Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim

 

The Rose That grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur

       Shakur, T. (2009). The rose that grew from concrete. MTV Books/Gallery Books. ISBM 9780671028459

       The Rose That grew from Concrete is a collection of poems written by deceased rapper Tupac Shakur from ages 18 to 20.  The book was published posthumously and features the poems written in Tupac's own handwriting alongside the same poems typed out on the adjacent page to make it easier to read.

       The collection of poems in Tupac's books was beautifully written.  Even at a young age, Tupac was clearly able to express his raw thoughts and emotions with ease, and that was easy to see and read in his book.  There was something deeply personal about getting to read his poems in his handwriting. It connects the reader to Tupac and the meaning of his poems at a deeper level.  Tupac masterfully crafts each poem, all of which differ in levels of meaning and cover an array of topics.

Tupac's poems portray a vast array of emotions, and that is something that could be used to appeal to young male readers.  In today's society, sadly, more often than not it is seen as a weakness if a male shows emotions.  Tupac's poems illustrate that no one is too "manly" to feel emotions and it is more than okay to express them and how you feel.  I had seen a Tiktok (linked below) where a teacher showed Tupac's poems to her students but did not have any information about the author.  In the mini-lesson, the students dissect the poems and attempted to create a background for the author and guess their identity.  While some of her students were able to correctly identify the author as Tupac, many were not and were surprised to learn that the author was this popular rapper that many of her students looked up to.  Some of her students had already felt a connection to Tupac through music, and as a result of the mini-lesson, they were able to connect to him at a different level through his poetry.  You can watch the TikTok here.

Lynne Hawkins from VOYA says The Rose That Grew From Concrete "will fly off the shelves. Many teens will see themselves as future poets/lyricists; from gangsta rap to Paul Anka, it is all poetry."  Books similar to The Rose That Grew From Concrete include Dear Martin by Nic Stone and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.

Awards: 

Garden State Teen Book Award, 2003; Non-Fiction Grade (9-12)

Sources:   

• Shakur, T. (2009). The rose that grew from concrete. MTV Books/Gallery Books.
• The Rose That grew From Concrete. CLCD. (n.d.).  http://www.clcd.com.ezproxy.shsu.edu/#/bookdetail/1/0/PdmlGhNMhmjqjmMm/bdrtop
• https://www.tiktok.com/@havingagoodyear/video/7212434704103017774?_r=1&_t=8dKtgb2zIYI&social_sharing=v4