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