School can be rough. Classes can be hard, the bus ride is bumpy, and somehow teachers always have the magical ability to hear every little sound in their classrooms. But there are also a lot of good things that come with school, like trying out for a sports team. In a new collection of poems, author Sara Holbrook captures all aspects of a normal school year: the good, the bad, and everything inbetween. Along the way Holbrook offers readers a few sidebars in which she talks about her writing process, giving you a good look and where she gets her ideas and how she goes about turning these ideas into poetry. I have to say that about three pages into this book, I was a bit disappointed. Where were the zombies? The title is a bit decieving, as the undead do not appear at all until the final poem in the book. But I quickly got over this disappointment and saw this book the gem it is: One of the best books I've seen in recent memory (dare I say ever?) teaching poetry writing and appreciation. The sidebars offer great notations that encourage readers to really think about how a poem is constructed. Why did Holbrook choose the words that she did? Where did she get her ideas? How does she narrow down her words to keep the poem brief? Without even seeming to try, Holbrook gets her readers to think critically about her poetry while also encouraging readers to write their own poems through tips and writing prompts. For kids interested in learning more about poetry or who perhaps are looking to write their own, this book can be a fun tool to get them started. There is almost no discussion here about rhyme scheme or literary terms, but in this case I think that's a good thing. Keeps the poetry fun instead of oppressive.
Oh yeah, and the poems themselves are quite a lot of fun too. The sidebars can be a bit distracting if you're just looking for fun school poems, but if you can get past this then you're in for a real treat.
Overall Grade: B+/A-
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