Poetry Review #3

Sones, Sonya: Book Cover">

Sones, Sonya. 2001. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 13:978-0-689-85553-5

PLOT SUMMARY

Sones has produced a flashback of what it’s like to have your first boyfriend when you are a teenager through the eyes of an almost fifteen year old girl named, Sophie. This collection of poems describes exactly the feelings, thoughts, and actions of Sophie as she experiences an array of emotions as her body tries to figure out the opposite sex. Aside from just trying to grow up, Sophie is also faced with the reality that her parents are unhappy in their marriage and seldom remember to show Sophie any parental support. Sophie’s two best friends, Grace and Rachel, stick by Sophie’s side and unravel together what it’s like being teenage girls as they try to figure out the logistics and feelings that go along with having a boyfriend, and possibly being in love, even if it’s with the last person on the face of the Earth you thought you’d ever fall for.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The rhythm that Sones uses is mostly free verse and long couplets to create a flow. The meter is consistent in each poem, yet uniquely different for each poem. The cadence seems to easily flow as the number of syllables in a thought/phrase are grouped within a poem to match up in number. It could be a poem that has four stanzas and stanzas 1 & 3 are grouped using 3 lines, while stanzas 2 & 4 might be similarly written but use 5 lines.

Another technique that Sones uses is in the repetition of words to get a deliberate meaning across to the reader. For example in the poem, “At the County Fair,” the poem repetitively begins each stanza with “If only Dylan liked_____.” And then the next stanza switches to, “If only I liked ______.” Each verse keeps a comparison of the differences already inferred by Sophie.

No matter the design in format, all of the poems easily move forward when read. There is plenty of drama used in Sone’s words without the deliberate use of sound techniques such as alliteration and onomatopoeia. The language used in this collection of poems is vivid, full of figurative language and the typical verbiage you would expect to hear coming from a teenage voice.

The sentiments and realism expressed in the diction thoroughly help in the character development of Sophie as she expresses herself in a first-person point of view. The imagery throughout this book is surprising and unexpected, possibly causing one to blush with embarrassment. The absence of illustrations is not missed. Any female in touch with their feminine side will appreciate the honest perspective that Sophia portrays.

The emotional impact that this collection had on me was one of relief that I’ve already been there and done that, and secondly that although 25 years have past since I was in high school, my memories are still fluid and I can remember myself going through all of the things that Sophie similarly does.

Young females will especially appreciate reading this collection of poems. The recommended age would be about 13. These poems could help a naïve young lady to see reality in a realistic fiction sort of way. The collection could also be read for pure enjoyment. It’s a full story, with lots of juicy details, but shared in as few words as possible, making it a quick read.

What My Mother Doesn’t Know is a two hundred fifty-nine page book of poems. There is no table of contents or index to be able to locate a certain poem. Information about the author, Sonya Sones is published on the inside of the back cover. The front cover of the book appears to be a partial photograph of a young girl’s face smiling with her hand somewhat covering her smile. My assumption is that this is what Sophie, the main character, must look like. Anything else about her physical features is left up to the reader’s imagination.

As an adult, this book reminded me of a modern, teen-romance version equivalent to an adult book written by Nora Roberts. Parts of the book made me think about sheltering my own little girl who will someday be this age. The poems were so real, I would definitely read another book written by Sones

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States

Booklist Book Review Stars, Nov. 15, 2001; United States

Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, 2001; American Library Association

Kirkus Book Review Stars, September 15, 2001; United States

Top 10 Youth Romances, 2002; American Library Association

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002; American Library Association

YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, 2002; American Library Association

Young Adults’ Choices, 2003; International Reading Association

Lone Star Reading List, 2003-2004; Texas

Iowa Teen Award, 2006 Winner United States

Iowa Teen Award, 2005-2006; Nominee; Iowa

Soaring Eagle Book Award, 2003-2004; Nominee; Wyoming

Soaring Eagle Book Award, 2004; 2^nd Runner up Grades 7-12 Wyoming

Thumbs Up! Award, 2002; Honor Book Michigan United States

Beehive Award, 2003-2004; Nominee; Utah

Rhode Island Teen Book Award, 2004; Nominee

South Carolina Young Adult Book Awards, 2003-2004; Nominee

Volunteer State Book Award, 2004-2005; Nominee

Booklist Starred Review: “The poetry is never pretentious or difficult; on the contrary, the very short, sometimes rhythmic lines make each page fly. Sophie's voice is colloquial and intimate, and the discoveries she makes are beyond formula, even while they are as sweetly romantic as popular song. A natural for reluctant readers, this will also attract young people who love to read.”

