Review: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

Wicked Girls: A novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hemphill, Stephanie. 2010. Wicked Girls: A novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Balzer & Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780061853289

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Wicked Girls is a novel written in verse about the events in 1692 leading up to and surrounding the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Mercy Lewis, Ann Putman and Margaret Walcott are the main narrators, as they and other girls from the village claim to be attacked by witches. But are they really being attacked or are they making these stories up with the influence of other townspeople? Trials begin with the girls as the only witnesses to the supernatural activity and the status of the girls is improved in their small town. Eventually, “spectral evidence” is no longer accepted in a witch trial and the girls are no longer looked upon with importance. Once the madness of the witch trials dies down, “the accusers” must move on with their lives and try to live with the accusations they made.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Hemphill writes from the perspective of different girls involved in accusing others in the Salem Witch Trials. The impetus for the girls to begin their accusations is still unknown, but Hemphill takes the perspective that all their spectral attacks and visions were made up for attention or to gain importance in New England society. She uses the different points of view and the first person narration of the girls to explain their behaviors. Although the sections alternate between different points of view, the rhythm of the poetry never falters. The poetry does not rhyme, but there is a lyrical quality to the verses, as if each word was chosen very carefully. The language used by Hemphill creates strong emotions, and makes the reader feel how conflicted the accusers appear and how much many of them struggle with maintaining the spiritual attacks of the witches.

The action in this novel takes place over the course of one year during 1692. As the story unfolds Hemphill's vivid imagery creates a feeling of anxiety and fear, especially knowing how events in Salem will unfold based on historical facts. Hemphill adds in breaks from the girls’ points of view for each month, with a poem describing the general atmosphere of Salem. Although there are no illustrations, each monthly poem has a decorative design on the corner. The language and imagery used in these monthly breaks sets the mood for the following sections as seen in “What the Winter Wind Brings”:

“Bones chatter, while branches

snap heavy with ice.

Something stronger than fever

quakes and curls

through Village girls.

Their screams and contortions

be of awesome proportion.

‘Tis a sight to behold,

distraction from cold.” (p.40)

I lived in Salem, Massachusetts a few years ago, and visited many of the locations referenced in Wicked Girls. I have visited old Salem Town (Danvers), the Witch Trials Memorial in Salem, Gallow’s Hill, Corwin’s Witch House, and many more. Hemphill vividly captures the desolate and forlorn feelings that occur when visiting locations tainted by the witch trials.

Some of the names and actions in Wicked Girls are not historically accurate, but Hemphill includes not only an author’s note on her reasoning and research, but also sections on the real accusers and the real accused including what happened to them during the witch trials. For further research, she has included an extensive list of references.

I would highly recommend this book to all readers, from middle school age on up. I intend to re-read Wicked Girls often, and will recommend it to others as well.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Positive review in School Library Journal: “Teens may need some encouragement to pick up this book, but it deserves a place in most high school collections.”

Starred review in Booklist: “An excellent supplementary choice for curricular studies of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, this will also find readers outside the classroom, who will savor the accessible, unsettling, piercing lines that connect past and present with timeless conflicts and truths.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “In this superbly wrought fictionalized account of the Salem Witch Trials, Printz Honor winner Hemphill offers a fresh perspective on an oft-told tale by providing lesser-known Salem accusers with a variety of compelling motivations that will resonate deeply with contemporary teens.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This is a perfect book to use in conjunction with a study of New England history. After reading Wicked Girls, invite students to create their own poems about an historical event.

* Harper Collins has created a reader's guide for Wicked Girls: http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061853283.pdf

*Other historical novels of the Salem Witch Trials:
Aronson, Marc. Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. ISBN 9781416903154

Myers, Anna. Time of the Witches. ISBN 9780802798206

Rinaldi, Ann. A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials. ISBN 9780152046828

* Other novels in verse by Stephanie Hemphill:

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. ISBN 9780440239680

Things Left Unsaid: A Novel in Poems. ISBN 9780786818501



Review: This is Just to Say by Joyce Sidman

This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618616800

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This is Just to Say is a book of poetry written by students at fictional Florence Scribner School. Anthony K., sixth grader in Mrs. Merz’s class, introduces a book of poems written by himself and his classmates apologizing to people or things in their life. Part one includes the apologies written by the class and part two has responses to the original poems. All of this was inspired by William Carlos Williams’ “This is Just to Say”, read during the class poetry unit.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sidman has created a charming poetry book about the emotions surrounding apologies and the reasons for seeking forgiveness. Each poem is constructed in a different font and organized in different ways to differentiate the personalities of the children “writing” them. There is no strict format or style of poetry consistent throughout the book. Almost all the apology poems are written from the student’s point of view, and each have a definite emotional impact. Some of the most heartbreaking are “Next Time” written by Jewel to her father, and “Spelling Bomb” by Anthony to his mother. The rhythm is different for each poem, as is the language used. Occasionally the editor, Anthony K., makes notes on the poem to include additional details for the reader. While many of the poems pack an emotional punch, others fall flat. An adult writing poetry from the point of view of a child makes me uncomfortable, and pulls me out of the poem.

