Amiri And Odette - A Love Story by Walter Dean Myers
Javaka Steptoe
Scholastic - 2009
Age: Young adult (12+)
Cautions: Gang violence

Kiwi Magazine Review:
A modern-day Swan Lake set in the mean streets brings a new perspective and breathes new life into this classic love story. Amiri and Odette find love but find it hard to sustain when the world around them is so cold and frightening. The text twists, turns and soars while conveying today’s take on Swan Lake.

Buy this book on Amazon.com

Product Description
A boy searches for his newfound love among the city streets, to find that, unwarily, she’s been caught in the arms of an evil street lord who means her harm. It is only through perseverance and undying love that the girl is returned to the safety of her one true love. Lyrical text and stunning mixed media artwork make for a powerful recasting of the classic ballet Swan Lake.
They danced like mist on water

As light as summer breeze.

He touched her waist; she kissed his cheek.

Her eyes began to tease.

Set among the asphalt of a housing project and the concrete of a basketball court, Walter Dean Myers’ compelling work is delivered with rhythms that twist, hover, pounce, and inspire. For Amiri and Odette, love is hard when the streets are mean. Their dance for two becomes a fight for three, and their only chance is to hold fast to the power of being together as one. Part poem, part love story, part rap and rhapsody, AMIRI AND ODETTE: A DANCE FOR TWO celebrates hearts that beat forever. Accompanied by the collage-on-cinder-block paintings of Javaka Steptoe, this genre-breaking volume sets a new stage for a classic story.

Share This: