Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Bibliographic Info:
Tan, Shaun. 2009. Tales From Outer Suburbia. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780545055871.

Review:
Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia is a book sure to satisfy both graphic novel lovers and readers of short stories. Tan’s illustrations and his stories are whimsical and bizarre, eerie and beautiful. There are many influences here, but Library Journal puts it best: “Chris Van Allsburg meets The Outer Limits” (2009).

Fifteen different stories are presented with fantastic illustrations. Some illustations are in black and white while others are in the muted earth tones that Tan is known for, such as in his wordless book The Arrival. The book’s second story, “Eric”, is both a tale of a foreign exchange student. Or is it an alien visitor? The host family doesn’t quite know what to do with this tiny being who finds more interest and joy in candy wrappers, bottle caps, and the Fibonacci-like patterns present in everyday objects. The gift Eric leaves for his host family is both lovely and magical, yet also very odd.

The story “Undertow” features a dugong, a creature similar to a manatee, that mysteriously appears on someone’s front lawn. The couple who own the house seem to do nothing but fight, which temporarily stops when the neighborhood bands together to try and save the dugong. When the dugong is rescued, rather unremarkably, things appear to return to normal as the neighbors go back to their everyday lives and the couple returns to arguing. There is a poignant moment at the end. “Nobody saw the small boy clutching an encyclopedia of marine zoology leave the front door of that house, creep toward the dugong-shaped patch, and lie down in the middle of it, arms by his sides, looking at the clouds and stars, hoping it would be along time before his parents noticed that he wasn’t in his room and came out angry and yelling” (Tan 2009). The last two sentences, which I will omit here, are quiet and almost apologetically beautiful.

Tales From Outer Suburbia was a 2010 YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, a 2010 ALA Notable Book for Children, and a 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Book for Children, among others. Each story reads like a snippet in a stranger’s life, but perhaps a stranger that reminds you of yourself or someone you remember from long ago. There is no trace of didacticism, although many stories could easily go that way. Instead, Tan leaves imagery, in both his illustrations and his words, to speak how they will to the reader. This book would work particularly well in a writing group of tweens or teens. Before reading any of the stories, have group members write a poem or story based on a single illustration from the book. Afterward, read the original, accompanying story aloud to the group and discuss how experiences and emotions can change interpretation.

References:
Benedetti, Angelina. June 2009. Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|20183934|21534168&mc=USA#. Accessed December 2, 2013.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Bibliographic Info:
Bacigalup, Paolo. 2010. Ship Breaker. New York: Little Brown. ISBN 9780316056212.

Review:
Paolo Bacigalupi’s novel Ship Breaker begins like a punch to the face. Nailer, our teenage protagonist who doesn’t know exactly how old he is, lives somewhere off the Gulf Coast of America in a future version of our world. The future is bleak. Oceans have risen, natural resources like oil and gas have been virtually depleted, and ship breakers like Nailer spend their days working to break down abandoned ships for parts that can be sold and recycled. The work is grueling and dangerous. Within the first few chapters, Nailer nearly dies in a scene that is sure to make the skin crawl on readers who are claustrophobic.

Several chapters into the novel, Nailer and his friend Pima find a wrecked clipper ship that is full of goods worth more money than they can even imagine, they make big plans to sell their scavenge and live a better life. When they discover the body of a rich, young girl on the ship, Pima and Nailer argue about leaving her or, when they find out she is still alive, brokering a deal so that they all benefit. What ensues is a nail-biting race to avert the many dangers of this dystopian world and to find a way to live a better life.

Bacigalupi addresses issues of pollution, class differences, genetic engineering, slavery, child labor, greed, family, and religion. The world he constructs is both brutal and exquisitely beautiful in its detail. The characters are fully formed and easy to both love and hate. Surprising for myself was how, by the end of the novel, I had grown to enjoy the character of the half-man, Tool, who is initially introduced as blood-thirsty and incredibly frightening. Richard Lopez, Nailer’s father, is terrifying in his abject cruelty, his drug and alcohol addiction, and his absolute disregard for his son. In one scene in chapter five, Nailer barely escapes a violent confrontation with his father and, despite the many times his father has beaten him, he still has hope. “Nailer curled in on himself, glad to feel safe for the night. Tomorrow might be different, but this day had ended well. Tomorrow would handle itself” (Bacigaulpi 2009, 60).

