Remember that childhood rhyme?
“You’re a poet and don’t know it,
But your feet show it—they’re Longfellows!”
Poetry intimidates most of us. That’s why when I run across a book like today’s book recommendation: Catching a Story Fish, by Janice N. Harrington, I think it’s extra special. By definition, children’s books can’t be intimidating—and this one isn’t.
Here’s the book summary:
“Keet knows the only good thing about moving away from her Alabama home is that she’ll live near her beloved grandfather. When Keet starts school, it’s even worse than she expected, as the kids tease her about her southern accent. Now Keet, who can “talk the whiskers off a catfish,” doesn’t want to open her mouth. Slowly, though, while fishing with her grandfather, she learns the art of listening. Gradually, she makes her first new friend. But just as she’s beginning to settle in, her grandfather has a stroke, and even though he’s still nearby, he suddenly feels ever-so-far-away. Keet is determined to reel him back to her by telling him stories; in the process she finds her voice and her grandfather again. This lyrical and deeply emotional novel-in-verse celebrates the power of story and of finding one’s individual voice.”
Catching a Story Fish is perfect if you’re a poet and don’t know it. It’s written in poetry—all kinds of poetry. The coolest thing is at the back of the book is a glossary of different verse forms, and references back to page numbers for examples. It would make a great book to use to “workshop” writers new to verse.
Best of all, once into the story, I no longer noticed it wasn’t in regular prose. I was simply interested in what was going to happen next.
While quite a different story, this book has a lot in common with another I recommended some time back: New York Times Bestseller and Newbery Honor Winner: Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai, a story of immigrating from Vietnam to the U.S.
Catching a Story Fish is easy to read, and it never takes long to get to the next “stopping point!”
In these short, busy days when we’re hurtling toward the year-end holidays, it’s extra important to take time out for yourself. A book is a great way to do that!
Happy Reading!
P.S Welcome to those of you new to Piper’s Merry Band—I enjoyed meeting you at the 5th Avenue “Frosty’s Holiday Fair!”
P.S.S. Last week I announced that the Kindle version of first book, “The Curse of the Neverland,” was available for free for a few days. I want to thank all of you who helped get the word out on social media! In the Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children’s eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Imagination & Play category, we got up to #3 during that those days!
As a thank you, I’ve decided to lower the regular price of the Kindle version from $7.97 to $2.99 — at least through the holidays. Click here to get it! (and please tell your Kindle-reading friends!