

  An accessible, thought-provoking book of poetry. My personal favorites were the pieces by Elizabeth Acevedo, but overall, the entire collection is full of poems on topics that will make readers think. The artwork is a great accompaniment, and I think it would be a great book to include in poetry discussion for kids.
• 
  Haelwyn Greene

  Such a strong selection of poetry that will be a big part of any classroom. These poems range from different sub points like race, gender, mental health, physical disability, etc. Every child will be able to relate in some way or another.
• 
  Jeanne Halderson

  I loved some of these poems enough to use them in my class.
• 
  Christina Carter

  Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Olivia Gatwood deliver one thought-provoking, call to action poem after another. Pause with each poem. Take each one in and contemplate what stirs up inside you and how you might use your voice to advocate for justice. Rock the boat. Shake things up. Raise your fist. Raise your voice. Pick up your pen. Just don't slumber as one who walks this earth with their eyes wide shut.
  
  Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice is recommended for ages 8-12. It is beautifully illustrated by Theodore Taylor III and includes a contribution from our National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds. Don't ask me to choose a favorite poem because I'd be hard-pressed to pick just one. Instead, ask me which one shared a familiar experience, one that I can relate to, to which I would answer, Mahogany L. Browne's Amari Explains a Frown to her Little Brother. Ask me which one I would read over and over again to encourage my students to use their voice to make a difference and I would respond with Elizabeth Acevedo's Rock the Boat. Or ask me which poem I would share to help start a discussion in my classroom about privilege, to which I would proclaim Olivia Gatwood's What's In My Toolbox? and that I would use it to help us consider what it might mean to leverage those resources we have for the betterment and uplifting of others. In other words, each poem in this collection is powerful. The bottom line is this, read Woke, and answer its call for justice. Period.
• 
  Ashley Adams

  Empowering poems for today's youth about building an inclusive and accepting community.
• 
  Laura Beam

  This book of poems was such a great primer for middle schoolers (and people of all ages) to begin thinking about big issues like intersectionality, identity, privilege, and race.
• 
  Janine Bürger de Assis

  Such a small book, such a powerful message. A book for adults and young readers, everyone can read it and start thinking more about the topics in discussion here. I loved the book format and the illustrations.
• 
  kiki thelibrarian

  4.5
  
  While I found some unevenness in the quality of the various poems, or I how much I liked them, there’s no denying that this book is vitally important to all human beings! The way complex ideas and terms, like privilege, are explained in accessible ways is incredible! A must read for everyone!
• 
  Alicia

  It's so much more than a picture book or a poetry book because it combines the beautiful elements of both with the richness of the voices of the contributing authors and illustrators to create a book accessible for everyone. Obviously the subtitle tells you who it is really for but everyone to benefit from the wizened words of the writers (along with the foreword by Jason Reynolds).
  
  Several of the poems touched by including Gatwood's "What's in my Toolbox?", Acevedo's "Rock the Boat", and "A Me-Shaped Box" yet each poem stood for something and brings the full picture of how justice can be achieved and why it has to happen and for who.
• 
  TheNextGenLibrarian

  Woke is the perfect beginning for those young ones who need to learn about antiracism as well as people who have been working towards it for years.
  🖊
  #poetry is one of my favorite types of writing to read because it can mean so many different things to different people. This picture book however has a very clear message: in order to be woke, one needs to be aware of their surroundings and be a part of the movement. This book about social justice will open eyes and start many journeys & conversations for our littles. They are the future and will make a difference.
  🖊
  This collection of poems was donated to my library. I cannot wait to share with students when we return to school. Picture books are for all ages. Also there’s a beautiful forward by Jason Reynolds.
• 
  Theresa

  Loved!!!
• 
  Bridget

  I really enjoyed this book. A couple of the poems in particular really struck me; I plan to use some in my own classes. I appreciated the different topics the book highlighted and each topic was listed at the bottom of the page. I think this book is a bit misrepresented though because some of the vocabulary was higher level, but this looks very much like a picture book for little kids. This will be a good addition to my classroom library. Recommended!
• 
  Kim

  Powerful and timely poetry. All too resonant given the light shined (yet again) over the past several weeks on racial injustices in our country.
  Jason Reynolds’ brief foreword sets the tone perfectly. I especially appreciated Elizabeth Acevedo’s “Say the Names,” Mahogany L. Browne’s and Olivia Gatwood’s “What Is an Intersection,” Browne’s “Right To,” and Acevedo’s “Rock the Boat.”
• 
  Abby

  Strikingly and sparingly illustrated, powerful poetry to inspire understanding of concepts needed for intersectional justice. I was especially excited to read the Forward, Introduction and the Immigration, Body Positivity, Gender, Privilege, and Stereotyping poems, but there is much to think about on each page.
• 
  Carolyn

  Beautiful poems for all ages! Wonderful for the classroom and families!
• 
  Lyndsey

  #staywoke