He Said, She Said

by Kwame Alexander

Overview

Sparks will fly in this hip-hop-hot teen novel that mixes social protest and star-crossed romance, from Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning author Kwame Alexander! He Said, She Said is perfect for fans of Walter Dean Myers and Rachel Vail alike. This paperback edition includes a Q&A with author Kwame Alexander.

He says: Omar "T-Diddy" Smalls has got it made—a full football ride to UMiami, hero-worship status at school, and pick of any girl at West Charleston High. She says: Football, shmootball. Here's what Claudia Clarke cares about: Harvard, the poor, the disenfranchised, the hungry, the staggering teen pregnancy rate, investigative journalism . . . the list goes on. She does not have a minute to waste on Mr. T-Diddy Smalls and his harem of bimbos.

He Said, She Said is a fun and fresh novel from Kwame Alexander that throws these two high school seniors together when they unexpectedly end up leading the biggest social protest this side of the Mississippi—with a lot of help from Facebook and Twitter. The stakes are high, the romance is hot, and when these worlds collide, watch out!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062118981
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/18/2014
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	87,402
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine books, including Rebound, the follow-up to his Newbery Medal–winning novel, The Crossover. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other picture books include Undefeated, Animal Ark, and Out of Wonder. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of several awards, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, three NAACP Image Award nominations, and the 2018 inaugural Conroy Legacy Award. He believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his writing workshop, the Write Thing. Kwame is also the host and producer of the literary variety/talk show Bookish. You can visit him at www.kwamealexander.com.

Editorial Reviews

Alexander’s hip-hop narration...is positively lyrical. A story contemporary students will really relate to and enjoy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Alexander’s hip-hop narration...is positively lyrical. A story contemporary students will really relate to and enjoy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Alexander’s hip-hop narration...is positively lyrical. A story contemporary students will really relate to and enjoy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Claudia and Omar, with their entertaining and distinctive narrative voices, are a couple worth rooting for in this lighthearted, socially conscious romance.

Horn Book Magazine

10/14/2013
As the title suggests, Alexander’s (Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band) first book for teens jumps between the narratives of two teens who don’t see eye to eye: star quarterback Omar “T-Diddy” Smalls and Harvard-bound student activist Claudia Clarke. Omar is getting plenty of action, on and off the field, and he bets his friends that he can sleep with Claudia within a month (“Trust me, cuz, it’ll never happen,” says one of his friends. “She’s Oprah. You’re Flavor Flav”). Omar is shot down time and again, but he sees an opening when the school board cuts arts funding, aligning himself with Claudia’s mission to overturn the board’s decision. Claudia sees right through him (“Yeah, I’ll just string Mr. Football along until the protest gets some legs. Then I’ll cut him loose like the stray dawg that he is”), but the teens end up surprising each other as they mobilize a protest. Facebook posts, email exchanges, and articles in the school newspaper provide additional forums for classmates’ verbal sparring. A fiery and funny romance with an undercurrent of social justice and awareness. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2013
Gr 10 Up—West Charleston High is the kingdom that Omar "T-Diddy" Smalls has won through his victorious battles on the gridiron as QB, including the state-championship game that helped seal his scholarship offer from the University of Miami. He has also won a great many female hearts and amassed quite a record of "bong-bong," loving and leaving about 20 young women to earn the label of "playa" that keeps Harvard-bound Claudia from even considering any kind of relationship with him, let alone a romantic one. All that starts to change when Omar decides to spearhead a school protest, suggested by Claudia, on massive cuts to arts programs like band and drama. Yes, he's making it up as he goes along, but he uses his near-celebrity status for a cause that matters and that's dear to the heart of a smart girl who looks like Beyoncé—one who won't have anything to do with him even after he has made a bet with his friends that he can bed her or at least bring them her panties. Both teens find change in love and purpose. Full of street slang and dialect as well as pages of Facebook posts and text conversations, this novel told in both Omar's and Claudia's voices will most likely appeal to reluctant readers who like plenty of innuendo and some graphic scenes in their urban teen "dramedy-romances."—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

School Library Journal

2013-09-01
A star high school quarterback bets he can get the attention of a girl who claims not to be interested by leading a protest for a cause she champions. Omar "T-Diddy" Smalls has the swagger that comes with his exalted status. The fact that he has moved to Charleston, S.C., from Brooklyn adds to his aura, and he attracts the attention of every desirable girl at school--except for Claudia Clarke, who calls him "immature, shallow [and a] fraud." Omar never runs away from a challenge, and he bets his friends that Claudia will become his next conquest. Socially conscious, Claudia is more interested in protesting budget cuts that will wipe out the arts, the library and other school activities--excluding sports--than in Omar. Omar uses his considerable charisma and stories from his activist uncle to lead a successful protest and bring the impending cuts much-needed attention. Through working together, Omar develops genuine feelings for Claudia, and she finds herself drawn to him. Told in alternating chapters by each of the main characters, this lively romance has humor and heart. The use of social media anchors the story in today's culture, while the banter between Omar and Claudia is clever and sounds just right for two smart, college-bound teens. Urban-fiction readers will enjoy this, but it will also appeal to any teen reader seeking a romantic read with lots of fun. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

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