BY DEFINITION

“TV came / out of radio, / free verse / came out of rhyme. / I am / coming out of middle school, / changing all the time.” In 40 short poems, half new, half gathered from previous collections, Holbrook captures the changeable emotional skies of early adolescence with clear-eyed observations on friendship’s responsibilities, on honesty, doubt, anger, grief, and similar topics. The poet not only steers clear of ambiguities, but displays such a consistent “ear” for vocal impact that her poems will make rousing, crowd-pleasing read-alouds. Newcomer Mattern’s unobtrusive line drawings reflect each poem’s topic and tone expertly. A fine choice for poetry breaks and a natural complement to the poet’s Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam (2002). (Poetry. 11-13)