Amsterdam Avenue

Siren screams and car horns
clog the air.
Still, the sparrows song
survives the blare.
And, though six-storied buildings
crowd this sky.
The sun scissors through and shines --
and so will I.

So writes Jazmin, a 14-year-old African-American girl who can think of nothing but becoming a famous poet. She lives alone with her older sister because her alcoholic mom is in and out of mental institutions. It's all the two of them can do to get the next meal on the table.

Despite all the pain that this young girl has dealt with, she has big dreams. Through her parents' ugly divorce, the accidental death of her father and a distant mother who can barely stand to hug her, Jazmin stays amazingly strong. I tried writing Mom last night, but it was no use. What am I supposed to say? I miss you? I've been missing her half my life.

Not many people believe in her but she doesn't let that get in the way. Even when there's only a box of oatmeal left in the food pantry, and she's forced to go to school in ugly secondhand clothes, she knows she's special. It hurts to see the other girls in their new jeans and jewelry but she reminds herself...

I've got more brains and talent in my pinky than Chavonne has in her whole body, and I'm not looking to trade places. Just clothes.

Her family tells her she should get her head out of the clouds and none of them wants her except her sister. Her guidance counselor tells her she shouldn't even think about going to college even though she's a straight A student. Scribbling away in her tattered notebook, she pours her hopes and hurt onto paper.

Nikki Grimes has truly given us a realistic look at the tough truth of life in inner-city New York. Jazmin's Notebook is written in a diary style, making it hard not to come away feeling for this troubled girl and her heartache. You'll feel her joy as she finds friends that will last a lifetime and you'll cry for her as she endures the pain of being discarded by her family.

Although this story is straightforward and rather short, it delivers an inspiring look at the life of a struggling young poet and her poverty-stricken family and friends. This story is truly worth reading! Not often does a book so small and seemingly so simple give the reader such hope. You'll love the book and Jazmin too -- as you get to know her through every word in her notebook.