Planet Middle School
by Nikki Grimes (Author)
For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine. A game of basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then, everything suddenly seemed to change all at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isn't the same. And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy go to--and who will she become--to attract his attention?
In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, heart-tugging story.
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Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8—Joylin, 12, has always been comfortable in her own skin. Then strange things start to happen. She begins to notice boys; her forever friend and b-ball buddy, Jake, begins to treat her differently on the court; and Joylin and her best girlfriend, Kaylee, develop different interests. Joylin feels like an "alien" who finds herself in "Planet Middle School" by mistake, "searching for that spaceship/that's gonna take me home." She tries to morph from a tomboy in baggy jeans and an old T-shirt into someone more feminine, trying lipstick, heels, and a skirt, each with disastrous results. That she emerges from these oh-so-embarrassing episodes effectively provides reassurance and hope. Joylin's voice is revealed in spare, well-paced verse. Her recognizable emotions and actions become tangible as she learns that appearances are not always what they seem; that staying true to one's self is ultimately the most successful way to grow and mature. Young and adult characters are plausible, likable, and supportive of one another. For example, when Joylin realizes that the object of her infatuation does not reciprocate, her mother holds her "close/long enough for me to leave/a puddle on her shoulder, /long enough for me to feel/some of the hurt drain away." The story is by turns touching and laugh-out-loud funny, and readers will appreciate the time they spend with Joylin, her family, and her friends as they live, grow, and learn as individuals and together.—Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Nikki Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the Printz Honor and Sibert Honor book Ordinary Hazards; NAACP Image Award nominee Planet Middle School; Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade; Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings, which was also named an ALA Notable Book; and What Is Goodbye?, an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Corona, California.
www.nikkigrimes.com
Families
Family life
Schools
Novels in verse
Basketball
Coming of age
Middle schools