There are many gorey and violent scenes in Ship Breaker, but none feel gratuitous. It is a horrifying world in which Nailer lives, but he still manages to find moments of compassion, of honesty, and of love. “At its core, the novel is an exploration of Nailer’s discovery of the nature of the world around him and his ability to transcend that world’s expectations” (Publishers Weekly 2010). Ship Breaker won the 2011 Printz Award and was nominated for a National Book Award in 2010. This is a novel for older or mature teens, but is also a fantastic springboard for discussion. Ask teen readers to compare aspects of Nailer’s world with present day. Compare Bright Sands beach, where the ship breakers live, to the modern day beach slums in Cambodia or Haiti. Don’t hesitate to share photographs. This is sure to be an eye-opening discussion for all involved.

References:
Publishers Weekly. April 2010. Publishers Weekly.com. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-05621-2. Accessed December 2, 2013.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Bibliographic Info:
Stead, Rebecca. 2009. When You Reach Me. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780385737425.

Review:
It is 1978 and Miranda is a sixth grader in New York City who lives with her single mom, an independent woman who never got the chance to finish law school. Miranda is surrounded by a unique cast of characters, including her ex-best-friend Sal, her mother’s kind-hearted boyfriend Richard, Sal’s mother Louisa, shop owners Belle and Jimmy, and classmates Annemarie, Colin, Julia, and Marcus. Each person plays a very important role, some large and some small, in the lives of each other.

The crux of the story is that Sal is randomly punched by another kid one day while walking home from school. He stops talking to Miranda from that day forward. Miranda is unsure if being attacked or perhaps something else spurred Sal’s behavior, and she is left feeling lonely and confused. A mystery is woven into the story in the form of strange letters that Miranda finds in places that no one but herself or her mother should be able to access. The letters prompt Miranda to tell her story from the beginning and that “they” are asking her to do this so that they can save a friend’s life. The letter Miranda writes is the actual novel, When You Reach Me. References to Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time hint at science fiction elements at work, but never overwhelm the building of characters. “Stead’s novel is as much about character as story. Miranda’s voice rings true with its faltering attempts at maturity and observation” (Augusta 2009).

When You Reach Me is a novel about a girl who comes of age during a stage of life when she and those around her are stuck in neutral. “Spaghetti again. We were kind of stuck, I realized. In a lot of ways” (Stead 2009). Miranda is a smart girl, but she is only able to move forward with her life by paying closer to attention to those around her. It does help, of course, that someone is sending her letters from the future.

Stead’s novel won the 2010 Newbery Medal, a 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book, and a 2009 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Readers under the age of 12 may be a bit confused by some of the time travel references and conversations, but young fans of Madeline L’Engle will be delighted by the parallels in the two stories. The only moment in When You Reach Me that I did not like was when Stead reveals the ending of L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Other than that spoiler, this is a fantastic coming of age novel. After reading it, ask young readers to write letters to an adult in their lives but specify that they must write the letter to the young version of that adult. Young readers may also enjoy writing letters to themselves that can be read at the end of the year or even further in the future.

References:
Augusta, Caitlin. July 2009. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|25425359|23387850&mc=USA#. Accessed November 15, 2013.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Bibliographic Info:
Schmidy, Gary D. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618724834.

Review:
It’s 1967 and Holling Hoodhood (yes, you read that correctly) is in seventh grade at Camillo Junior High on Long Island. Holling’s dad is an architect who only shows concern for his architectural firm, keeping his house perfect, watching Walter Cronkite on television, and making his opinions about politics and the Vietnam war well understood by the rest of the Hoodhood family. Holling’s mother pretends she doesn’t smoke when she’s worked up and mostly tries to keep things at home perfect for Mr. Hoodhood. Heather, Holling’s 16-year-old sister listens to Pete Seeger and the Beatles, paints flowers on her face like the hippies do, and just wants the war in Vietnam to end. And Holling himself? As the only Presbyterian kid in his class, he spends Wednesday afternoons trapped in Mrs. Baker’s classroom while his Jewish and Catholic classmates attend temple and mass. What tortures does Mrs. Baker have in store for Holling? He’s sure that Wednesday afternoons will be filled with horrors only a middle school teacher could think up.

