Review: The Language Inside by Holly Thompson

Holly Thompson’s The Language Inside did everything I’ve been looking for in a novel in verse. Thompson is clearly a poet not just a writer. The words are deliberately chosen for their meaning and beauty, and their ability to evoke a thoughtful response in the reader.

After reading the summary I was skeptical. There were so many different issues the novel takes up. Emma is a teen raised in Japan. When she moves back to the U.S. because her mother has breast cancer, Emma volunteers at a long-term care center. There, Emma helps Zena, a patient with locked-in syndrome, write poems. She also meets Cambodian refugees and makes new friends all the while suffering from migraines. Eventually she must choose: stay in the U.S. or return to Japan. So, ya, a lot going on! But Thompson weaves the story seamlessly and believably. Having recently read Patricia McCormick’s Never Fall Down I was happy to stumble upon more that would give me a glimpse about the Khmer Rouge.

I liked Emma and her story but I enjoyed the poetic form. It wasn’t a gimmick to snag “reluctant readers” (though I would still recommend this book to one). This is a story not only made of poems but also about poetry as Zena and Emma write together. I’ve been on the hunt for high-quality novels in verse and am happy to add The Language Inside to my list.

Publisher: Delacorte, 2013     Pages: 528

Rating: 4 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: Stag's Leap: Poems by Sharon Olds

Olds won the Pulitzer for poetry (2013) with Stag's Leap. Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, recommended this book of verse when I heard her speak in April. I knew nothing else about it when I reserved a copy at my library so I didn't know what to expect.

I kinda like that... not knowing what to expect but just diving into a book blindly.

Quickly, I found the poems were telling a story, a rather melancholy one, about a women who was left by her husband. The poems were so raw and real that I assumed, correctly, that Olds is sharing about her own experience. The poems are from the perspective of the lover who has been left for another after 30 years of marriage. 

I found the perspective intriguing. Many people experience the same life events: death, marriage, children, relocation, reunions, etc. But we experience them in vastly different ways. As a divorcée, my experience was different than Olds', but I identified with many of the phases, with their accompanying emotions, that the book explores. Fear, confusion, disgust, self-loathing, longing, nostalgia, anxiety: some of the emotions I experienced during what felt like the turn of a large wheel that was slowly, sometimes grindingly, taking me to a new frontier of my life.

Perhaps it was the right book at the right time of my life but I found Olds' poems to be exceptional. I was often frustrated with her as a "character" but overall I enjoyed the book as a story and as poetry.

Publisher: Knopf, 2012     Pages: 112
Rating: 4 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

Set in Cuba, The Firefly Letters weaves together four voices: Fredrika the foreign traveler, Cecilia the wealthy daughter of the house, Elana the slave girl and Beni, Elana’s husband. It is interesting to watch the dynamics of power between characters and the social structures of Cuba. Those we assume have power are often powerless in certain situations. All the voices represent someone who is or has been enslaved. The idea of freedom is explored. Elana remarks that she is jealous of Elana, a slave, because Elana is free to explore the countryside with Fredrika while she, Cecilia, is not allowed to venture out. Yet, Elana is forced to labor when and where her master commands. The story ends with a struggle wherein the characters work together to find their own freedom.

Fredrika Bremer was a Swedish writer and feminist who visited Cuba in 1851. As part of the aristocracy, her position was a privileged one though not necessarily a happy one as she was often forced to stay indoors and deliberately malnourished to have a “feminine” ballerina-like form. Groomed to be a wife for the aristocracy, Bremer never married but filled her life by writing, traveling and working to help the less fortunate.

As a piece of historical fiction, The Firefly Letters shines. But like fireflies, the illumination is brief as this is a short novel in verse. I found the story interesting but would have liked a longer narrative with a chance for deeper character development. I felt Cecilia's transformation was quick and so rather unlikely. However, the four voices offer distinct and insightful perspectives on freedom and Engle captures Cuba’s landscape to great effect. The Firefly Letters won the Pura Belpré Honor in 2011. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Henry Holt, 2010     Pages: 160     Full Title: The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba     Rating: 3 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Ha is ten when war comes to her home. She and her family leave Saigon on the last ship fleeing the city. Even after they land in the U.S. Ha, her  mother and brothers still feel adrift in a new and often hostile culture.

