65 pages 2 hours read

The Color of My Words

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2000

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Introduction

The Color of My Words

  • Genre: Fiction; middle grade realistic
  • Originally Published: 2000
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 840L; grades 5-8
  • Structure/Length: 8 chapters; approx. 144 pages; approx. 2 hours on audio
  • Protagonist and Central Conflict: Twelve-year-old Ana Rosa lives in the Dominican Republic and aspires to become a poet. One of her poems opens each chapter of the novel, which tells how writing helps Ana Rosa define herself, fight against injustice, and grieve the death of her brother.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Government violence; death of a sibling; drug and alcohol abuse

Lynn Joseph, Author

  • Bio: Born in 1963 in Trinidad; moved to Baltimore at age 10; earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado; studied constitutional law and civil rights at Fordham University, where she earned her law degree; weaves elements of Caribbean culture into her books; has written several picture books about Trinidad in addition to her novels; loves to travel and write about the places she visits
  • Other Works: A Wave in Her Pocket (1991); The Mermaid’s Twin Sister (1994); Flowers in the Sky (2013); Dancing in the Rain (2016)
  • Awards: Américas Award for Children (2000); ALA Notable Children’s Book (2001)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • The Power of Words
  • Family Relationships and How They Affect People
  • The Government Versus the People