WORDS WITH WINGS by Nikki Grimes

Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. 2013. Words with Wings. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: WordSong. ISBN 9781590789858

Critical Analysis

Grimes’ novel in verse is a testament to the power of dreams and words. It is also a demonstration of how teachers and parents can make or break their children. This is a novel that should be read by children and adults. Words with Wings tells the story of a young girl, Gabby, a daydreamer extraordinaire. It tells of her parents’ separation and how Gabby’s daydreams affect her relationship with her mom, teacher and peers. It also shows us how her daydreams help her cope with the difficult situations she finds herself in. The poems in this book are very short, reminiscent of Gabby’s attention span. There is a balance between poems that tell Gabby’s story and poems that give us a peek into Gabby’s mind as she daydreams and how one word can send her mind soaring into a memory or story in her mind. Being a novel written in verse, rhyme is not used much, but there is a distinct rhythm and flow that makes this a quick and easy read. Grimes also uses very descriptive language to paint a scene rather than just give it away. For example, when Gabby’s dad leaves, he doesn't cry – “Something we was in his eye. . .” This book can be easily related to by both children and adults. While not all children have the exact same experiences as Gabby, they can relate to and learn from her ability to cope with difficult situations. Adults and children can relate to this story and different poems in it that describe the relationship and actions toward someone who thinks differently than you.

Example

While the book really does need to be read as a whole, the title poem “Words with Wings” has a great significance to the story and could easily be studied on its own. This is the turning point in the story where we begin to better understand Gabby and what triggers her daydreams. In relationship to the novel as a whole, I would pull this poem out and look at what Gabby means by “other words have wings.” I would give each student a word and just see where those words take them. It would make a great writing lesson to teach them the stream of consciousness writing and how one word can connect to another that remind them of a story or a memory. It would be great to emulate Mr. Spicer and allow the students to daydream and then let their words paint the pictures they dreamed.

Words with Wings

Some words
sit still on the page
holding a story steady.
Those words
never get me into trouble.
But other words have wings
that wake my daydreams.
They fly in,
silent as sunrise,
tickle my imagination,
and carry my thoughts away.
I can’t help
but buckle up
for the ride!