Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy

Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.

It was Christmas Eve when her big sister went crazy and now Cookie (as she is referred to) is dealing with the fallout of her older siblings’ sickness. Cookie’s father and mother are fighting with more frequency and her sister’s empty bed is a constant reminder that her sister is no longer herself. She is hesitant to tell her friends about what has happened, because she is afraid of how they will react. When she does let them know they act concerned; then it is revealed that they are making fun of her and her sister, passing notes about what Cookie had told them in confidence. Cookie has a great dislike of visiting her sister in the asylum where she is staying and is confused by her sister inability to get better. Eventually, Cookie figures out there is a new normal in her life. She makes a new friend, finds a boyfriend and her home life with her parents begins to stabilize. While things will never be like they were, things can get better from what they were at the beginning.

In her first verse novel, Sones creates a world in which poetry comes to the forefront easily and logically. Using poetry in a linear format, she relates the story of a girl dealing with the mental breakdown of her sister (which is based on the author’s own experiences). The poems differ in length, format, rhythm, tone and sound. All of these elements help to increase the forward movement of the reader as they follow along with the story, giving them little pause to become bored or uninterested. What is most striking is the emotion conveyed throughout the work; the reader feels the complex emotions that Cookie deals with in the poems. From uncertainty about how her friend will treat her once they know the truth about her sister (“If I told them that my sister’s nuts/they might act sympathetic/but behind my back/would everyone laugh?”) to her fears about ending up like her sister (“If I stay/any longer/than an hour/I’ll see that my eyes/have turned into her eyes”), Cookie’s voice and emotions are the focus of the work. The reader gets the voice of the character through the poems, not just words and phrases. It does seem, however, that taken out of the context of the collection, the poems may be difficult to understand.

In a verse novel, the idea of organization is of utmost importance, as each poem leads to another conclusion or enlightment. The way that the poems are put together in the work is done is such a way that the reader can immediately engage and follow the story. Kirkus Reviews notes the power of the collected poems, stating, “[i]ndividually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable…[c]ollected, they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale.” The topic of the novel is made clear through the tone and style of the poems and the language used supports the work. It truly feels as if a teen is relating their issues to the reader, not as if it is forced by the author for a work.

Book jacket found on: http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/cgi-bin/vlib.sh?enqtype=RLIST&rlist=45&doc=doctype.teen

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

Bibliography:
Sones, Sonya. 2007. What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0689876025

Plot Summary:
After a surprise mutual attraction to a popular girl, perennial loser Robin Murphy finds himself navigating the challenging world of high school politics in this verse novel. Robin finds that having a girlfriend can be rewarding, but difficult at the same time. His girlfriend, once well-liked, is now without friends and is getting teased due to the fact she is in a relationship with him. Along the way, Robin is given the opportunity to audit a Harvard art class, where he finds that he fits in well, excels in the assignments and gains some friends. With the weight of his girlfriend’s sudden unpopularity on his mind, Robin feel as if he has to choose between having her in his life or letting her be happy. In the end, their love wins back some of her friends and the admiration of their classmates.

Critical Analysis:
Sones creates the perfect storm in the verse novel Girlfriend; using poetry in a linear format, she tells the story of two teenagers trying their hand at first love. The poems differ in length, format, rhythm and even shape, helping to ensure that the reader does not have a chance to get bored. What is most striking is the emotion that is conveyed throughout the work; the reader truly gets the feelings expressed by the main character. The poems read excitable when Robin is happy and tragic when he is depressed. You get the voice of the character through the poems, not just words and phrases. It does seem, however, some of the poems would be difficult to understand if taken out of the context of the novel.

In a verse novel, the idea of organization is very important, as each poem leads to another conclusion or enlightenment. The way the poems are put together here is in such a way that the reader can immediately engage and follow the story. The topic of the novel is made clear through the tone of the poems and the language used within the work. It feels as if this young man is relating his issues to the reader, not as if an older woman is writing about what she thinks teenagers would think or feel. Appeal for this work would be great among the target audience, mainly because young romance always has an audience.

Awards and Reviews:
Booklist Top Ten Romance Novel – 2007
Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers – American Library Association
NY Public Library Book of the Teen Age – 2008
Bank Street Best Book of the Year – 2007
Books-A-Million Book Club Selection – 2008

“Written as a novel in verse, this title is a fast-paced, page-turning romp that gives authentic voice to male youth even when it is painfully truthful.” – Leah Kripper, School Library Journal

“The story of a thrilling and faltering first love may be familiar, but Robin's believable voice is distinctive, and Sones uses her spare words (and a few drawings) to expert effect. From bad puns to breathless accounts of locking lips to anguished worries about losing Sophie, Robin reinforces the picture of an awkward, likable, intelligent, and realistically flawed young man. Many teens will see themselves, and they'll cheer when Sophie and Robin thwart the bullies and reclaim their social standing. Like Sones' other titles, this is a great choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.” Gillian Engberg, Booklist

Connections:
*Read the prequel to this novel from Sophie’s (the girlfriend) perspective, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, also by Sones.
*Have the student choose one of their favorite books and write a companion verse novella from the point of view of a non-main character.
*Compare this work with regular novel on some of the same topics addressed, like first love, popularity or bullying. Try How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler or The Clique series by Lisi Harrison.

