Book Review: Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness from Calef Brown

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, Calef. 2010. HALLOWILLOWEEN: NEFARIOUS SILLINESS FROM CALEF BROWN. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0547215401

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In HALLOWILLOWEEN, author Calef Brown presents a collection of spooky-funny poems and paintings, featuring a wild and wacky cast of Halloween characters. Each of these characters, from Jack the Werewolf, to the infamous “Vumpire” (a vampire umpire), to the dreaded Oompachupa Loompacabra, gives a fun and humorous twist to the traditional monsters, and are sure to thrill and delight young readers. HALLOWILLOWEEN is seasonal poetry at its finest, giving children Calef Brown’s signature wacky laughs in the framework of everything that makes Halloween frightfully fun for gradeschoolers.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
At its heart, HALLOWILLOWEEN is trademark Calef Brown, and those who are already a fan of his work will know what to find here. Each two-page spread features one picture of the central character, and a poem describing who they are as individuals in a funny and amusing way. The poems are fast-paced and catchy, featuring such snappy lines as the mummy’s “I slipped up and tripped on the edge of my crypt,” which are perfect examples of the rapid-fire rhyming that has made Calef Brown such a staple. The poems read well, and the twisted perspective Brown takes with each of his characters removes them from the pool of Halloween clichés into the territory of true originality. Monsters such as the chocolate-wielding Oompachupa Loompacabra will elicit a chuckle from even the most jaded adult, and thrill younger audiences.

The paintings accompanying each poem are no less worthy of note than the poems themselves. Done in Calef Brown’s signature exaggerated, cartoony style, each illustration provides ample characterization for its source creature. For example, the aforementioned mummy is slipping and sliding in his painting, with a look of clumsy bewilderment on his face, simultaneously adding character while providing a humorous visual aid for the reader. Brown’s style of art truly draws the reader in to his fractured worlds, where wackiness abounds, and each character is a shocking reversal of the reader’s preconceived notions. One needs only to look at the cover, into the orange cat’s mischievous jack-o-lantern grin, to see what’s in store.

HALLOWILLOWEEN will ideally be used for grades 3-5, as younger children may not understand the poetry or the rhyme schemes, and may be frightened by a few of Brown’s more absurd or spooky creations. Those in the proper age range, however, will find a vibrant and colorful world, filled with charismatic spooks and hilarious scenarios. Calef Brown has a reputation and a gift for unlocking the absurdity of the world around him through his unique writing style and artistic vision; in HALLOWILLOWEEN, he does not disappoint.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
KIRKUS REVIEWS starred review: “Nefariously silly indeed.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review: "Young readers will relish the wordplay and find themselves torn to choose a favorite among this wacky menagerie.."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: "Brown delivers satisfyingly off-kilter rhymes."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is well-suited to Halloween reading assignments, and Halloween-themed English lessons. Have your students compose their own spooky poems!
*Other books of Halloween-themed poetry:
Wing, Natasha. THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN. ISBN 0448419653
Horton, Joan. HALLOWEEN HOOTS AND HOWLS. ISBN 031238016X
Sklansky, Amy. SKELETON BONES AND GOBLIN GROANS. ISBN 080507046X

Book Review: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2004. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689858205

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Ruby, a precocious and intellectually-gifted fifteen-year-old, has just lost her mother to cancer. Following her mother’s death, she is forced to move to Los Angeles to live with her absentee movie star father, Whip Logan. In doing so, she leaves behind her friends, her boyfriend, and all she’s ever known, embarking on a new and unexpected journey through life and the grieving process. Her life in L.A. is filled with new friends, like her father’s assistant, Max, and new adventures, like the earthquake in the grand finale. Through it all, Ruby presses on with wit and charm, getting past each day in a new and unfamiliar environment, ultimately discovering that the sweet embrace of home may be closer than she thinks.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sones’ novel deals primarily with the grief and healing process of losing a close family member, in this case the protagonist’s mother. Ruby’s journey of self-discovery in a world without her mother is poignant without being needlessly sorrowful—the character has a genuine desire to flourish in her new life, and it shows. Although the true horror of losing a parent is felt throughout the novel, Ruby’s perseverance, tenacity, and even humor make this anything but a depressing read. Sones shows young readers that there is more to the grieving process than simply how much a person cries, and this book could be valuable solace for anyone who’s ever been in Ruby’s shoes.

