Locomotion

Five years ago, 11-year-old Lonnie Motion’s entire world came crashing down when he lost his parents in a house fire and was subsequently separated from his sister in foster care. Now, as he enters the fifth grade, he finds an unexpected outlet to express himself as his class begins to learn how to write poetry. Through the power of poetry, Lonnie finds the words to tell his story, address his grief, and move forward.  

Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion captures Lonnie’s voice with feelings of honesty, sincerity, and warmth. The novel consists of 60 poems of varying lengths, some longer and more focused, while others are more spontaneous. They vary in format but are mostly free verse. However, letters, haikus, and sonnets are also included. Through these poems, the reader is immersed in Lonnie’s emotional journey. The medium allows him to confront the difficult memories he has avoided, reconnect with his sister Lili, and begin to look forward to the future with his foster mom, Miss Edna, and her son, Rodney.  

Locomotion masterfully balances heartbreak and hope through Lonnie’s voice. The book is a stark reminder that children who have experienced traumatic circumstances are still capable of joy, humor, and happiness. As the story progresses, Lonnie becomes more comfortable in his new life. His exploration of poetry is a key driver in this progress, allowing him to make sense of what he has gone through and encouraging him to trust the people around him.   

Locomotion is especially suited for middle school-aged readers, particularly those who appreciate realistic fiction and the unconventional story format of poems. The most distressing content (i.e., the house fire and the loss of Lonnie’s parents) is described delicately, as Woodson explores these traumatic themes through Lonnie’s hazy memories rather than in graphic detail. The themes of grief and loss may be heavy for some readers, but Woodson demonstrates how these feelings can be expressed and processed constructively through the creative process of Lonnie’s poetry. 

Overall, Locomotion is a moving story that is a powerful example of the healing power of creativity, in this case, poetry. Lonnie’s journey is defined not just by tragedy and loss but also by hope and resilience, and that recovery is never a purely linear journey. As Lonnie writes in his concluding poem “June:” “The poems come to you day and night. Sometimes they wake you up and make you write them down real fast even though there’s not a voice saying Be quiet, Lonnie in your head anymore. . . Just words. Lots and lots and lots of words.”  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence 

• Lonnie references the fire that took the lives of his parents many times, often focusing on elements like flames, smoke, and screaming. For instance, “In my head I see a fire. I see black windows. I hear people hollering. I smell screaming. I smell smoke. I hear a man’s voice saying I’m so sorry. I hear myself screaming.” 
• Miss Edna’s son, Jenkins, is out fighting in a war (presumably Afghanistan, considering the book’s release date). In “War Poem,” Lonnie writes, “Dear Lord, I heard her say once, Keep Jenkins safe and don’t let too many people die in this war.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

• None 

Language 

• None

Supernatural Content 

• None 

Spiritual Content 

• In the poem “December 9th,” Lonnie wakes up and realizes he’s sick. After his foster mother, Miss Edna, takes the day off to take care of him, he hears her praying out loud, asking God how long Lonnie will have to bear the burden of grief. “‘It’s been four years,’ Miss Edna says to the Lord, ‘how long will [Lonnie] carry this burden?’” 
• In “God Poem,” while Lonnie is sitting on his building’s roof, he says, “There’s a fat moon and enough stars to read Lili’s Bible but/ I don’t understand a lot of the words and I’m waiting for God to show Himself to me/ Not for me so much–for Lili. Yeah, I guess, for me too.” 
• When he visits his sister Lili’s foster home, Lonnie writes, “God’s in this room, I whisper to Lili. She looks at me a minute without saying anything. Then she smiles. God is everywhere, I say.” 
• In “Easter Sunday,” Lonnie recalls going to church. He writes, “At church, the preacher goes on about Christ rising.” This leads Lonnie to wonder, “Was it a big sacrifice to give your life if you knew you was gonna rise back up? I mean, isn’t that like just taking a nap?” 
• Lonnie writes a letter telling God that he is reading the Bible and questions aspects of the book.  “Like how did you make the sky and the water and the earth and stuff? And when you took a rib from Adam to make Eve, was that like an operation? Miss Edna says it’s blasphemous to ask those kinds of questions, but I just wouldn’t mind knowing some answers.” Lonnie concludes the letter with, “God? Do you know that this was a poem letter? And God? Is there some kind of sign you can send down about how Mama and Daddy are doing up there with you? I’m gonna see Lili tomorrow and it’d be nice to get to her new mama’s house with some good news.” 

by Nicholas Paragano