book cover

Booked

by Kwame Alexander

Interest age: 12 to 16
Reading age: 12+

Published by Andersen Press, 2016

  • Poetry and rhyme

About this book

Twelve-year-old Nick is a star on the football pitch, but at home he's stuck with his linguistic professor father's "dictionary" that he has to read every day, and he hates it... until his prowess with words starts to win over the girl of his dreams.

But it's not all smooth sailing as he has to deal with his parents' separation, school bullies and an injury that takes him off the pitch. Soon Nick is spending more time with books and his rapping school librarian Mr Mac as he makes his way through a rollercoaster year at school.

Booked is an incredible novel. Written in verse, it's instantly readable, will grip a reluctant reader from page one and will improve every reader's vocabulary without them even realising it. The story has something for everyone, from school and family drama to fast-paced, rhythmic football matches. It's a joy to read.

About the author

Kwame Alexander is a poet, children's author, playwright, producer, performer, and winner of the Newbery Medal for his novel-in-verse, The Crossover, and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with Rebound. He conducts creative writing workshops in middle and high schools, often reaching more than five hundred students monthly. He lives with his wife and two daughters in the Washington, D.C. area.

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