The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

Eighteen students will be in Ms. Hill's last fifth-grade class, before bulldozers destroy Emerson Elementary to make room for a grocery store. The kids in her racially diverse classroom voice their opinions about their beloved school's closing through poems in a range of styles. The poems are easy to read, in authentic-sounding language capturing the poets' personalities. A helpful guide to poetic forms is appended.

Eighteen students will be in Ms. Hill's last fifth-grade class, before bulldozers destroy Emerson Elementary to make room for a grocery store. Inspired by Ms. Hill's past as a peaceful protester, the kids in her racially diverse classroom learn to voice their own opinions about the closing of their beloved school. Charismatic George attempts to stage a demonstration. Katie's mom is an architect working on the new building, but Katie chooses to stand with her classmates, while other students, such as bossy Hannah and quiet Sydney, relish the fresh start a new school could give them. Each student writes his or her opinions and concerns as poems, in notebooks they will eventually bury with a time capsule. They experiment with different styles-some poems are in free verse, some rhyme; some are serious ("Top Ten Things That Stink When Your Father Dies"), others silly; Gaby's are in both Spanish and English; and some characters seem to be more fond of writing than others. By the end of the year everyone has learned to say what he or she means creatively. The poems are easy to read, in authentic-sounding language that captures the poets' personalities; avatar-like illustrations accompany each piece to remind readers of who's who. A helpful guide to poetic forms appears at the end of the book. sarah berman