The Horn Book Guide

LITERATURE

Koertge, Ron

Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses

88 pp. | Candlewick | July, 2012 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7636-4406-2 $19.99

(1) YA Illustrated by Andrea Dezsö. With a contemporary sensibility and voice pitched perfectly to teenagers, Koertge retells, in free verse and from various points of view, twenty-three familiar tales. It's a swell mix of the comical, concrete, and macabre. Dezsö's choice of cut-paper illustrations is brilliant, a nod to Hans C. Andersen’s skill in that medium despite the radically different tone. Perfect for grabbing a restive class's attention.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012