Book 2 Module 2 novel by Jacqueline Woodson

A. Bibliography:
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2003. Locomotion. New York, NY: Putnam & Sons.
ISBN: 0399231153

B. Plot Summary
Lonnie Collins Motion finds a way to express his reaction to his parent's death in a fire,as well as his observations of the world around him through poetry.

C. Critical Analysis ( Including Cultural Markers. )
Jacqueline Woodson effortlessly weaves many cultural markers into Lonnie's poems,such as description of physical attributes,portrayal of the urban setting as well as language patterns.

For example, in the poem Commercial Break Lonnie describes his reaction to a TV commercial that depicts a happy,perfect, affluent family situation so unlike his current one. When Lonnie notes that the family in the commercial is white, his English teacher Ms. Marcus wonders why he always has to be so aware of race. In that moment, Lonnie becomes very conscious of the color of his own dark brown skin.

Lonnie records the genuine voices of people in his neighborhood: For example, Miss Edna, his foster mom, has a very lively and natural voice. Lonnie depicts her delight while they are grocery shopping. She says, " You know how we love ourselves some Twinkies,Lonnie."
Likewise,Lonnie's male school friends shout out exuberantly "Hey Dog. You want to hoop." from the basketball courts.

Lonnie also uses slang correctly. Later, in List Poem, Lonnie refers to his shoes as "kicks."

As she is using a vivid first person, verse narrative, Woodson is free to tackle familiar themes in a refreshing way. She lovingly portrays Lonnie's enduring relationship with his little sister Lili, who is being raised in another foster home. Using the voice of Lonnie, Woodson can discuss and depict the everyday rituals of life as well as the strength of the African-American family. Because the catalyst for Lonnie's self expression is an English class taught by the committed and sympathetic Ms. Marcus, Woodson affirms the value of education and literature.

In addition to successfully tackling important African_American themes, the author succeeds on many levels. In Lonnie Collins Motion, the reader finds an unforgettable, loving , wounded character. In the book Locomotion, the reader is also swept along by the liveliness and authenticity of Lonnie's poetic voice as the story unfolds.

D. Review Excerpts
School Library Journal:
Told in Lonnie's affecting voice, this tightly constructed, exemplary novel in verse will touch readers' hearts.

The Horn Book:
The line breaks make for very easy reading, and Lonnie talks about those line breaks and about poetry forms, making this ideal for use in classrooms where students are reading and writing poetry. From rap to haiku, Woodson shows and tells that poetry is about who we are.

E. Connections
Teachers might encourage students to write haikus about their own experiences.


Students who enjoy reading stories in verse might enjoy these books about young people meeting adversity.

Frost, Helen. Keesha's House. ISBN: 9780374340643 (Young Adults)
Johnsohn, Angela. Running Back to Ludie ISBN: 9780439293167
Creech, Sharon. Heartbeat. ISBN: 9780060540227
Testa,Maria. Becoming Joe DiMaggio. ISBN: 9780763615376