1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sones, Sonya. 2004. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 1416907882

2. PLOT

This is an emotional story about a teenage girl that must move from Boston to LA. Her mother has died and she must go to live with her celebrety of a father that she has never met before. Ruby is none to pleased to have just lost her mother and to now be losing the only home she has ever known, her best friend, and her boyfriend. When she arrives, she is determined to enjoy nothing about LA. She does however find solice in her father's assistant, Max. Ruby begins to open up at school and makes some friends and then slowly her anger for her father starts to disappear. Max reveals to Ruby that it was actually her mother that kept her away from her father. Her aunt had helped him keep up with Ruby and how she was doing. She then finds out that Max is actually her father's boyfriend and they start to grow as a family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This verse novel really captured the emotions of a teenage girl grieving. Each poem gives the reader insight into the emotions of Ruby. It felt as though I was listening to her inner most thoughts. The structure of verse novel really added a lot to the story. If the story had been written as a reglar novel, I do not think there would have been the emotional connection between Ruby and the reader. The individual verses were very insightful on their own. Each one could stand alone and still be just as insightful.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

Review from School Library Journal: "This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness."

5. CONNECTIONS

Other books that deal with death and grief:

- Morey, Walt. GENTLE BEN. ISBN 0142405515
- Forman, Gayle. IF I STAY. ISBN 0525421033

- Hoban, Julia. WILLOW. ISBN 0803733569

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2001. POCKETFUL OF POEMS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395938686

2. PLOT

This book is a collection of poems from the perscpective of an urban, Harlem girl. The poems go through the seasons and describe different words that she encounters in her neighborhood during each of the seasons. Its as though she is seeing the words and putting them in her pocket with each of the poems.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This collection of poems really captures the voice of a Harlem city girl. The poems describe the Harlem neighborhood through the seasons in a very interesting way. The girl has words in her pocket that represent the season from her point of view. She takes the words out and describes them with a haiku. I think this is a a great way to interpret the seasons.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

Review from School Library Journal: "the poems depict sensory impressions and precisely observed moments"

5. CONNECTIONS

Other Poetry Books by Nikke Grimes:

- Grimes, Nikki. MEET DANITRA BROWN. ISBN 0688154719

- Grimes, Nikki. WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING. ISBN 0439317703

- Grimes, Nikki. WHEN DADDY PRAYS. ISBN 0802851525

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2009. THE UNDERWEAR SALESMAN. New York: Ginee Seo Books. ISBN 0689853254

2. PLOT

This zaney book is a humorous look at the different careers that students have the choice at going into. Each poem cleverly describes a different career choice.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

These poems have a great rhythme to them that is very enjoyable for children to listen to. This collection of poems is a different way to look at careers that children have the choice to go into. Each poem is then put on a page with illustrations that bring them to life. The fun loving poems are light-hearted and interesting.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Review from Booklist: "Puns are everywhere in this playful, rhyming survey of jobs, and the collage illustrations extend the verbal fun with wry, literal images"

Review from Publishers Weekly: "Lewis deserves applause for his sophisticated wordplay and his willingness to push readers in terms of poetic conceits"

5. CONNECTIONS

This book would pair wonderfully with a Social Studies unit having to do with the jobs that people do. This is something that we cover in our class every year, but we usually only talk about the basic jobs. This book would really open up a discission about the things you can grow up to be. The students could then think about what they want to be and write a poem about that job. This would make a great class book with all of the students poems collected and illustrated.