More Than Friends: Poems from Him and Her
Grade 7 Up—Through a series of "he" and "she" poems, Holbrook and Wolf detail the range of emotions when a childhood friendship become a teenage romance. The relationship goes from shy uncertainty to blissful togetherness, dark rejection, and, finally, a return to friendship. Most of the poems are complementary and conversational, such as the excellent opening selections: "What to Do When She Looks at You?" and "What to Do When He Looks at You?" These deliciously readable poems, accessible and compact, bring to light recognizable feelings and use a variety of forms, including sonnets, free verse, luc bat, villanelle, tanka, and terza rima. An appendix briefly explains each form and refers to famous poems written in these styles. The book's appeal is limited somewhat by an unattractive cover and grainy black-and-white photos and graphic artwork, but teachers and readers alike will savor this innovative approach to an ever-popular topic.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.