 Julie Hoffman | Welcome to the second weekend of October! To remind our readers, this month our picks are brought to us by blog contributor Julie Hoffman, who once again suggests a page-turning YA novel - a "bold novel-in-verse," as Hoffman describes. Julie Hoffman is an educator with Springfield Public Schools and an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Springfield. Her research interests include urban education, empathy, social and emotional learning, young adult and children’s literature. She believes that young adult literature and poetry can be a message of perseverance and hope and believes that we thrive when we invest in ourselves and others. |
Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr
“Shame travels up my throat like acid reflux.”
Truth is in her senior year of high school. While she is trying to figure out what her life might look like after graduation, she is also trying to figure out how to navigate a turbulent relationship with her mom, and a fading friendship with her best friend Zariah.
Truth is in her senior year of high school. While she is trying to figure out what her life might look like after graduation, she is also trying to figure out how to navigate a turbulent relationship with her mom, and a fading friendship with her best friend Zariah.
 | On top of all of this, Truth is pregnant by her ex-boyfriend Cameron. Truth has a lot of big decisions to make, and only a short time to make them. Poetry serves as a space to sort out some of her situations, as Truth fills her notebook with rhymes and rhythms to reflect and resolve. The slam poetry team becomes a group of new friends and new support. Eventually, Truth shares some of her poetry at an open mic night. One of the poems she shares at open mic gets recorded and posted online, exposing Truth’s truths to the rest of the world. Hannah V. Sawyerr, author of Truth Is (and the book All the Fighting Parts) goes bold in this novel-in-verse. Not only does she connect us with main character Truth, but she brings us through all of the emotions that a young lady might experience while facing an unwanted pregnancy. The book is packed with vivid poetry, text messages, and score sheets. The book is also packed with pain, breakthroughs, and unexpected hope. |
| This young adult novel is a powerful testimony to what a teenager has to consider when dealing with pregnancy. More importantly, Hannah V. Sawyerr tries to normalize all of the options. It is okay for a teenager to choose to keep and raise her child. It is okay for a teenager to decide on an adoption plan. It is okay for a teenager to choose to abort. Truth Is places us in the shoes of a character who has good reasons to make any of her choices. This novel also affirms the power of story-telling. In Truth’s case, it was through spoken word poetry. Whether it is writing, art, speaking, singing, poetry or other outlets, sharing our truth helps us heal and helps humanity heal, and the truth is... we all need a little healing. |  Hannah V. Sawyerr |
RSS Feed