Swing
Verse
Swing
By Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess
Format: 448 pages, Hardcover
Published: October 2, 2018 by Blink
ISBN: 9780310761914
Book summary from the publisher:
Things usually do not go as planned for seventeen-year-old Noah. He and his best friend Walt (aka Swing) have been cut from the high school baseball team for the third year in a row, and it looks like Noah’s love interest since third grade, Sam, will never take it past the “best friend” zone. Noah would love to retire his bat and accept the status quo, but Walt has big plans for them both, which include making the best baseball comeback ever, getting the girl, and finally finding cool.
To go from lovelorn to ladies’ men, Walt introduces Noah to a relationship guru—his Dairy Queen-employed cousin, Floyd—and the always informative Woohoo Woman Podcast. Noah is reluctant, but decides fate may be intervening when he discovers more than just his mom’s birthday gift at the thrift shop. Inside the vintage Keepall is a gold mine of love letters from the 1960s. Walt is sure these letters and the podcasts are just what Noah needs to communicate his true feelings to Sam. To Noah, the letters are more: an initiation to the curious rhythms of love and jazz, as well as a way for him and Walt to embrace their own kind of cool. While Walt is hitting balls out of the park and catching the eye of the baseball coach, Noah composes anonymous love letters to Sam in an attempt to write his way into her heart. But as things are looking up for Noah and Walt, a chain of events alters everything Noah knows to be true about love, friendship, sacrifice, and fate.
In Swing, bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Solo) present a free-verse poetic story that will speak to anyone who’s struggled to find their voice and take a swing at life.
My Thoughts:
I picked up this book while working in the school library one day and was hooked almost instantly. The novel-in-verse format is lyrical and energetic, the characters are lovable and funny, and the plot and themes leave an impression that is not quick to fade. I also loved the vocabulary in this book. Some novel-in-verse books are concise and restrained but this is a big, exuberant, mind-expanding book. I often think about how graphic novels tend to have more unique words than other books for the same age groups, and that same thought kept hitting me with the writing of this book.
Programming ideas:
Swing weaves music, art, and poetry into the story and onto the page. Encourage students to share their feelings or ideas through a cultivated playlist of songs that express certain feelings and emotions. Provide the supplies needed to create collages and teach students about black-out poetry, then let them create their own works.
Walt (Swing) is relentlessly optimistic and is determined to change his fortunes by working relentlessly to improve at baseball. Ask students to think of a goal they have, discuss any obstacles standing in the way, and make a plan to achieve it. Provide sheets where they can write out their thoughts, feelings, and ideas for making their dreams a reality.
Jazz music is featured throughout the book. Play music and ask students to share how it makes them feel or make up a story to go along with the song. Students could also draw or paint to reflect the music as they hear it.
The book ending involves a character who is murdered by police officers. Give students the chance to discuss or express their feelings and fears. Provide resources about social justice.
This book is rich with vocabulary words. Have students make a list of new-to-them or interesting words. See who can come up with the longest list. Discuss how Alexander uses evocative writing to paint a picture and have students write descriptive sentences using some of the words from their lists.