The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

January 25, 2016
This entertaining debut novel in verse follows the fifth graders at Emerson Elementary as they attempt to save their “run-down” school, which is danger of closing. In an ethnically diverse class featuring familiar rivalries and crushes, each student has an opportunity to be his or herself in journal entries destined for a time capsule, which are seen only by their teacher, Ms. Hill. In page-long entries, Shovan skillfully employ different poetic forms and styles—haikus, rhymes, acrostics, free verse, limericks, and more (all discussed in an endnote)—to express the students’ personalities, though 18 distinct voices are a lot to track. Characters like Norah from Jerusalem; George, whose father recently left home; Shoshanna, dealing with a demanding friend (“When Hannah wins/ class president/ I’ll finally be free./ If she is boss/ of our whole grade/ she won’t be bossing me”); and Brianna, whose mother struggles to make ends meet, will inspire readers as they find the courage to save their school and make their voices heard, both as a united front and as capable, valuable individuals. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management.

February 1, 2016
This novel in verse is a remarkable feat of mimicry. The poems sound exactly like they were written by real fifth-graders. Ms. Hill's students, a diverse bunch judging by their names and their pictures, are required to write a poem every morning. (They listen to folk music while they're writing, which says a lot about Ms. Hill.) One Seuss-inspired poem includes the stanza "Some kids are glad and some are sad. / You sit by Teacher. Were you bad?" That level of authenticity is hard to take unless it reveals something about the characters' personalities. Happily, many of the students are worth getting to know, like Newt Mathews, a boy with Asperger's who rescues the frogs hiding in the school's back brick wall. Their story is compelling enough: as the title hints, the students are trying to prevent their school from being torn down. But too much of the plot feels conventional. When a student gets a crush on a girl who claims to hate him, some readers will pray that they don't fall in love. The last section of the book is full of lovely, inventive moments. A set of instructions for making a flipbook somehow becomes a metaphor for loss. But too many poems--especially a bad parody of "Big Yellow Taxi"--simply don't work. Readers may wonder if they really needed a poem for every day of the school year. (glossary, guide to poetic forms) (Verse novel. 8-12)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-At the end of the term, Emerson Elementary School will be bulldozed to make way for a shopping center and students will be reassigned to other schools in the district. This change is particularly hard for the 18 fifth graders in Ms. Hill's class. She tasks them with keeping a poetry journal throughout the year; their poems will be placed in a time capsule at the end of the year. The students write about their feelings, the project, the imminent changes to their community, and their worries about middle school through alternating poems divided into four quarters. One girl's mother is being deployed, a boy's father recently left the family, and another boy's beloved grandfather is ailing. With the gentle guidance of their teacher, who may have been arrested in the 1960s protesting the Vietnam War, they become socially aware and organize a movement to protest the school closure. The distinct personalities of the students shine through in a variety of poetic forms. Sadness, humor, anger, and hope are expressed in authentically young voices. The poetic forms are discussed in further detail in the back matter, making for a great teaching resource. VERDICT This gently evocative study of change in all its glory and terror would make a terrific read-aloud or introduction to a poetry unit. A most impressive debut.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Grades 4-6 This skillful first novel by poet Shovan features 18 characters who narrate their pivotal fifth-grade year in a variety of poetic forms. The class is torn about the future of their school building, which the district is actively planning to close, spurring some to political action by petitioning to save Emerson Elementary. Meanwhile, friends are made and lost, crushes bloom, and the students' home lives impact their school lives. At times the sheer number of protagonists, all given equal billing, makes this novel in verse difficult to follow. However, the multiethnic class is distinctive, and readers will grow to care about students' personal struggles, such as whether Gaby's English improves or Mark's grief over his father's death will heal. Back matter on the types of poems utilized will prove useful for those wanting to learn more about poetic forms, and can make for interesting exercises for classroom teachers. A worthwhile book for all libraries, this will appeal to readers looking to spend quality time with kids like themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)