BUTTON UP! by Alice Schertle
WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones
YOU HEAR ME? by Betsy Franco
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Franco, Betsy. 2000. YOU HEAR ME?
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763611590PLOT SUMMARY
In this innovative compilation of poetry and essays written by teenage boys, Betsy Franco allows their voice to be heard with no added opinion or filter. The perspective of the male youth is dark, frightening, abrasive, witty, and heart wrenching. The age range begins at 12 to 20 years old. Shocking words from personal experiences of young boys being tortured by their peers for having a mental illness, like Tourette syndrome to cursing the daily toll of monotonous school and droning adults always telling them what to do and how they should feel. Each poem is unique and yet similar. Their thoughts are dark and riddled with pain and fear. They cry out for help and attention, however, they refuse to voice it out loud in favor of remaining in the shadows where eyes cannot touch them. The poems touch on the subjects of sex, anger, conformity, jealousy, family, rejection, drugs, homosexuality, and bullying. These are all topics that are relevant to the life of young boys, and yet generally shied away from and hid under the rug.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Franco produces jaw-dropping
poetry in all forms; some are lyrical while others are blank verse. The voice
of teenage boys is disturbing. The rhyming words capture the intensity of their
words, and purposeful separation of words with spaces and punctuation create a
resounding effect of crying or screaming. Some of the poems are very short with
only 12 words and some taking up two pages in paragraph form. For example, the
essay entitled “The Bus Stop” is written in a journalized paragraph in first
person form. The tale discusses a young boy’s day at the bus stop where he
watches a girl and boy he “kind of knew” physically fight with the baby in
their arms. It is straight forward and with no deeper meaning or discussion of
feelings or symbolism. In other poems, like “Broken Glass” that is full of
symbolism and alliteration and very short. Cursing jargon litter the pages of some poetry, referencing particular body parts and comparing religious figures to cleaning products. While, the imagery and irony of secret emotions are sometimes titled and other times left blank. Each author is listed with their work, along with their age to epitomize their individuality as singular voices in a collective group.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“The poetry is rooted in a wide
range of neighborhoods, families, and classrooms, and the language is direct
and frank, with a rhythm ("I'm / not a / hip hop / Dred / retro /
4-pierced brother") and a physical immediacy in the imagery. Some voices are
more private, about secrets, sadness, the weariness of the blues, and the
loneliness when a girlfriend leaves ("the photograph torn in half").
In one of the best pieces, a boy thinks about his birth mother ("What if .
. . ?"). There are no intrusive illustrations, just the images and music
of the words, and lots of white space that makes it easy to browse. Many teens
will recognize their search for themselves.” – Booklist“Others speak of the fear of alternately being abandoned and loved, of being shunned or ridiculed. Obviously, there's some harsh language and tough situations but they add to the believability and timeliness of the words. You Hear Me? is a fresh approach to hearing what today's youths have to say, and it's refreshing that the words came straight from them.” – School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
If you are prepared to handle
shock and revulsion by parents, this book is an empowering vision into the mind
of teenage boys. It will definitely raise topics of discussion without much aid
from the librarian or teacher. This book was actually listed in the “Restricted
List” by Texas Library Association in 2006.
Other teenage poetry:
Aquado, Bill. PAINT ME LIKE I AM:
TEEN POEMS FROM WRITERSCORPS. ISBN 9780064472647Franco, Betsy. THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU: POEMS AND WRITINGS BY TEENAGE GIRLS. ISBN 9780763610357
Schertle, Alice. BUTTON UP!: Wrinkled Rhymes. Ill. By Petra Mathers. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152050504
PLOT SUMMARY
This lively collection of topical poems directs the attention of the reader on particular items of clothing in relation to the personalized animals wearing them. It draws a deeper connection between the piece of material, like a swimsuit or a scarf with the one that wears it, which is interestingly realistic. Everyone has one shirt or pair of paints in their closet right now that hold some form of sentimental value, and Alice Schertle draws this parallel through catchy words and witticisms. Interestingly enough, each poem is told from the perspective of the clothing itself providing an insight into its feeling of friendship to the young animal. There is only one poem entitled “Hand-me-down Sweatshirt” that does not compare the clothing item to its counterpart wearing it. It is solely about the sweatshirt itself, which has been handed down to “Wendel, May, Karly, and Andrew today.” It in fact lays claim to numerous owners.
