How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

How the Boogeyman Became a PoetHow the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith
ISBN: 0063296004
Pages: 345
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“How the Boogeyman Became a Poet” is a young adult memoir in verse by Tony Keith Jr. The memoir begins in school where Keith’s first poem seemed to just burst out of him. He deals with the challenges of school with hiding the fact that he is gay, dealing with discouraging teachers, being black, and more, but while the memoir may show harsh parts of Keith’s life, it also manages to be uplifting. The boogeyman is the parts of Keith that the world would rather not see and it gets released through his poetry. Photos and scans of his written poetry are interspersed throughout the book. A recommended purchase for YA biography collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars