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HOME TO ME

POEMS ACROSS AMERICA

Hopkins and Alcorn (Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins, p. 46, etc.) repeat their successful collaboration with a new themed collection. Fifteen poets were commissioned to write about the special places in America that are dear to their hearts. The poets seem to have been selected by the diversity of their geographical locations. Perhaps it was originally intended as a kind of journey through America; what has emerged is a rather powerful sense of Americans who not only love their country, but their particular corner of it. The poets describe the beauty of a beloved place, or the life-affecting significance of that place. Many indicate a sense of spiritual ownership with the repeated use of possessive pronouns. Joan Bransfield Graham writes, “What do I like best about the sea? The fact that it belongs to ME!” Similarly Patricia Hubbell writes, “On my island far at sea, this island-home to me.” Other poets feel the deep roots of home as a connection to the past and a sense of belonging. Joseph Bruchac understands that “hidden roots still give you strength.” While roaming along mountain trails Fran Haraway knows “if briefly, where I am and where I plan on going.” These are the farms, islands, small towns, deserts, mountains, prairies, and cities, each place unnamed, a place of the heart rather than a particular dot on a map. Each poem is given a two-page spread with a banner title. Alcorn’s softly colored, stylized illustrations interpret the text in imagery that is both literal and figurative. The wind blows on the prairie, mermaids swirl in the waves, a loon splashes in the lake, a farmer milks a cow, and a child waves to neighbors. The endpapers are decorated with samples of the places encountered in the poems. Hopkins provides a thoughtful introduction, and an afterword that introduces each poet and where they live. A lovely work. (Poetry. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002

ISBN: 0-439-34096-9

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002

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THE CROSSOVER

Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.

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Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.

Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.

Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: March 18, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7

Page Count: 240

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014

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ODDER

Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life.

A Monterey Bay sea otter comes of age.

Odder’s mom told her to stay away from sharks, humans, and anything else she didn’t understand, but after saving her friend Kairi from a shark attack, she encounters all three. Injured herself during the rescue, Odder ends up recuperating at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or Highwater as the otters call it, where she once lived as a young orphaned pup. Last time, the humans helped her reintegrate into the wild, but because of her injuries this time the outcome might be different. Soon Kairi is there too, stricken with “the shaking sickness” and having lost her newborn pup. Now Kairi is fostering a new pup, and soon one is introduced to an initially reluctant Odder in hopes that she will help raise it so it can return to the wild. The free verse effortlessly weaves in scientific information, giving Odder a voice without overly anthropomorphizing any of the animals. The natural appeal of sea otters will draw readers in, but the book doesn’t shy away from real-world threats such as predators, disease, and pollution. Loosely based on the stories of real sea otters rehabilitated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this novel will give readers lots to talk about, but uneven pacing and a rushed ending may leave some unsatisfied. Charming black-and-white spot art captures the world and life of the sea.

Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life. (glossary, author’s note, bibliography, resources) (Verse novel. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-250-14742-4

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022

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