Book Jacket found on the Sonya Sones website.

Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles

Bibliography:
Lewis, J.Patrick. 2009. Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Riddles. Ill. By Lynn Munsinger. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN: 0811846687.

Plot Summary:
In Spot the Plot, Lewis uses poetry to create riddles about the plots of popular children’s books. Each poem is written about the story line to a specific book; this is done so that the reader is able to put the clues together to guess what book the author is describing. Characters drawn in the book take the form of detectives, who find themselves in the middle of the action of the book they are investigating. From Charlotte’s Web to Where’s Waldo?, some favorite children’s stories are broken down into a interesting game of “What’s That Book?”. The end of the picture book gives a run-down of the correct answers to the riddles.

Critical Analysis:
This book has an interesting concept, in that the poems are created in such a way to give clues to what book the author has in mind. Using poems in this way can give children the idea that poems can be about something specific, while still being abstract and not giving everything away at once. It brings to light how important the use of language within the poem is and of how the use of imagery in poems can paint a picture in a person’s mind. The concept of language and imagery is one of the most important in poetry, something well covered by this work.

The author uses fun rhyming schemes and different types of poems to keep the reader interested and focused. Lewis makes a game of trying to find out what book the poem is about, thereby engaging critical thinking skills by the reader. Illustrations complement each of the poems, giving small clues by providing drawn details of the book in question. In using drawings as reinforcement, a young reader can find picture evidence to back up their theories of what book they think is the answer. Drawings can also assist readers who are lacking in context clue development.

Awards and Reviews:
"There are clues in the text usually emphasized with bold colored letters and pictures that contain a myriad of clues." - Marilyn Courtot, Children's Literature

"The poems are presented in different layouts and are of different lengths, preventing a formulaic feel...this book is perfect for an interactive read-aloud, especially if the illustrations are held back until after the text has been read." - Stacey Dillon, School Library Journal

Connections:
*The obvious way to have an audience connect with this book is to have them guess which book they think each riddle concerns! Each poem can stand by itself, so break up Spot into sections and cover one plot a day. It will give the kids something new to look forward to each day! At the end of the book, assign a project where the kids write their own riddle about a favorite book of their own and draw an accompanying picture.
*Pair each riddle with the work that it is based on: read the riddle and let the kids have a fun time guessing which book the riddle is about. After guessing, read aloud the actual book, then have the kids point out the elements about the riddle that match the book’s plot.
*Using the illustrations, have the kids point out clues within the pictures that match the book. Make a list of things the illustrator could have included, but did not.

Book Jacket found at Chronicle Books.

Shoe Bop!

Bibliography:
Singer, Marilyn. 2008. Shoe Bop. Ill. by Hiroe Nakata. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN: 0525479392.

Plot Summary:
Once her favorite purple sneakers wear out, a young girl and her mother go to the shoe store to buy a new pair. In searching for a pair of replacements, each pair of shoes is spoken about in verse. From rhyming poems about galoshes to haikus about moccasins, a variety of different shoe types are introduced to the reader. Watercolor picture representations accompany each different poem. Each shoe is tried on and their benefits and limitations are weighed by the young girl. Throughout the work, the young girl notes her love of sneakers and ultimately settles on a pair of bright green high-tops after trying on an assortment of different shoes.

Critical Analysis:
The type of poem used throughout this topical collection is varied, which allows the introduction of different poetry styles to be introduced to a young reader. By using a range of different poem types, the reader is not limited to reading only rhyming couplets or stream of consciousness poems. The book can then be broken up into similar poem styles, allowing an instructor to further investigate the elements of poetry with examples. This picture book also has a verse novel feeling about it, since the story is linear, connected and is only broken up into poems by shoe type.

What I find most interesting about this work is that the same happy, cheery tone resonates throughout all the poems. While not every pair of shoes is a favorite of the main character, the author makes certain to provide positive points for each pair that is tried on. While the type of rhythm and rhyme of the poem changes through the story, the tone and theme remains consistant.

Awards and Reviews:

"This sparkling tale serves as a fun introduction to poetry as well as a paean to the undeniable appeal of new shoes." - Kirkus Reviews

"The shopping expedition is related through a series of 29 linked poems, and the rhythms are witty and always boppy. Nakata's vibrant, stylized watercolors are a perfect match for the bouncy text. With curricular connections to shoes and poetry, this book is a natural fit for classrooms." - Kathleen MacMillan, School Library Journal

Connections:
*After reading Shoe Bop, go through the book and try to identify the different types of poems that were used throughout the book. After compiling a list, get the children to write and read-aloud one poem of their own using one of the styles of poem used in the book.
*Have a read aloud, complete with cut-outs of the style of shoes noted in the book! For each shoe poem, assign a team of children with the task of creating a large representation of that shoe and have them read the poem to the rest of their class.

Book Jacket found on: http://www.infibeam.com/Books/search?author=Marilyn%20Singer