I found this handsome children's book at Mori Books, my favorite local used-and-collectible bookstore. This book's a collection of poems by Nikki Grimes (illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue), describing the tentative friendship between a young boy (the narrator) and the tough-but-tender man named Blue who has come into the lives of the boy and his mother. I've seen very few children's books that address modern urban life - much less involving African-American family relationships - so this was a pleasant surprise.

"His hands
are a rough sculpture
of thick fingers
& thumbs tipped
with work-proud
callouses, his badges
of tough, honest labor
down on the docks.
His hands
are strong stories.
He tells them
sometimes when
I let him hold mine."

RELEASE NOTES:

I plan to leave this in the entrance area of Trader Joe's at about 3:30, on my way in to pick up some of their wonderful coffee. [I've included a newspaper clipping about civil rights legend Rosa Parks, who died yesterday at the age of 92.] Hope the finder enjoys the book!

I've had the book for a couple of years. Sorry :) My sister is going to bring it to Costa Rica.

CAUGHT IN TYNGSBORO MA USA

Hi. I got this book from a girl from Massachusetts in the city of Heredia, Costa Rica. It was a rewarding experience to get to know this little piece of urban poetry here in Costa Rica. I personally loved the rythm of the words and the images of the city. It has come a long way until it reached my hands, and now I'm about to let it go again. I got it with a newspaper's note on Rosa Parks death, and I'll leave the paper inside. I think It will be going back north, all the way to Seattle.

I came across the book in Costa Rica, given to me by a Spanish teacher. I held onto the book because I knew one day I would be a teacher and I wanted to share it with my class. Two years later, I am a third grade teacher in Sammammish, Washington, and I have the best third grade class ever! We read the book together and were really happy with it. I think we all enjoyed that is was written as a poem, and that it was a sweet story of friendship. It was also written in a place that was very different (the school) then ours. It made us happy to have a safe school that we love.

These comments are from students at Samantha Smith Elementary in Miss Enger's third grade class:
"First of all the boy thinks that Blue might not be very nice but Blue saves his life".
"I like how the author ryhmes and uses poetry in her book." "She has very good word choice."
"Fun to read about."
"Emotional"
"I would recommend the book."
"We want to know why there was a newspaper article in the book?" (we left it in there, it is about Rosa Parks)
"The little boy wanted to be like the man."
"I wouldn't recommend the book because it wasn't that interesting."
"I wouldn't recommend the book to 1st or 2nd graders because of the words it should be 4th grade and up"
"It has a little too much violence in it because of the boy at the school getting shot."
"I like the pictures."
"I liked but it didn't really make sense until the teacher explained what was going on."
"The book kind of talks to you, by ryhming and the poetry and the nice facts and details."
"We can't wait to pass the book along!"

"The pictures look like they have texture and are very detailed."
Our class voted on where to leave the book and we are going to leave it at the Woodland Park Zoo's rose garden to travel onto another place and person!
"

CAUGHT IN HEREDIA COSTA RICA

I wanted to put in one more entry, I entered the last one on this book along with my 3rd grade class. Our book is going to be released in Seattle at the site of my wedding (the rose garden), and we hope (my students and I) to track it on its journey!