Garvey's Choice, Paperback/Nikki Grimes

This emotionally resonant novel in verse by award-winning author Nikki Grimes celebrates choosing to be true to yourself. Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading--anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey's life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father--by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year About author(s): Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her books include the New York Times best seller Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope and the Dyamonde Daniel chapter-book series. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for Bronx Masquerade and earned a Coretta Scott King Author Honor five times--for Words with Wings , Jazmin's Notebook , Dark Sons , Talkin' about Bessie , and The Road to Paris . She is also the author of her critically acclaimed memoir in verse Ordinary Hazards . She lives in Corona, California. Visit nikkigrimes.com.