From a poetic perspective, Sones is incredibly talented, stringing together a complex and emotionally involving narrative almost entirely from blank verse. E-mail exchanges between Ruby and her friends serve as cutaways, and although these are considerably less poetically-charged, they serve as an important characterization device for Ruby where it pertains to the friends she left behind. The language throughout is accessible to the book’s target age range, and may even serve as a stepping stone for future experiences with Shakespeare and other noted authors of blank verse. Sones speaks to her audience without ever condescending, despite the high-mindedness of her form, and ultimately leaves behind a legacy of knowing, emotionally-welcoming literature.

For anyone, young or old, who has lost a parent or someone close, ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS can be a sympathetic companion, as it speaks from a perspective of knowing empathy. In situations like Ruby’s, it is normal to feel trapped and not know who to turn to. Sones takes great pains to let these readers know that they are not alone, providing a compelling read that centers around a truly memorable character. In the end, this book is anything but hideous, guiding the reader as it guides its lead character through an experience that, ultimately, no one is ready for.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST starred review: “A satisfying, moving novel.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review: "This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: "A winning portrayal of a teenage girl’s loves and losses."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book serves as a fitting companion for units on the subject of coping with loss.
*Ruby’s life is narrated through poetry. After reading the book, have your students write poems of their own about day-to-day occurrences.
*Other books about coping with loss:
Peterson, Katherine. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. ISBN 0060734019
Portis, Charles. TRUE GRIT. ISBN 0848833104

Book Review: Button Up!: Wrinkled Rhymes

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schertle, Alice. 2009. BUTTON UP!: WRINKLED RHYMES. Ill. by Petra Mathers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0152050507

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In a zany collection of animals-with-clothing poetry, author Alice Schertle gives children an interesting read about how clothing and personality can work together. Each poem throughout the book centers on an animal who has been paired with a piece of clothing, such as Violet’s Hiking Hat, Bertie’s Shoelaces, and Clyde’s Costume, who, in a fun twist, double as the book’s narrators. Together, each animal/clothing pair has a story to tell, and they do so through a lively combination of simple-but-engaging poetry and beautiful illustrations.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
One of the first things to note about this title is that the poetry is very kid-friendly. Rhyme schemes typically follow the ABAB and AABB formats (i.e., “Good old Bertie,/ he lets us hang around./ It doesn’t bother Bertie,/ when we drag along the ground.”), and the vocabulary in each is quite accessible. The animals and clothing have a symbiotic relationship as far as characterization is concerned; Violet’s hat is interesting because she’s wearing it, and Violet herself is interesting because the hiking hat gives her something to do. Each of the poems is simple, but engaging, and although the book could be criticized for being a tad repetitive in its format, it rarely drags. Each animal/clothing pairing is carefully chosen, and for the most part, they work well for generating narrative-style poetry.

Artistically, illustrator Petra Mathers does a phenomenal job giving this book its own unique feel, using a style of art that, while firmly based in pencil and water-color, almost looks like a collage. Each of the animals exudes personality, and each piece of clothing has been drawn to practically be a character unto itself. Given the narrative style of BUTTON UP, the illustrations are tasked with telling a large part of the story. Fortunately, they do not disappoint; Mathers’ art is always vivacious, and there are often several pictures per page. The font, which resembles legible handwriting, is truly appropriate for the text, leading the reader’s eye through an engaging layout that hops freely around the page.

For its intended audience (K-2), a teacher could ask for little more than a volume of poetry this lively and well-written. The poems themselves are a pleasure to read, and the vocabulary is for the most part grade appropriate. Every character/clothing combination is simultaneously engaging and memorable, despite only being given one page each. Easy to recommend and difficult to dislike, BUTTON UP is a worthy part of any early elementary poetry library.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
HORN BOOK starred review: “The art perfectly reflects the contagiously rhythmic, playful verse.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review: "Playful spreads and spot art suit the snappy verses beautifully."
BOOKLIST starred review: "The whole is a clever and original poetic treat."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is a perfect companion for theatre arts activities involving characterization through clothing, and other exercises involving the relationship between costume and character.
*Other books of fun and humorous animal poetry:
Hollander, John. POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: ANIMAL POEMS.. ISBN 1402709269
Carle, Eric. ERIC CARLE’S ANIMALS ANIMALS. ISBN 0698118553
Prelutsky, Jack. THE CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS. ISBN 037586458X