It Figures!

December 1, 1993
Gr. 4-6. Emphasizing ways in which readers can improve their writing, a master of children's wordplay tackles six of the most frequently used figures of speech--similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole, and personification. In each of the well-organized chapters, Terban includes a clear definition of the figure of speech, familiar and lesser-known examples from folklore and literature, writing exercises, and ways to avoid pitfalls such as cliches and mixed metaphors. As in the author and illustrator's other lively books about language, Maestro's small, comic-style drawings are interspersed throughout the lucid text. A good choice for whole-language classrooms. ((Reviewed Dec. 1, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)