VOYA: “The poems are snappy, and each one strikes a chord that fluidly moves the reader on to the next episode. Whether she is socking a boy who molests her on the street, purchasing a half dozen sperm-shaped-print panties off the discount rack or watching her parents finally split apart, Sophie is a strong, likeable, and memorable character.”

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "Drawing on the recognizable cadence of teenage speech, the author poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy. She weaves separate free verse poems into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending.”

School Library Journal: “Although the reading is sometimes too rapid for listeners to absorb the changes in topics, girls will relate to the author's honest prose and Sophie's angst. An excellent addition to YA collections.”

CONNECTIONS

*Read Sonya Sones first book, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy

*A mother and daughter could read and discuss this book together

*Various poems taken from this book could be used in a school nurse’s presentation to a girls' only group to discuss puberty and the maturation into lady

*Teaching manners of using sensitivity when someone’s religious beliefs are at stake

*Making good friend choices

*A sex talk about “the birds and the bees”

*Discussing possible situations of peer pressure

*Dealing with unhappy parents/families

Poetry Review #2

Grimes, Nikki. 2002. DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-688-13156-5

PLOT SUMMARY

In this book of poetry, Grimes has produced an engaging group of poems centered among the test of time that friendships must sometimes endure. The young characters that are best friends, Zuri and Danitra, are separated during summer vacation while Danitra heads for the country to visit relatives and leaves Zuri back home in the city. Danitra’s excitement about going away rubs Zuri the wrong way. Once Zuri realizes the innocent intentions of Denitra they are able to move forward by sending letters in the mail to keep each other up to date. Zuri learns to appreciate the friendship of a new girl, Nina, and has fun dancing at a block party, playing softball and showing off in front of the boys. Danitra relishes sleeping under the stars, learning to garden, and hanging out at her family reunion. Each girl has their own separate summer fun, but is thrilled to see each other and continue with their friendship where they last left off. Young people will relate with the genuine high and low emotions and experiences that are authenticated in this poetry bundle.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The rhythm that Grimes uses throughout this book is mixed. Some of her poems are short lines that help create a staccato rhythm, and others are written with free verse allowing the couplets to flow. The rhyme is created differently in each poem. Some have words that rhyme at the end of the lines, while others seem naturally written in a flow that is still easy to understand without any rhyme present. Assonance sounds using short vowel and long vowel sounds are scattered by Grimes in her poems. In a poem titled “First Night,” a few of the lines read, “Clusters of fireflies, dancing ‘round my head, keeping me from bed, for hours.” The short e vowel sound is repeated in the words head and bed found at the end of the lines. Grimes also use similes as she writes in the same poem, “And the sky! I’ve never seen one so blue-black, like a thick overcoat all buttoned up with stars.” She also uses an echo of words in places that bring a stronger meaning.

The imagery displayed in the poems throughout the book come to life more critically with the help of the illustrations. The influence of the African-American ethnicity and culture are at the heart of every poem told. In one of the poems called, “Block Party,” it says, “In a blink I become a hip-swinging, head-bobbing, foot-stomping, fancy-dancing fool.” Creating an image with these words in my head, pulling from my own personal experiences and visually seeing the illustration on the page with this poem, allows my mind to freely see this poem rolling live in my head as the story is told. Each poem has a double page spread illustration that details or acts out the interpretation of the poem that has been mounted somewhere in the picture’s scene. The illustrations are dimensional with much detail and illicit a soft watercolor touch.

The realistic feelings that are captured in the friendship at stake in this compilation of poems are truly worthy for children ages 8 and up to read. An older reader will be able to better understand the feelings and emotions exchanged between the two girls, but all will be engaged with the drama and action expressed. Everyone can learn or be reminded of what it feels like to be left out from something that you wanted badly to be a part of.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Georgia Children’s Book Award, 2004-2005; Nominee

Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2004-2005; Nominee

Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2003; Bank Street College of Education; United States

Horn Book: “Cooper's muted illustrations in this picture book capture the personalities of the two young friends.”

Kirkus Review: “Grimes’s poems read and flow well, and Cooper’s paintings simply burst with energy and expressiveness.”

Booklist: “ Kids will see that both friends travel far and welcome each other home.”

Children’s Literature: “The final picture of Danitra and Zuri hugging is accompanied by a poem that's sure to ring true with other friends.”

CONNECTIONS

*At the beginning of the school year, complete a unit of study on “Friendship.” In addition to sharing Danitra Brown Leaves Town, also share the books Enemy Pie by Derek Munson, How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson, and My Mouth Is a Volcano by Julia Cook.

*Have students share situations where they have gotten hurt feelings before in a friendship.