The Wednesday Wars is one of those rare novels that alternates between hilarious, thought-provoking, dramatic, heart-breaking, and emotionally fulfilling. During his Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker, Holling discovers a love for Shakespeare. He is convinced that Mrs. Baker has never read Shakespeare, or else why would she assign him to read plays full of so much treachery, violence, corruption, and, best of all, very creative cussing? The themes of each Shakespearean play that Holling reads is woven into the rest of The Wednesday Wars (and not just the cussing). Holling relates his experiences at home, with his classmates, to the Vietnam war, and even to baseball to the themes, events, and characters in Shakespeare’s works. “Seamlessly, he knits together the story’s themes: the cultural uproar of the ’60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare’s words” (Engberg 2007).

Author Gary D. Schmidt tells a story with some laugh-out-loud scenes, but the cultural and historical significance of many parts makes this well worth having any teen read. Readers will feel sympathy for Mai Thi, Holling’s classmate from Vietnam who was brought to the United States with the help of a Catholic relief group, and both Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Bigio, whose husbands are soldiers in Vietnam. Young readers may not fully understand all the political references, but Schmidt does a wonderful job of tying in various events, such as the protests at Columbia University and the shooting of Bobby Kennedy. The first few chapters start slowly, but things only get better from there. Holling Hoodhood is often a reluctant hero, as well as an awkward middle schooler, and he ultimately learns a lot about himself by the end of the book. In one poignant scene, Holling tells the reader, “You don’t want fire to go out inside you twice” (Schmidt 2007).

The Wednesday Wars was nominated for a Newbery Medal in 2008, , was a 2008 ALA Notable Book for Children, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year 2007. Reading the book is wonderful, but the audiobook read by Joel Johnstone is great fun to listen to. I alternated between the two, but did find myself carrying my phone with me from place to place so that I could listen to the book at work, in the car, and at home. The Wednesday Wars would be an excellent novel for students studying Shakespeare to read. Encourage students or book club participants to think of novels they have read that mention other books or authors. Ask them to try and find connections between historical events and things happening today. This may give them a better idea of how everything is connected.

References:
Engberg, Gillian. June 2007. Booklist. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|17118227|13676788&mc=USA#. Accessed November 9, 2013.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Bibliographic Info:
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9780374379933.

Review:

It’s the summer of 1962 and Jack Gantos is completely and utterly grounded. In his 2012 Newbery award-winning novel, Dead End in Norvelt, Gantos writes about himself and his real hometown during one very interesting and often bizarre summer. Recruited by elderly neighbor Miss Volker as her right-hand man, Jack learns to construct fantastically over-written yet historically important obituaries. He also helps his father dig a hole for a fake (or is it?) bomb shelter, narrowly avoids the wrath of a group of Hell’s Angels, and valiantly tries to become un-grounded, all while plagued by nosebleeds that occur at the most inopportune times.

Writer Gantos’s style is zany and the text is cleverly filled with historical facts that often lead to hilarious segues in main character Jack’s thoughts and actions. Despite the many historical references that have the potential to bog down the story, the action rapidly moves forward and propels the story into further strange and delightful directions. In one scene, Miss Volker suspects an olderly neighbor has died and quickly prompts Jack to look in on the neighbor. She tells Jack to wear a disguise, but the only one he has is a Grim Reaper costume from Halloween. In response, Miss Volker cackles and says, “‘Mrs Dubicki’s going to have to see the Grim Reaper sooner or later, so it might as well be sooner” (Gantos 2011). Miss Volker is a sharp-tongued woman with a brain like a sponge when it comes to history. She teaches Jack about the founding of Norvelt and, through the writing of the obituaries, that it is important to remember and understand history so that mistakes won’t be repeated. “Each quirky obituary is infused with a bit of Norvelt’s history, providing insightful postwar facts focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in founding the town on principles of sustainable farming and land ownership for the poor” (Reutter 2011).

