Week 1: Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks

By borkali in Summer Reading 2020 on
10 comments

This book of poetry gives us insight into the kids of Bronzeville, which is in Chicago. The poems “Jim” “Eldora, Who is Rich” & “The Admiration of Willie.” The illustrations bring the reader straight into the neighborhood and the narratives.

Published by borkali

10 comments on “Week 1: Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks”

  1. Just really love this slice of time and neighborhood. Delightfully lyrical, it brings to mind A Child’s Garden of Verses, which I grew on as a child.

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  2. How did you come across this book of poems. I discovered that the author, Gwendolyn Brooks, is the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. You are always making such interesting discoveries. When my family moved to Chicago in the 60’s, The South Side of Chicago was considered dangerous. Racially restricted housing had caused this culturally rich thriving neighborhood to decline. It’s a real example of the devastation caused by racial injustice. The good news is that Bronzeville is coming back to life and residents are reclaiming its rich historical heritage. Thanks B.

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    1. Gwendolyn Brooks is a poet I’ve been reading and have several of her books- I always look for children’s books / illustrated editions — they fascinate me! I’m glad you looked her up – she is bad ass 🙂

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  3. Seeing the name Gwendolyn Brooks in the title of your post grabbed my attention, Borkali, and now I know something about Bronzeville. More poems, in a later edition with a different illustrator, can be read on an Amazon preview. The titles of all of the poems are there in the Table of Contents, too.

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