Poet X - Common Read 2020: Home

National Poetry Slam Champion Elizabeth Acevedo received the 2018 National Book Award for her New York Times best selling novel, The Poet X. She is also the winner of the Boston-Globe Hornbook Award Prize for Best Children’s Fiction and the author of Clap When You Land, With the Fire On High, and the chapbook Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths. Acevedo holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. She resides in Washington, DC with her husband.

Maria Hinojosa of NPR's Latino USA program sits down with Acevedo to discuss how storytelling became an important part of her life, her identity, and the impact of her success. 

Become a slam poet in 5 steps by Slam Poetry Champion Gayle Danley

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
Golden Kite Award Honor Book
Michael L. Printz Award
National Book Award
Pura Belpré Award

In this award-winning, New York Times best-seller, "Acevedo transforms everyday language into transcendent imagery in this novel-in-verse about Xiomara, who struggles to come into her own power amid her restrictive upbringing. Over the course of these lyrical, expressive, and honest poems, she grows from speaking with her fists to embracing her identity as the Poet X." -- from the Printz Award Committee

• Book excerpt (text)
• Audio excerpt
• Borrow copy of ebook or audiobook from Library's OverDrive collection.

To listen to or read the book on a mobile device, download OverDrive's Sora app.  Directions can be found here. 

Acevedo performs "Night Before First Day of School" from The Poet X (video)

Acevedo performs "Music A" from The Poet X (video)

Acevedo performs "Name" from The Poet X (video)