However off-the-wall many of the events in Dead End in Norvelt appear, Gantos shares an important message with his readers; it is not only important to remember the past so that mistakes are not repeated, but understanding the past also helps you understand yourself and the world around you. This is demonstrated each time Miss Volker, Mr. Gantos, and Mrs. Gantos each voice their respective opinions about a topic. Gantos writes in a way that the reader can understand and sympathize with each individual’s point of view despite the differences of opinion they each have.

Dead End in Norvelt is great for children ages 10 and up. Considering main character Jack’s wacky adventures, this novel would be great fun to read aloud with a classroom or a book club. Encourage students or book club members to research and share an interesting piece of local history. The wackier, the better.

References:
Reutter, Vicki. September 2011. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|33895753|33027420&mc=USA#. Accessed November 6, 2013.

The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Bibliographic Info:
Cushman, Karen. 1995. The Midwife’s Apprentie. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780064406307.

Review:
In just over 120 pages, author Karen Cushman weaves a story about the life of a starving and homeless orphan girl in medieval England. When readers are first introduced to Alyce, who is initially known as Beetle, she seeks warmth from the bitter cold in a pile of warm manure. Details like this are what bring Cushman’s story to life and what convey the harsh reality of Alyce’s day-to-day life.  Cushman’s character-driven story gives readers a sense of what life might have been like for a poor girl in medieval England. Children may be surprised to learn that a child without a family was not necessarily sent to an orphanage or somewhere similar. Cushman is careful not to use modern slang and is generous, though not overly so, with descriptions of food, clothing, and tools of the time period. All of this helps to evoke a setting appropriate for the time period. “Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people’s occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart” (Miller 1995).

Particularly interesting are the descriptions of a midwife’s job. The Author’s Note at the end of the book gives further detail about the history of midwifery. Many details may surprise readers. An important aspect of the novel is how Cushman is able to include  themes of independence, education, self-discovery, and feminism. Alyce thinks she is less than a person. She considers herself stupid and useless. She perseveres in harsh conditions, both physically and emotionally, and begins to grow intellectually and spiritually as she pays attention to what others around her do, remembers those lessons, and applies them in her own life. A poignant moment in the story occurs when Alyce succeeds at something as she had not succeeded before.  “At that, Alyce felt so much pride and satisfaction that she had to let them out somehow, and so she smiled, which felt so good that she thought she might do it again.”

The Midwife’s Apprentice won the 1996 Newbery Medal and a 1998 Young Reader’s Choice Award. This short novel is a great starter book for children who are new to historical fiction. Try reading it aloud to a classroom or asking students to take turns reading it aloud. After each chapter, prompt students with a discussion. Alyce’s destitution is is an excellent discussion point for children. Ask children why Alyce sleeps in the dung heap and why she stayed with Jane, the midwife, despite how mean Jane is to Alyce.

References:
Miller, Sue. May 1995. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|1220566|47089429&mc=USA#. Accessed November 3, 2013.

Walt Whitman: Words for America by Beverly Kerley, illustrated by Brian Selznick

Bibliographic Info:
Kerley, Barbara. 2004. Walt Whitman: Words for America. Ill. Brian Selznick. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439357913.

Review:
Nominated for a 2005 Sibert award and winner of an ALA Notable Book for Children award in the same year, Barbara Kerley’s Walt Whitman: Words for America presents an American legend, patriot, and staunch supporter of President Abraham Lincoln. Presented in a picture book format, this biography is written for kids in second to fifth grades, but is weighty enough for older kids, too.

Whitman’s early life is described in terms of his passion for writing and reading, and progress in a linear fashion through the end of his life. What the reader learns is how Whitman was connected to Lincoln, via his admiration for the president, as well as his connection to the soldiers of the Civil War. Readers can follow Whitman as he travels across America, writes about “the common people” he so admired, and spends much of his time caring for wounded soldiers. He is presented as a sympathetic figure who was passionate, kind, and proud to be American.

Peppered throughout the book are excerpts from Whitman’s poems. Kerley’s style is what some may refer to as “creative nonfiction.” She weaves facts with flowing, imagery-filled text. She makes many allusions to Whitman’s writings, such as the allusion to his poem, “Oh Captain! My Captain!” in the line, “He began to see Lincoln as a captain, guiding his ship through troubled waters” (Kerley 2004).

