Inheritance A Visual Poem

They tell me to "fix" my hair.
And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten;
but how do you fix this shipwrecked
history of hair?
In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad-the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that inheritance.
Paired with full-color illustrations by artist Andrea Pippins in a format that will appeal to fans of Mahogany L. Browne's Black Girl Magic or Jason Reynolds's For Everyone, this poem can now be read in a vibrant package, making it the ideal gift, treasure, or inspiration for readers of any age.

About the author

Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie Medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus Prize finalist. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem and Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC, with her family.

Summary

They tell me to “fix” my hair.
And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten;
but how do you fix this shipwrecked
history of hair?
In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad—the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that inheritance.
Paired with full-color illustrations by artist Andrea Pippins in a format that will appeal to fans of Mahogany L. Browne’s Black Girl Magic or Jason Reynolds’s For Everyone, this poem can now be read in a vibrant package, making it the ideal gift, treasure, or inspiration for readers of any age.

Report

"In this small book, every square inch of every page is full of color and visual depictions of the poem's evocative lines. The palette in Pippin's illustrations-every shade of brown and warm terracotta earth tones-echoes the poem's sentiments... [a] beautiful, inviting presentation of Acevedo's poem." - Booklist (starred review)
"An incredible amount of reflection appears in this slim volume, making this a wonderful choice for group discussions. Brave, sharp, and powerful." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In spoken-word lines that explicate the tension between what people say and what they mean, Acevedo (Clap When You Land) confronts the cultural specter of hair-related prejudice through the lens of colonial history and Afro-Dominican identity." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product details

• Authors: Elizabeth Acevedo
• Assisted by: Andrea Pippins (Illustration)
• Publisher: Quill Tree Books
• Content: Book
• Product form: Hardback
• Publication date: 03.05.2022
• Subject: Children's and young people's books > Children's books up to 11 years of age
• EAN: 9780062931948
• ISBN: 978-0-06-293194-8
• Pages: 48
• Age Recommendation: ages 13 to 99
• Subjects: Empowerment, Empire, PRE, History, Girl Power, Diversity, Feminism, african american, him, YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Poetry, Black, Bullying, School, High, Race, Activism, year, Inheritance, Self-Reliance, Elizabeth Acevedo, self-esteem, black girl magic, Social Justice, Black girl books, black voices, old, #OwnVoices, Spoken Word Poetry, Black History, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Dream big, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Art and artists, Children’s / Teenage general interest: History and the past, Children’s / Teenage: Poetry, Relating to Latin / Hispanic American people, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Places and peoples, African American Poetry, Latinx, Respect, Grade, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Poetry *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Social Topics / Assimilation *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Social Topics / Bullying *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Social Topics / Violence *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Social Topics / Prejudice & Racism *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: History / General *, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Social Topics / Friendship *, Relating to African American / Black American people, Children’s / Teenage social topics: Activism / activists, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION: Activism & Social Justice, YA contemporary, ya books, stocking, Middle, YA Lit, books for teens, BIPOC author, books for black girls, nonfiction books for teens, inspirational books for teens, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships, Graphic novel / Comic book / Manga: Memoirs, true stories and non-fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Bullying and harassment, Relating to people of the Latin American diasporas / heritage, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Cartoons and comic strips, 7th, Black author, books for black boys, stuffer, inspirational poems, Self-Respect, natural hair, poetry for teens, 9th, poetry verse, afro-latina, YA nonfiction, girls of color, illustrated poetry paperback, 8th, black hair care, Illustrated Poetry Collection, #blackgirlmagic books, illustrated poetry book, poetry for young adults, poetry about identity, poetry collection books, Black hair history, in verse, afro latina books, afro latina heritage, poetry about culture, poetry about beauty, slam poems, afro latinx literature, children poetry books, black girl poetry, cultural poetry books, afro latina literature, black hair beauty, Black Hair Culture, poetry about ancestry, latina culture poetry, african american literature poetry, regional poetry literature, black hair empowerment, latina heritage books, black girl empowerment poetry, black hair poetry, illustrated verse poetry, poetry paperback books, latina heritage poetry, poetry collection illustrated, black hair stories, black hair journey, elizabeth acevedo books, poetry books illustrated, illustrated verse book, latina culture books, afro latina culture, afro latinidad books, latina cultural poetry, poetry about pride, latina cultural heritage poetry, natural hair identity, afro caribbean books, black hair books, multicultural poetry books, afro latina identity, afro latina heritage poetry, black hair cultural poetry, afro caribbean literature, elizabeth acevedo illustrated poetry, afro latinx poetry, black hair cultural, poetry about black hair