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Garvey in the Dark

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Winner, 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
Capturing the shock and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of Garvey, a beloved character, Nikki Grimes’s newest novel in verse shows readers how to find hope in difficult times.

Garvey’s finally happy—he’s feeling close to his father through their shared love of music, bullies are no longer tormenting him, and his best friends Manny and Joe are by his side. But when the schools, stores, and restaurants close because people are getting sick, Garvey’s improved life goes into lockdown as well. And when Garvey’s father gets sick, Garvey must find a way to use his newfound musical skills to bring hope to both his father and himself. Moving, powerful, and beautifully told, this remarkable novel shows readers how even small acts have large reverberations, how every person can make a difference in this world, and how—even in the most difficult times—there are ways to reach for hope and healing.
 
Nikki Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author who has won the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, and NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She has also received several ALSC Notables, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, Coretta Scott King Author Honors, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors, a Printz Honor, and a Sibert Honor.
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    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2022
      The protagonist of Garvey's Choice (2016) faces world-altering challenges. In Grimes' earlier book, Garvey, a young Black boy, found his courageous voice in the school chorus and connected with his sports-obsessed father. Relying again on the poetic form of tanka, this elegant verse novel sees Garvey and his family seeking to push through the maelstrom of life in 2020. Not only is Covid-19 sweeping the world ("The Invisible Beast," as Garvey terms it), things are exacerbated by the continued presence of anti-Black violence as global communities lift up in protest the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. School is now driven by laptop cameras and screen time. Everyone is home now except for Dad, whose work installing Wi-Fi may expose him to threats that the entire family must take seriously. The stress builds, affecting everyone. The public outlets that Garvey discovered to fuel his happiness just aren't available to him like before, when things were "normal." Grimes conveys many of the elements specific to Black life in 2020, focusing on how families adapted to Covid, not knowing whether a lasting resolution would arrive. Though this story feels a little rushed compared with the first installment, it nevertheless tackles themes of family, friendship, grief, and coping with injustice and will inspire dialogue about this chaotic period as well as a sense of hope and healing. A way for young people to reflect on a troubled time. (note about tanka) (Verse novel. 8-13)

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      October 15, 2022
      Grades 4-8 Garvey, who lives with his parents and older sister, tries to stay on track despite the arrival of COVID-19 in their Southern California community. Mom is learning to conduct her classes from home, while Dad works long hours installing Wi-Fi, leaving no time to spend with his son. With schools closed, pandemic restrictions in place, and news reports of police killing Black people, Garvey is disturbed on many levels. Talking with his sister helps, especially when their father falls ill and seems to be failing. Garvey, who used music to forge a better relationship with Dad in Garvey's Choice (2016), finds a way to connect with him once again. Written in sequences of five-line tanka poems, a haiku-like form, this verse novel transports readers back to the early pandemic months through Garvey's experiences. The poems vividly express his thoughts and emotions as he, his family, and his friends deal with unwanted changes in their lives as well as the underlying dread of COVID-19. This engaging sequel will resonate with many readers.

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      October 14, 2022

      Gr 4-8-This companion novel to Garvey's Choice follows Garvey's experiences living through the changes and upsets in 2020 that the start of the pandemic brought. Told in the modern form of tanka poems (31 syllables in five lines), this novel in verse, set in Southern California, shows the routine of daily life for Garvey-being with friends, going to school, attending church, creating music-and the increasing whispers of illness, death, and the looming threat of the "Invisible Beast" (as Garvey and his friend Manny call it). Garvey's mother, a teacher, begins to work from home while his father, an essential worker, still must leave the house, risking exposure to the virus. As Garvey, who is Black, becomes stuck inside more than ever, he longs to participate in the BLM protests sweeping the world in the aftermath of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. He learns to manage his worries through a supportive family, his deep attachment to music, and books. As Garvey notes as the start of the book, the pandemic has left him different but also the same, a feeling many young readers may relate to. Though it feels rushed at times, this quick read, both in pacing and format, is a moving reflection on our recent past and the ongoing pandemic. Grimes, with her characteristic graceful, emotive poetry, incisively captures and uncertainty, exhaustion, fear, and isolation of the era. VERDICT Top-notch writing with wide appeal. A hopeful tool for processing the pandemic, which has occupied a significant portion of students' young lives.-Amanda MacGregor

      Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:3.7
  • Lexile® Measure:590
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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