Not to be forgotten, the illustrations by Caldecott award-winning artist Brian Selznick deepen the sympathy the reader is likely to feel toward Whitman. Real people are presented in stunning detail and, in the case of Whitman, a remarkable likeness when compared to black and white photographs. “The brilliantly inventive paintings add vibrant testimonial to the nuanced text” (Taniguchi 2004). Each illustration is a singular moment in time that teases the reader to continue. In design, the illustrations take up most of the pages, but the text carries equal weight in importance. The two balance each other out to create a larger historical framework for understanding the connections between Whitman, Lincoln, and the Civil War.

The last few pages contain an author’s note and brief but important details about Whitman, Lincoln’s fondness for Whitman’s poetry, and what happened after the war. There is also a long note from the illustrator, as well as eight poems and a list of the author’s sources. Kids who take the time to read these sections will be richly rewarded. This book segues wonderfully into an exploration of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and Drum-taps. If you host a creative writing group, encourage your students to write their own poems about America and the lives of Americans after learning about Walt Whitman. Combine the poems to create a book about America for the whole group to share.

References:
Taniguchi, Marilyn. November 2004. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|13106048|9386762&mc=USA#. Accessed October 26, 2013.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships by Robin Page

Bibliographic Info:
Page, Robin. 2010. How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. Ill. Steve Jenkins.  ISBN 9780547245157.

Review:
Did you know there is a bird that hops into a crocodile’s mouth to help clean the fearsome creature’s teeth? Did you know there is a small crab that scares away predators by using sea anemones like a cheerleader’s pom poms? In How to Clean a Hippopotamus, Robin Page and Steve Jenkins offer a concept book that gives young readers a glimpse into symbiosis.

Page and Jenkins have covered a topic sure to lure readers. Animal books are popular with children, and the concept of animals helping each other when they might otherwise be predator and prey will be particularly fascinating to children. The text is fairly simple and on a second grade reading level, although older elementary age children will also enjoy this title. Significant words such as an animal’s name or an action are printed in bold text. For example, “The tuatara is nocturnal. It sleeps during the day and hunts at night” (Page 2010). Over 20 symbiotic animal relationships are shown. At the end of the book, there is a thoughtful look at the relationship between humans and dogs.

The illustrations are cut and torn paper collages, although I did not realize it during my first reading of the book. “Jenkins’s trademark collage illustrations continue to impress with their vibrant and stunning manipulation of cut and torn paper” (Dean 2006). Jenkins work is truly stunning in its intricacy and detail. The images are arranged in panels like a graphic novel, accompanied by floating text and colored text boxes that are easy to read and never overwhelm the images. Each animal pairing has a clever title, such as “Wider, Please,” in which the Egyptian plover picks meat from a Nile crocodile’s teeth.

The last three pages present information about different types of symbiotic relationships, such as parasitism and commensualism. There are also thumbnail images of each page, with descriptions of the size, habitat, and diet of each animal. A list of suggested titles can be found beneath the copyright information. This 2001 ALA Notable Book for Children may read on a second grade level, but it is appropriate for even younger children as a means of discussing the animal world. In your classroom or storytime at your library, ask the kids to list any symbiotic relationships they can think of. Here is a fun craft idea: using either pre-cut animal shapes or the children’s own drawings, ask kids to make up their own symbiotic relationships and describe how the animals might help each other.

References:
Dean, Kara Schaff. April 2010. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|28858056|27775879&mc=USA#. Accessed October 22, 2013.

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea by Sy Montgomery

Bibliographic Info:
Montgomery, Sy. 2006. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618496419.

REVIEW:
Imagine a place that has remained virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Moss and ferns adorn trees in forests mostly unexplored by scientists. In this ancient and seemingly magical place is a timid creature that exists only in this forest. The cloud forest of Papua New Guinea is home to the elusive Matschie’s tree kangaroo, a tree-dwelling kangaroo. In this richly detailed photo essay book, author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop give readers more than just a glimpse into the world of the tree kangaroo; readers are treated to a narrative that describes the journey to the cloud forest and what all that journey entails.

