Dreyer's English (Adapted for Young Readers)

December 1, 2020
The 2019 guide to grammar and usage from the copy chief of Random House is adapted for young readers. Why should young readers care about usage? Because, writes Dreyer, "What you write and how you write it tells readers as much about you as a selfie. You don't post every selfie you take, do you?" This observation sets the tone for the tweaks and massages made to refashion the proudly fussbudgety original for a presumably more skeptical audience. Most of the author's adventures in copy editing have been excised from this volume, though many of the discursive footnotes remain. Also deleted is any mention of sex, even though the original treatment is fairly nonprurient, and excising gonorrhea and syphilis from the chapter on oft-misspelled words is arguably an irresponsible favoring of prudery over health literacy. But most of the changes appear aimed at making the content seem relevant: "Great writers of the twentieth century like Edith Wharton, Theodore Dreiser, and William Faulkner" is now "Great writers of the twenty-first century like Louis Sachar, Rebecca Stead, and Lois Lowry." Some of these swaps smack of desperation: " 'Hey Ya!' is a classic pop song by OutKast" instead of " 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' is a classic pop song by the Beach Boys." Long, syntactically complicated sentences abound, calling into question the whole enterprise. Readers eager to tackle them will be just as happy, if not happier, with the original. A somewhat thoughtful but unnecessary adaptation. (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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January 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-This guide is intended to help writers develop their craft. The text uses pop culture and other modern-day examples to highlight common mistakes and how to avoid them. Chapters deal with issues such as punctuation, numbers, nouns, common mistakes, and more. This title does a great job of clearly explaining hard-to-remember rules. Readers might be surprised at times to find that common phrases or sayings are technically incorrect, which makes aspiring writers challenge their perceptions of what they thought they knew. The text also discusses the publishing industry, which benefits readers who wish to understand the realm of professional writing. A list of "eminently bookmarkable sites" after the last chapter is the cherry on top of this accessible work. VERDICT A great addition to any classroom and school library as a reference source. Give it to all the English teachers you know.-Carol Youssif, Taipei American Sch., Taiwan

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