I CAN WRITE THE WORLD

Eight-year-old Ava Murray is determined to become a journalist and write about the world, but first, she will start in the place she knows and loves best, her neighborhood in the Bronx, New York.

This story begins with Ava waking up in the apartment she shares with her mother in the Bronx. She and her mother love their neighborhood; however, the little black girl notices that the negative stories of the Bronx on the news do not always match her experience. After watching the news together, Ava’s mother explains, “Sometimes the way the world sees us / Is different from how we see ourselves.” Ava’s mother encourages her to focus on the creativity and sense of community they know, and Ava shares in class what she thinks is sometimes hidden or misunderstood about her home. Palmer’s striking, painterly illustrations are reminiscent of the graffiti Ava and her mother talk about. They depict Ava and her mom with glowing, dark-brown skin and reveal influences of hip-hop and the multiple cultures that make up the Bronx. The book is a narrative poem; therefore, grammatical conventions are not always followed, most notably in the avoidance of periods. The unconventional punctuation could prove difficult for beginning readers, but the effect for those reading aloud is one of propulsive forward movement.

A vibrant story about what makes a place home and the ties between culture and pride.