Well-versed: New novels resonate with the enduring power of poetry

REVIEWS BY LINDA CASTELLITTO

Providing a wonderful warm-up for National Poetry Month, two new young adult novels, both written in free verse, are sure to please readers of all ages. Heartbeat by beloved author and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech is a wonderfully readable, accessible story. Offering an engaging glimpse into the life of 12-year-old Annie, the book is an honest examination of the ways in which life can surprise, confound, frustrate and embolden us, regardless of the number of candles on our most recent birthday cake.

Creech's skill at creating poems characterized by both an economy of words and a bounty of expression is clear in Heartbeat. The story soars as Annie's feet fly along the asphalt and grass in her hometown, then slows to hesitancy in the face of the persistent gloominess of her best friend Max. The text's beat and rhythm keep the reader attuned to Annie's feelings: her heart thumps mightily as she bounds through town and thinks about how her Grandpa, who was once an excellent runner himself, is slowly losing his mental strength. The reader's heart hammers along with Annie's as she tries to explain to a condescending track coach that, to her, the joy of running is simply in doing it, not in doing it better than someone else.

Creech's verse is rife with humor as well as vibrancy. For example, Annie's relief that her new baby brother is not an alien is comical, and cleverly placed footnotes add a bit of sly levity. As the story bounds to a close, Annie gleans knowledge about life from her family, and her art class teaches her—literally—about perspective. But, like life itself, the wrap-up to the story is not too neat. Annie's friend Max mellows a bit, but he's still the moody boy she's so fond of. Thankfully, some of Annie's confusion has cleared, and she has come to realize that growing up entails dealing with some surprising, strange stuff. Most importantly she learns that if she heeds her inner rhythms, she'll probably do just fine. Heartbeat is a wonderfully original look at a confusing time in the life of a pre-teen.


The voices of a family, in verse

Love, Ghosts, and Facial Hair by popular Australian poet Steven Herrick will strike a chord with older readers. Like many teenagers, 16-year-old Jack is preoccupied with trying to demystify the opposite sex, as well as the changes happening in his pubescent body. Unlike many teenagers, Jack writes poetry and gets along quite well with his older sister. He even thinks the new-grown hair on her upper lip is kind of appealing.

Oh, and it just so happens that on a regular basis, Jack sees a ghost—the spirit of his mother, who died seven years earlier. As he experiences the push and pull of growing up, he writes of his experiences in witty verse, wherein he makes some wise observations about everything from socks to love, and amusingly expresses his frustration at his bizarrely lush nose hair. Herrick lets us in on the thoughts of Jack's father, sister and girlfriend Annabel, too. Each character takes a turn at free-verse exploration and at the explication of the events of their intertwined lives. They also share their observations and feelings about Jack.

It's easy to see why Herrick's work is popular in Australia, and this book should please American readers as well. The characters' musings on family, career, loss and change are realistic, and range from poignant to droll. Readers will delight in Jack's increasing confidence, as his connection with Annabel enables him to focus on the future and its possibilities. And as he finds himself opening up to the notion of looking ahead rather than focusing on the past, Jack realizes that leaving the ghost behind doesn't mean he loves his mother any less, a truth that gives Love, Ghosts, and Facial Hair a timeless resonance.


Linda M. Castellitto writes from Rhode Island.

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