Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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A punctuation primer for the younger set
Already a best-selling sensation on both sides of the Atlantic for her impassioned views on punctuation—memorably expressed in the hilarious comma-laden rant, Eats, Shoots & Leaves—British author Lynne Truss now trains her sights on younger writers, who (goodness knows) could use some help in mastering proper use of the English language. In Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really do Make a Difference!, Truss simplifies her subject by zeroing in on that most troublesome of punctuation marks, the lowly comma. Using Bonnie Timmons' cartoons to catch the attention of her audience (ages 6 and up), the author demonstrates the dire consequences of misplacing or—oh, the horror!—omitting a needed comma. "Commas can create havoc when they are left out or are put in the wrong spot, and the results of misuse can be hilarious," Truss writes. Readers can see, for example, the two entirely different meanings of a sentence with commas included ("The student, said the teacher, is crazy.") and the same sentence without commas ("The student said the teacher is crazy.") Truss includes a section at the back of the book to explain how and why commas are appropriately used, introducing more complex grammatical concepts such as independent clauses and modifiers. English teachers everywhere will be forever in her debt.
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