Inside Out and Back Again addresses war (in Vietnam), immigration, racism, bullying and family with simple verse. In each poem, Ha tells about her day, what went wrong and what went right. She talks about what it's like to learn a new language and what it's like to leave one's home not by choice but by necessity.

One feature that stood out for me was how simple cultural misunderstandings were dealt with by various characters. Some were willing to laugh and learn together while other characters let prejudice fuel cruel actions and prevent learning. Another interesting character interaction (or lack thereof) was between Ha and her teacher who seemed completely unequipped and uninterested in learning about Ha's situation and how best to help her feel comfortable and to learn.

Lai's book of free verse is told narratively, like a story, from Ha's perspective. So, don't let the poetry factor get in your way of reading this significant story which, Lai tells us at the end, is partially based off her personal experience. I tend to be critical of issue-oriented fiction and Inside and Back Again certainly is such a book; yet, I enjoyed it for it's rich description of setting and emotion and for the plain fact that it had a good story to tell. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!



The above video is Lai reading her book. My favorite poem begins at 2:53!

Publisher: Scholastic, 2012     Pages: approximately 200
Rating: 4 Stars     Source: borrowed from my teacher =)

Review: The Adventures of Old Bo Bear by Alice Schertle

When I was a kid it wasn't unusual for me to pack some snacks, my binoculars and teddy bear and head out into the great unknown of my backyard. It seemed the whole world existed there. I could go anywhere and be anybody. Alice Schertle's book captures imaginative play in all its glory as well as the bond between child and toy. When kids play with toys they aren't just playing, they're practicing. Imaginitive play with toys offers a safe way for kids to experience new things, fun things and maybe even scary things.

Old Bo Bear loses his ear in the washing machine but he's just as ready for action as he ever was. In fact, the lost ear sparks a series of imaginitive play that is sure to resonate with preschoolers and amuse adults. The story is told in verse which creates read-a-loud appeal. The pictures are bright and attractive letting the reader see both the real world and inside the little boy's imagination. Teddy and I no longer romp in the backyard but I enjoyed reminiscing while reading about Old Bo Bear.

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2006     Pages: 32     Illustrator: David Parkins

Rating: 4 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: But I Don't Wanna Take a Bath! by Mildred Pope

Mike's been playing with his friend, Bud, and dog, Tyke, outside in the mud but as the sun goes down his mom calls him in to take a bath. Mike parades in various costumes, including Sponge Bob and Barney, to evade a sudsy scrub down. The story is set in verse and and the rhymes make this story a good read-a-loud option, something to read with your kids. I noted three pictures are repeated several times; yet, the pictures are bright and cute. The text is fairly small, centered on a blank colored page. In a few places, the text is "fancy" looking and I immediately thought of how young readers find small/ fancy text difficult to read. And text alone on a blank page is often intimidating and discouraging for young readers. While these presentation issues exist the rhyming patterns are fun and many little mess-makers will easily relate to Mike's aversion to bath time. To see pictures from the book check out Pope's website. This text counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!


Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2011     Pages: 36
Rating: 2.5 Stars     Source: Received for free for review. Thanks!

Review: Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

After Lonnie's parents died he and his sister live in separate foster homes. Lonnie uses writing assignments in school to cope. The result is a short novel in verse -- a book of poems that tells a story. Lonnie deals with some heavy stuff for an eleven year old. Grief, loss, separation, loneliness and uncertainty are a few of the themes. But Lonnie also talks of hope and his affection for his sister.

The poems are short, ranging from three lines to a little over a page. From free verse to Haiku there is a variety of poetry Lonnie experiments with to express what he sees, feels and remembers. Locomotion would make great teaching material to use as examples of poetry. The book may also appeal to elementary kids who are ready to move beyond strictly rhyming and silly poems (not that there anything wrong with silly rhyming poems!).

From my perspective, Locomotion was a little sad and ended abruptly. There is a follow up novel called Peace Locomotion in which Lonnie writes letters to his sister. For such a short book it took me a long time to read. The text was often introspective. I don't think I was in the mood for it. Yet, I would recommend this text to kids interested in poetry or for someone looking for a book about grieving. This text counts towards to the POC Reading Challenge! 