The book begins with two illustrated maps; One shows North America and South America in relation to New Guinea and the other shows a close-up of the New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula. This gives the reader an idea of how far away the tree kangaroo’s home really is. What really drives it home is the description of the journey from the small 12-seater plane to the group’s final work site. Before the journey begins, lead scientist Lisa Dabek is introduced. Her story of persevering toward her goal of working with animals despite fur allergies and asthma should inspire children with similar problems. From there, the other members of the exhibition are introduced and the journey truly begins.

Gorgeous, boldly colored photographs adorn every page. “Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest” (Piehl 2006). Many animals other than the tree kangaroo are shown and there are a several highlighted sections that go into more detail about the local people, cloud forests, advice for kids from Lisa, and even a glossary of words in Tok Pisin, a local language. Particularly interesting is a passage that lists all the items that are packed for the plane ride, including “20 liters of kerosene”, “6 boxes of dishwashing detergent”, and “48 rolls of toilet paper” (Montgomery 2006).

The layout of the book is simple; Large spreads include a photograph on the far left and far right and clean, easy-to-read text between. The reading level is suitable for children in fourth grade or higher, although advanced or eager younger readers may find this a challenging but worthwhile read. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo was nominated for the Sibert award in 2007, won the Orbis Pictus award in 2007, the ALA Notable Books for Children award in 2007, and won a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year award in 2006. Librarians would do well to add this title to their library’s collection.

This book lends itself as a great catalyst to a discussion of conservation and endangered species with children in upper-elementary. This could also lead to the introduction of books about the food chain and eco-systems.

REFERENCES:
Piehl, Kathy. December 2006. School Library Journal. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|17660960|13392470&mc=USA#. Accessed October 17, 2013.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Michael Slack

Bibliographic Info:
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2012. Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780547513386.

Review:
From Edward Lear to Robert Frost, former Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis emulates some of the most famous English-speaking poets with a collection that is cleverly filled with math problems. Each poem is a twist on an original, published poem and maintains the original’s poetic form. Edgar Allan Poe’s narrative poem “The Raven” becomes “Edgar Allan Poe’s Apple Pie.” It begins “upon a midnight rotten”, makes reference to a forgotten apple pie, and ends with the question, “How many cuts / Give me ten pieces?”. The answer, which I refuse to reveal, is given in small, upside-down text on the next page.

Artist Michael Slack provides digitally rendered, retro-style art that pops with amazing textures and colors. Children familiar with the now-defunct cartoon Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends may enjoy the similarities between Slack’s illustrations and the show’s. Each illustration fits well with the subject of each poem. In the illustration that accompanies the poem “Robert Frost’s Boxer Shorts”, a round-bellied man sits atop a horse clad only in boots, gloves, a cowboy hat, and underwear. The horse is drawn bug-eyed and his legs are comically short.

Lewis succeeds in reproducing a Rubaiyat Poem, which is a beautifully fancy way of saying a set of quatrain stanzas. The poem’s funny ending is sure to amuse young readers: “These boxer shorts are not half bad / With lions, tigers, stripes, and plaid. / My tightie whities look so sad. / My tightie whities look so sad”. The math puzzler in this poem is the question of how much money was spent purchasing boxer shorts. The answer is, of course, flipped upside-down at the bottom of the page. Some of the math puzzlers are fun to solve, such as how many cuts it will take to produce five slices of pie. Other puzzlers are a bit trickier and may require a pencil and paper for folks like me who are not that quick on the draw.

The book ends with a section called “And now some prose about the poets…” Slack provides bust illustrations for Lewis’s short, but informative bios of each poet. This book is an excellent resource for school librarians who want to introduce students to new poets. The math puzzlers even make the book a great tool for math teachers. “This book could come in handy for a variety of different classroom purposes, but confirmed mathletes are probably the best bet for an audience” (Chipman 2010). Although it can be incredibly challenging, students and young library patrons, particularly those who belong to a creative writing club, might enjoy trying a hand at giving an old poem a new twist. Ask the kids to work in groups to facilitate brainstorming and to make the process less daunting.

References:
Chipman, Ian. April 2012. Booklist. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|36322755|35649920&mc=USA#. Accessed October 8, 2013.