The Poet X

Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X Xiomara Batista feels both unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has had to fight for everything. But Xiomara has so much to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like poetic prayers, especially after she starts to care for a boy in her biology class named Aman who her family can never know about. With Mami's determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school's slam poetry club, she doesn't know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can't stop thinking about performing her poems. Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

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