Poison Ivy

February 27, 2006
Koss (The Girls
), with a fascinating premise, uses the authentic voices of eight diverse teens to create a "mock trial" in an American Government class. When loner Ivy confesses to her teacher that she has been taunted and teased for years by pretty, popular Ann and her sidekicks ("The Evil Three have been after me, feeding off me since fourth grade"), the woman sees the situation as an opportunity to model their study of the judicial system. The names of the lawyers for the plaintiff and defendants are randomly chosen from a paper bag, followed by the rather tedious process of selecting a jury. Distinct personalities emerge from the narratives of the principle players: self-protectively aloof Ivy, who frequently uses fish analogies to describe herself ("so I swam upstream, alone against the current"); painfully shy and insecure Daria (the "best student"), who reluctantly assumes the role of Ivy's attorney; reflective, even-handed Marco, who is simultaneously entranced and disgusted by Ann; and the manipulative villainess herself, a study in superficiality and spite. The interactions among the students in and out of the "courtroom" offer readers intriguing and often disturbing perspectives on popularity, peer pressure, bullying and fairness. In the end, Marco best articulates the outcome: "Beauty wins and truth is irrelevant. Grim, isn't it?" Yes. And, in these pages, it's all too convincing. Ages 11-up.

March 1, 2006
Gr 6-9 -Ivy has been a victim of relentless bullying for years. Nicknamed -Poison Ivy - by Ann, Benita, and Sophie in fourth grade, she can hardly remember what it was like to be just plain Ivy. When earnest Ms. Gold, the middle school American government teacher, finds a depressing poem written by Ivy, she decides to put -The Evil Three - on trial for bullying. She is hoping to create a perfect learning experience to illustrate the American judicial system to the class -and possibly to teach the three girls a lesson. What Ms. Gold does not count on, however, is the power of popular kids and the resulting political leverage. Students are assigned roles: counsel for the plaintiff, process server, judge, jury, etc. The action is related through the multiple voices of the major figures in the mock trial proceedings, and readers see many personalities emerge in the alternate chapters. Of particular interest is the relationship among -The Evil Three. - Ann, the leader, clearly enjoys the status that Benita and Sophie give her in their roles as bystanders in the bullying process. Realistic dialogue and fast-paced action will hold interest, and the final verdict is unsettling, but not unexpected. This book will be useful for class discussions along with Koss -s "The Girls" (Dial, 2000), another realistic and equally effective look at the agonizing bullying of a classmate." -Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2006
Gr. 7-10. What better way to explain government in action than to stage a mock trial, in this case a trial in which one unpopular girl, Ivy (aka Poison Ivy), seeks to bring three bullies to justice. Alas, the questionable ambitions of a teacher, the fearful power of popularity, and the sad truth of how losers are made combine to make things ugly. The trial unfolds through the alternating viewpoint of several students, each of whom has a distinctive voice: Marcus' is penetrating and contemptuous; Ivy's is strangely cool; Ann's bubbles with cruelty. Sometimes the dialogue sounds candid and natural; at other times, it's overly dramatized. And, unfortunately, because readers never see how Ivy is bullied (we're just told it's bad), the story lacks an emotional punch. The message is clear: beauty, popularity, and fear are the trinity by which girls rule, and although most teenagers aren't cruel, many are indifferent to the suffering of their peers and are thankful they aren't the ones in the spotlight. School stories like this aren't rare, but they make compelling reading for teenagers in the trenches.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)