*Have the teacher read various scenarios to students of how someone got their feelings hurt. These should be legitimate situations as well as situations with misunderstanding or interpreting the information.

*Have students pair up and role play a scenario to the class that involves a situation between friends that will need to be resolved. After seeing the scenario acted out, have the audience(students) decide what has happened and the best way to “mend” the situation.

*Create a form for students to complete and submit to a box when they want to brag on someone for being a good friend and how they have shown that. It can be called, “Friends have heart.”

Poetry Review #1

Grandits, John. 2007. BLUE LIPSTICK: CONCRETE POEMS. New York: Clarion. ISBN 13:978-0-618-56860-4

PLOT SUMMARY

Grandits has created a visual collection of concrete poems based on the life of a high school teenage girl named, Jessie. It’s a sequel to his first concrete poetry book about Jessie’s younger brother, Robert. In this book, Jessie is amusing, full of sarcasm and ready to oppose just about anything that eats and breathes. The honest thoughts and opinions that Jessie reveals of her family members as well as those found inside the school wall parameters will literally take you on a wild goose chase trying to keep up with this busy girl and all of her own personal opinions of everything.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The rhythm in the majority of these poems is free verse. Depending on the layout and design of the poem’s shape, and the demeanor of the poem factors whether short lines or long couplets are used. When Grandits uses short lines, they seem to contain a lot of whit. The longer lines in his poems see to be when the main character is endlessly releasing all of the thoughts going on in her head.

The contemporary poetry in this collection does not lend itself to rhyme, however, the poems ease forward in a natural way. Identifying a pattern of specific sounds used individually or even throughout the poem is not really noticeable. There is one concrete poem in the book that is a knock-off of completing a forced school assignment of writing haiku poetry around a theme. The 5-7-5 syllable pattern in this three line poem is about the only sound quality aspect I can locate.

The language spoken in each of these poems comes from the main character, Jessie. She is full of surprising choices and uses an array of literary techniques such as figurative language, similes, metaphors, and lots of sarcasm if that counts! Since most of the poems are written in some kind of shape format, it’s not hard to use imagery since it’s in your face.

The emotion behind the collection of poems written in this book is mostly for fun and entertainment. Jessie gets highly annoyed and disgusted with people around her all of the time which is what drives the charisma behind each of these poems.

This book will best be appreciated by teenagers, but could also be entertaining in a “flash back” sort of way for anyone already holding a high school diploma. Readers will find these poems to be visually appealing.

The balance and variety of poems offered in this collection are quite unique and interesting to look at and read. Each poem is literally a piece of art. It is not necessarily a quick read because you will turn the book at multiple angles to figure out how to read and follow the text along. It could be considered a lot of work just to read a poem from this book, but entertainment is included in the effort.

Each poem is graphically designed with its words, printed in various fonts and sizes to actually create the poem’s picture. Some poems have verses that are arranged and read traditionally from left to right, but most are written to make the shape or outline of something. For example, the poem, “All My Important Thinking Gets Done in the Shower,” was creatively displayed with a picture of a showerhead and then each of the multiple streams of water flowing out of the head are the written verses to this poem. Hues of black and blue are the only colors that adorn this book, thus its name Blue Lipstick.

Information about John Grandits can be found on the inside of the back cover. Since this book is a sequel to Technically, It’s Not My Fault, a highlight and review of this book is also included. There is not a table of contents or index indicating page numbers for the thirty-four poems in this book. All of the titles for each of the poems are written on the back cover, with the exception of page numbers.

Your eyes must see it to believe it to get the full artistic feel and touch that went into the creation of Blue Lipstick.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2008; Bank Street College of Education

Children’s Choices, 2008; International Reading Association

Notable Children’s Books, 2008; American Library Association

Pure Poetry, 2007; Voice of Youth Advocates

School Library Journal Best Books, 2007

YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008; American Library Association

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2008; Honor Book

Kirkus Review: “Although Jessie's progress through the year is far from smooth, she learns a few things about friends, boyfriends and cheerleaders. Necessarily lacking the startling originality of its predecessor, this is nevertheless a playfully worthy companion. “

School Library Journal: “This irreverent, witty collection should resonate with a wide audience.”

CONNECTIONS

*Read Grandits’ first book of concrete poetry, Technically, It’s Not My Fault that features Jessie’s younger brother, Robert, and compare the siblings

*Observe the creativeness involved with designing a concrete poem. Randomly give students a poem that has been written traditionally and ask them to re-invent the same poem by coming up with a “concrete” style design.

*Students could also write original poetry in concrete form

*Writing from Jessie’s point of view, tell how she would feel about school cafeteria food