Pamela Zagarenski created magnificent illustrations using mixed media on paper canvas and wood. She also incorporates computer graphics to embellish the illustrations and make them stand out. One of the cleverest things Zagarenski does is use dictionary pages in her illustrations. A girl’s skirt or boys pants have the definition for “apology” written on them. Each page has a different background color to distinguish the poems from one another. It appears as through the illustrations are designed to look like they were made by the authors of each individual poem, to maintain the illusion of the book being a class project for a 6^th grade class.  Zagarenski indicates on the book jacket that she used any items kids might have laying around to make sketches on for the poems, and her approach contributes to the emotional impact of the poems.

A major issue for me is the organization of the poems. One half of the book has poems of apology and the last half has poems of forgiveness. The poems of apology would have more impact if they were immediately followed by the poems of apology. It felt awkward to flip back and forth from the apology poem to the forgiveness poem as I was reading. But despite that small issue, This is Just to Say would be wonderful for children of all ages to read.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2003-2004

Cybils Poetry Award

Claudia Lewis Poetry Award

IRA Teacher's Choice Book

North Carolina Junior Book Nomination

New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Book Links Lasting Connection Book

Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “The poems successfully navigate the complicated terrain for those who seek forgiveness. But the book's odd organization seems a missed opportunity to tie the well-wrought, corresponding poems together and reinforce the complex relationships between the characters.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Zagarenski's delicately outlined collage drawings and paintings are created on mixed backgrounds–notebook paper, paper bags, newspaper, graph paper, school supplies. This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Use Houghton Mifflin’s Poetry Kit, developed and available for teachers and librarians to use with Joyce Sidman’s poetry books: http://www.joycesidman.com/teachers.html

* Sidman has also developed a reader’s guide for This is Just to Say: http://www.joycesidman.com/thiisjusttosayTG.html

* Using This is Just to Say as an example, have students write their own poems of apology to someone/something and ask for a poem of forgiveness in return.

* Other books on apology and forgiveness:

Levine, Gail Carson. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. ISBN 9780061787256

Review: Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian

Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 9780152013066

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Insectlopedia is a delightful book of 21 poems with accompanying paintings about a variety of insects. The poems are deceptively simple, but upon multiple readings, they are rather enchanting descriptions of many common bugs. Each poem includes a brightly painted illustration of the insect by the author.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Florian writes his poems in a sing-song type of rhyme that matches each poem subject perfectly. The language in the poems is so playful; it makes even the most disgusting insects (weevils, termites, ticks) appear adorable. Some of the verses are arranged in a standard traditional format, while in other poems the font moves in conjunction in the subject of the poem. For example, “The inchworm” poem arches just as a worm would as he is moving along. The text for “The Whirligig Beetles” is arranged in a circular shape, the way the beetles twirl. On some poems, Florian bolds a word to emphasize when he is creating a pun. For example, “The Praying Mantis”:

Upon a twig

I sit and pray

For something big

To wend my way:

A caterpillar,

Moth,

Or bee –

I swallow them

Religiously.  (p. 17).

The illustrations painted by Florian are warm and friendly. They were created with watercolors on plain brown paper bags and with the use of collages.  At first glance, the illustrations appear as though they were created by children, with many of the insects smiling broadly or engaging in other human-like activities such as the caterpillar wearing a hat, the praying mantis reading, and the giant water bug reading a Father’s Day card. While not perfect, the illustrations should appeal to a younger audience.

In general, Insectlopedia would be great for elementary aged children who enjoy insects, and wish to learn more facts about them.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 1999-2000

Beehive Children’s Poetry Book Award 2002

Positive review in Publisher’s Weekly: “The silly, imaginative verses about whirligig beetles and waterbugs (almost) match the exquisite pictures in playfulness and wit. The result is downright stunning.”

Positive review in Kirkus: “Read alone or read aloud, each of these ticklish tidbits features an individual member of the insect world, and focuses on attributes, foibles, and antics displayed in the eight-legged community.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have children choose one of the 21 poems about insects to read, and illustrate it themselves using Florian’s technique of watercolors and collage on brown paper bags.

* Use specific poems to enhance learning about insects in a science class.

*Other poetry books by Douglas Florian:

UnBEElieveables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings. ISBN 9781442426528

Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs. ISBN 9780152052485

Beast Feast: Poems. ISBN 9780152017378