(3) 4-6 This companion memoir to Marshfield Dreams (2005) continues Fletcher's poignant, very brief episodes from a (mostly) carefree upbringing as the oldest of nine kids. Fans of the author will recognize seeds of later work as Fletcher sensitively captures the pivotal tenuousness between adolescence and adulthood. An epilogue discusses how, a few years after these memories, the sudden death of his brother sifted life into "Before and After."

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Declaring that "for many guys, school writing can really stink," Fletcher offers boys lots of helpful tips on how to make writing more effective and more fun. Short chapters cover humor, horror, fantasy, and sports writing; other sections cover sources of inspiration, revision techniques, and other practical advice. Interviews with authors including Jon Scieszka and Robert Lipsyte provide real-world success stories. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) YA As a joke, Bobby and his friends submit a fake application to a private school under the name Rowan Pohi. After Rowan is admitted, Bobby assumes the fictional identity. He struggles to maintain his friendships and his place at the school while dealing with family secrets. Though the premise and many plot points are glaringly implausible, Bobby's travails may entertain readers.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Tor, a miniature man, discovers that small flakes from a dragon's scale cure his insomnia. Eager to help others fall asleep, he bravely collects more scales, sands them down, and visits children, tossing the magical sand over their eyes. Though the plot is uninspired, acrylic illustrations round out the story by providing amusing details about Tor's tiny existence.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 In this friendly, well-organized, and informative guide, Fletcher encourages kids to draw on their own experiences when writing. He walks readers through focus, form, and craft, offering concrete suggestions and presenting age-appropriate writing samples. The book includes interviews with Jack Gantos, Jerry Spinelli, and Kathi Appelt. Lists of suggested memoirs to inspire younger, middle-grade, and older students are appended.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) YA Matt, fourteen, is spending the summer of 1973 working as a clam digger and grappling with the unusual sensation of falling in love with his first cousin, a beautiful fifteen-year-old visiting from Hawaii. Although occasionally marred by anachronisms in language and details, this coming-of-age story features an easygoing protagonist and evocative descriptions.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jennifer Emery. The thirty-four linked free-verse poems detail a boy's move with his family from Massachusetts to Ohio. Twelve-year-old Fletch goes through a range of emotions, from his vow that "I'm not moving. / Uh-uh. No way" ("Unmovable") to the observation that "I guess, with luck, I'll fit in, too" ("Leaves"). Authentic feeling resonates throughout, and the fragmented, sketchlike illustrations reflect Fletch's evolving mindset.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Kiesler & Kate Kiesler. One autumn evening, "something is stirring / at the edge of the world. / Something is rising / low in the trees." A girl watches as the harvest moon fills the night with its magical glow. The lyrical text of this companion to Twilight Comes Twice describes the impact of the full moon on plants, animals, the ocean, etc., while impressive oil paintings capture its exceptional light.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 This guide begins with the "three pillars of poetry," which Fletcher states are emotion, image, and music. The twelve chapters include an exploration of those elements, ways to refine poems, tips on presenting them publicly, and interviews with poets Kristine O'Connell George, Janet S. Wong, and J. Patrick Lewis. Samples of verse throughout illustrate Fletcher's points in a concrete, understandable way. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 4-6 Rivers's father left when the boy was three, but Rivers still has his mother's uncle who moved in and "told me stories, gave me my bath, got me dressed, combed my hair, packed my lunch." When Rivers is nine, Dad comes back. Although the situation is a little calculated, the book takes it in unformulaic directions. Readers will feel a ready empathy, not to mention a wish for an Uncle Daddy of their own.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(3) 4-6 Photographs by Andrea Sperling. This slim cycle of first-person poems describes a day at the beach from the point of view of an eleven-year-old boy who builds sand walls, lazes in the surf with friends, and teases his little brother. As much aware of the babies on the beach as the college-age babes, the narrator feels himself on the cusp of change. Black-and-white photographs illustrate these casual poems.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Ben Caldwell. Mean Spencer Ross offers to sell his crystal mumbo jumbo marble to Tommy for ten dollars. Tommy ponders a number of schemes to obtain it, including peddling flowers to a neighbor and swapping a garter snake for the marble. The story line, like the accompanying line art, seems dated and rather bland, but the relationship between Tommy and his tagalong brother Bradley is appealing.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. A girl enjoys spending time with her grandfather, who delights in spinning tall tales to explain things like frost, icicles, and dew. Their loving relationship is poetically drawn, but when the grandmother dies in the middle of the story, the episode is not adequately dealt with. Rich acrylic paintings in deep colors highlight the bond between grandfather and granddaughter.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop. Forty-two first-person, free verse poems form a believable portrait of an eleven-year-old boy's family life. The verse covers experiences from the ordinary to the traumatic to the joyful: in one poem, the narrator finds a friend's family meals more interesting than his own; "Broken Ice" tells of a brother's near-drowning; a baby sister is marveled over in "New Baby." The poems are accompanied by occasional black-and-white line drawings.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 4-6 When the substitute fails to show up, Mr. Fabiano's sixth-grade class takes it upon themselves to go solo for the day, handling the schedule with surprising maturity (mostly). Containing honest and uncondescending portrayals of several students, the novel is more thoughtful and poignant than most school stories, while still appropriately leavened with comic moments.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998