Adoff, Arnold. Roots and Blues.

Adoff, Arnold     Roots and Blues    

Clarion see Houghton Mifflin  2011  86p   17.99 978-0-547-23554-7  

elm/ms      E-BN        

 “ Lyrical text explores how Blues have been part of everyday life throughout history, from its origins in the sounds of the earth, through slaves' voices singing of freedom, to today's greatest performers--and listeners.”     

Upper elementary and middle school students who enjoy poetry will love (once they get used to the different format)  this new title by Arnold Adoff featuring sixty poems on a variety of topics around the history and culture of blues music.  Adoff’s presentation of poems is not in the usual poetic form, rather in his own style of shaped speech.  The shaped speech is rather unusual and the text placement has gaps, which help indicate pause.  These poems trace the history of blues music, from traveling on slave ships through plantations to chain gangs, and sharecroppers.  The poems are telling a story in a sequence, or in a chronological order with many “Listen” poems which help describe the sounds of the place and time. The “Singing” pages help engulf readers into the poems and story. 

Illustrated with beautiful color paintings by R. Gregory Christie, readers will gain an insight into the what times may have looked like in their eyes.  Students are introduced to several blues performers including Bessie Smith, Lonnie Johnson, Son House, Charlie Patton, and others. Blues (Music) Poetry.      Charleen Forba-Mayer