Publisher: Speak, 2003     Pages: 100
Rating: 3 Stars     Source: Public Library

Book Poetry Contest and Poetry Giveaway

In honor of National Poetry Month I have created my own bit of verse. I chose books from my shelf that sounded like spring and put them together. In case you can't read sideways here's what my poem says:

Shadows on the rock

Gone with the wind

A walk in the woods

Just listen

Make your own Book Poetry!

Enter your poem for a chance to win an uncorrected proof of Robert Hass' The Apple Trees at Olema (2010). Hass is a winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize and served as Poet Laureate of the U.S. from 1995-'97. In addition to Hass's book the winner will receive a gently used copy of Emily Dickinson: Selected Poems. 

Your poem must be made from complete book titles but can be about anything! I'm looking forward to your poems! Feel free to leave a poem even if you don't care to win anything.

You can enter one of two ways:

Option 1: Leave your book poetry poem in the comments below along with your email address (1 entry).

Option 2: Create a blog post of your book poetry poem and leave the URL in the link list below (2 entries). 

One extra point for tweeting this page. Leave the URL to your tweet in the comments!

Contest open to U.S. residents only. Must be 13 or older to win. The contest will close April 30th. The winner, chosen randomly May 1st, will be emailed and must respond with a mailing address by May 3rd or a new winner will be chosen. The winner's poem will be shared on the winner announcement page.

Sea Smoke by Louis Jenkins: Prose Poetry

Sea Smoke by Louis Jenkins is a collection of sixty prose poems. Each poem is less than one page so the book is a quick read. The poems have a distinct northern-Midwest rural feel to them which I enjoyed. The poems are broken up into four parts and I have to say I never figured out why. I looked for themes within each part and didn’t come up with anything. I don’t feel like giving it much more thought so sorry, I don’t have anything genius to share.

That being said, I really enjoyed part one. I found myself smiling or chuckling in my head while reading it. Parts two through four had some hit and misses for me. My favorite poem was “Free Lawn Mower” which ponders the different aspects of the word “free.” A close second was “Goings On Around the House” which references Walt Whitman’s “noiseless, patient spider.”  Overall, the poems were fun and easy to read. I think Jenkins’ poetry will please those from the Midwest United States. The scenes depicted definitely struck a chord with me.  
Publisher: Holy Cow! Press, 2004    Pages: 76
Rating: 3.5 Stars    Source: University of Iowa Libraries

The Apple Trees at Olema by Robert Hass

After reading 35 pages and skimming through several more I have made the executive decision to abandon The Apple Trees at Olema. Hass is a former Poet Laureate and recipient of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize – a lot of honors. But to be honest, the poetry didn’t do anything for me. It was like reading several sentences that sound like gibberish. In my opinion, poetry shouldn’t insert some mystic meaning into words (that only the poet is privy to) so that the general reader has no idea what he’s trying to say. I felt vibes of grief, frustration, pessimism and appreciation for life. Poetry is personal, I know that, and is highly subjective and open to personal interpretation. Well, my interpretation is that these poems are created out of sincere expression but are not easily accessible to the average (or random) reader.
Publisher: Ecco, of Harper Collins, 2010
Source: Free advance copy from the publisher via Goodreads
Pages: 352

War Dances by Sherman Alexie

A collection of short stories and poems, War Dances regards serious subjects (like death, race, sex and marriage) in a humorous light. This is the second Alexie book I’ve read and I appreciate his clairvoyance and directness. He is not afraid to offend in jest or for real and I actually enjoy authors who don’t beat around the bush but lay things out in the open, even if I don’t agree with (what I think is) “the message.” In War Dances, Alexie captures the multifaceted culture of the U.S. like no author I've read so far. Alexie fans will like War Dances and if you’re new to Alexie jump in and read this. He's one of today's authors you need to try out.

Favorites: “The Limited,” Breaking and Entering, War Dances, “Roman Catholic Haiku.”
Disliked: The Senator’s Son and The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless
                              
Publisher: Grove Press, 2009    Pages: 209
Rating: 4 stars     Source: Personal Copy
Other Alexie Reads: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian: 5 stars, YA Novel