Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems

Gr 3-6—Nye offers a brilliant collection of poems about the essence of human connection. The book is divided into three parts: "The Holy Land of Childhood," "The Holy Land that Isn't," and "People Are the Only Holy Land." She weaves her personal experiences into portraits of joy, pain, fear, and love. The poems range from a few stanzas to free verse stories that span several pages. Some poems will appeal to small children; some will engage teachers, teens, adults, and older readers. Nye writes about her Palestinian heritage with honesty and reverence, sparking conversations on acceptance, war, truth, and humanity. Readers will laugh, smile, cry, think, wonder, and (hopefully) change for the better. The final poem, "Slim Thoughts," wonderfully addresses her writing process. Nye's notes at the end of the work provide valuable insight into her sources of inspiration, as does the introduction. VERDICT A spectacular book of poetry for all collections. An essential purchase.—Lia Carruthers, Gill St. Bernard's Sch., Gladstone, NJ