Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson Summary of Locomotion Lonnie

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Summary of Locomotion Lonnie C. Motion has had some tough breaks in his life. But this fall, Lonnie’s fifth grade class is learning to write poetry and suddenly, Lonnie is finding the words to tell the world about his family, the fire that took his parents away, his little sister, his world. Where it takes place: In the Bedford Stuyvesant and Park Slope sections of Brooklyn, NY Where I wrote it: In Park Slope, Brooklyn. Why I wrote it: Lonnie’s voice was in my head. The poems started coming and the rest…the rest is this book, I guess. (www. jacquelinewoodson. com)

List Poem Blue kicks--Pumas Blue-and-white Mets shirt Mets hat A watch my daddy gave me Black pants but not dressy--they got side pockets Ten cornrows with zigzag parts like Sprewell’s A gold chain with a cross on it from Mama--under my shirt White socks clean One white undershirt clean White underwear clean A dollar seventy-five left pocket Two black pens A little notebook right pocket All my teeth inside my mouth One little bit crooked front one Brown eyes A little mole by my lip Lotion on so I don’t look ashy Three keys to Miss Edna’s house back pocket Some words I wanted to remember written on my right hand Leftie Lonnie (Page 33)

All of A Sudden, The Poem Today Angel said he was writing a book of poems called All of a Sudden, The Sun Ms. Marcus’s smile got so big you could see her back teeth. Angel got all show-offy then, saying every poem is gonna be about how sometimes the sun just comes out when you don’t expect it to--like when it’s raining and stuff. And Ms. Marcus just kept smiling and shaking her head and saying Wonderful, brilliant, excellent, good for you, Angel until other kids caught on to all the smiling he was doing about books they were gonna write like All of a Sudden, The Moon and All of a Sudden, The School and All of a Sudden, The Pepsi Cola Can until the titles got so stupid, Ms. Marcus stopped smiling, told us poetry was over for the day. Said it was time for math. And I didn’t even care because Angel’s idea wasn’t the best idea I ever heard in the word even if Ms. Marcus thought so. She don’t know everything anyway. Probably wouldn’t know a good poem if… If nothing. Some days I hate poetry. The way the good ideas be going to somebody else. (Page 53 -54)

Extension 1. Why might a poet write a list poem? 2. Choose 2 items from her list and explain what each reveals about the narrator. 3. What is the author’s tone in “All of A Sudden, The Poem? ” Give an example of how you know. 4. Describe a time you have felt like the narrator did in “All of a Sudden, The Poem. ” 5. Write your own list poem using hers a a mentor.