The Bronx Masquerade

The Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes was a very enjoyable read for me. I loved how the book was set up where there was a journal type entry from a particular student, then the poem they wrote and read aloud during Open Mike Night, and then a short commentary by Tyrone. I do not believe I would have gotten as much out of this book if it had been written any differently. It was really neat that the reader is able to be on the 'inside' as well as the 'outside' point of view. The reader is on the 'inside' in the sense that we get to take a peak into each of the student's lives, all be it a short one, it is genuinely a very intimate part of their lives. Issues range from pregnancy, abuse, parents and aspirations. The poems they write really allow one to see into a deep side of them. Grimes also allows us to see an 'outside' perspective by having Tyrone make a comment after each student's poem is read. He often expressed what he thought about the fellow classmate before they read their poem and then after they read their poem. Although, in today's world it does not seem exactly feasible that students would get so excited about an Open Mike Night, so much that even the local news was there, it is still nice to believe that there is a hope students would be so eager to write and share their poetry. Even if this book does not inspire a whole movement of Open Mike Nights, at least it could inspire one struggling student to know they are not alone in their problems in the world and that there are ways to express themselves.