The Poet X facts for kids

The Poet X is an exciting young adult novel written by Elizabeth Acevedo in 2018. It tells the story of fifteen-year-old Xiomara, who goes by the nickname X. She uses poetry to help her understand and deal with challenges in her family life. The book was very popular and won many important awards at the 2019 Youth Media Awards.

Discovering The Poet X

Xiomara Batista is a fifteen-year-old girl from Dominican heritage. She lives in Harlem and has a deep love for writing poetry. Xiomara dreams of sharing her poems with the world.

Family Life and Challenges

Xiomara's mother is very religious. She wants Xiomara to complete her confirmation, a religious ceremony, which has been delayed for three years. Xiomara sometimes feels less important than her brother, Xavier, who everyone calls Twin. Twin gets a lot of praise for his achievements.

Xiomara's Secret Passion

Xiomara keeps her poetry a secret. She writes in a notebook, pouring out her feelings and thoughts. This secret writing helps her deal with her feelings about her family and her place in the world.

During the school year, Xiomara meets a boy named Aman in her lab class. They become close friends. However, their friendship causes a problem when Xiomara's mother sees them together.

Eventually, Xiomara's mother discovers her secret poetry. This leads to a difficult moment between them. Xiomara must then decide how to stand up for her passion and her voice.