Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes - ESSENTIAL

Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes, 170 pages. Wordsong, 2022. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: ; Violence: PG (George Floyd video described)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Garvey, who is Black, is a teenage boy who loves music, but not sports. He is living in California when the Covid-19 pandemic shuts the world down. Through his poetry, we come to learn what online learning and isolation looked like for him. We also see his reaction and anger at the George Floyd video and following protests, and we also get to watch him experience one of his parents getting sick with Covid.

I loved that Garvey’s story was written in Tanka poetry. I also liked that it was written about a recent historical event. Students will get to see and compare their experiences of the global pandemic through someone else's eyes. I thought it was great.

Mallory Birch, ELA Teacher