CRITICAL ANALYSISPetra Mathers introduces the simplistic and colorful images of the animals and items of clothing stand out in vivid detail due to the stark contrast of the sometimes blank pages. The titles of the poems are also chosen to match the setting of the rhyming tale. The funny images of the mother alligator dressed in a pink nightgown carrying her little son in his jammies. These joyful images paired with the fanciful words of a hat or shirt completes a perfect assortment of poetry for children.
EXCERPT(S)
2010 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry AwardHonor for Excellence in Children's Literature
"From delicately comical to downright funny, the art perfectly reflects the contagiously rhythmic, playful verse. Made for sharing, and worth learning by heart, too."--Horn Book, starred review
". . . these poems will give readers a new perspective on getting dressed . . . Playful spreads and spot art suit the small, snappy verses beautifully. This whimsical little volume will make a delightful addition to poetry collections."--School Library Journal, starred review"The whimsical illustrations pair perfectly with the wittiness of the text, and the whole is a clever and original poetic treat."--Booklist, starred review
CONNECTIONS
*This collection of poetry focused on the endearing qualities found in clothing that each of us has, it can be helpful in eliciting responses from children concerning their favorite item they like to wear. They could then write a poem from its perspective and why it likes them so well.
Other fun and lively poetry picture books:
Beaty, Andrea. IGGY PECK ARCHITECT. ISBN 9780810911062
Nietzel, Shirley. Nancy Winslow Parker. THE JACKET I WEAR IN THE SNOW. ISBN 0688045871
WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689855532
PLOT SUMMARY
Sonya Sones provides a collection of narrative poems written by a fictional young, teenage girl. Through this free verse rendition, Sophie discloses her romantic relationships with three different boys, Dylan, Chaz, and Murphy. While she discusses her new boyfriend Dylan, she is secretly chatting online with Chaz, and covertly crushing on sweet Murphy/Robin, who is an outcast and not liked by her friends, Rachel and Grace. Sophie discusses her relationship with her family, her friends, school, holidays, and most importantly her inner turmoil over boys. While enduring the obvious rift between her father and her mother and herself, she must keep up appearances with her friends without disclosing too much information about her love life. In the end she must choose whether to follow her heart or go along with the crowd.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The poems of a teenage girl are exactly as one would expect, anxiety-ridden and hormonal. Sophie describes her feelings in narrative poetry describing her family and her love interests in words that grip you. She is so frank and honest that women of all ages are able to relate to the events in her life. It is a raw look into the mind of a ninth grade girl, and the free verse novel follows seemingly sequential path towards a surprising end. It is written in diary-like form, and on each page she only uses a handful of words. However, these words are powerful enough to take over the entire page.
The titles of each poem create a necessary link between the pages to successfully sustain a sequential story. The reader is able to understand when the days have changed or just the setting. The only imagery differing from the usual text font is found on page 231, in the email sent between Sophie and her friends, which coincides with a new featured image drawn in pencil at the bottom right page of man in cabaret dancing with a young woman in a dress. It marks the beginning of Sophie’s deeper feelings toward Robin/Murphy, and is both subtle and blatant at the same time.
EXCERPT(S)
Winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award (2005–2006)Michigan Thumbs Up Award Honor Book (2002)
Chosen an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2002)
School Library Journal Review: “Told in Sophie's own free verse poems, the story moves and evolves quickly in a satisfying and tantalizing manner. Kate Reinders perfectly portrays Sophie's teen angst. 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 Sohie's angst. An excellent addition to YA collections.”—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT
Booklist Review: “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.” Hazel Rochman
CONNECTIONS
*Teenage girls will discover the rhetoric in this book engrossing and relatable. It can be used to encourage writing their own narrative poetry for class, and maybe even for their own personal diary.
*Should check out other books by Sonya Sones:
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN’T KNOW. ISBN 9780689876035Sones. Sonya. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. ISBN 9781416907886
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