The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes! (Hardcover)

~ Lynne Truss (Author), (Illustrator) "The giant kids' playground..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Bringing her proper-punctuation campaign to children for the second time, Truss follows up her best-selling 2006 picture book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Matter! (which shares its title with Truss' bestseller for adults) with this companion about apostrophes. Mishaps related to the flying comma (fancifully envisioned as a Good Punctuation Fairy . . . flitting above a page of words) are set forth in paired statements, with Timmons' lighthearted cartoons driving home the shift in meaning precipitated by missing or misplaced apostrophes. The strain of coming up with clever, illustration-friendly examples occasionally shows, but many of the 13 scenarios successfully find the sweet spot between kid-pleasing goofiness and perfect clarity of purpose: with one scenario's play on the two meanings of behind, one referring to a horse's rear end, kids won't soon forget the crucial distinction between its and it's. Endnotes provide brief technical explanations. Hide your red pens: if Truss and Timmons keep this up, the grammar police may have its youngest recruits yet. Mattson, Jennifer

Product Description

Just as the use of commas was hilariously demystified in Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!, now Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons put their talents together to do the same for apostrophes. Everyone needs to know where to put an apostrophe to make a word plural or possessive (Are those sticky things your brother’s or your brothers?) and leaving one out of a contraction can give someone the completely wrong impression (Were here to help you).

Full of silly scenes that show how apostrophes make a difference, too, this is another picture book that will elicit bales of laughter and better punctuation from all who read it.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399247068
• ISBN-13: 978-0399247064
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,823 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Language Arts > Grammar
  #51 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Humor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Get Children Interested in Grammar, July 23, 2007

By	Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I knew this would be a children's book I would treasure for a long time when I read "The apostrophe is the most helpful of all punctuation marks."

My daughter and I read it over and over again, stressing the apostrophes usage - which Truss presents in an amusing and memorable way. In the back of the book, complete explanations are helpful as well. The illustrations are adorable.

It is the first time I have laughed with one of my children about punctuation!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Girl's Like Spaghetti is great!, August 17, 2007

By	Sheree Hall "MP6teacher" (Mount Pleasant. MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I ordered this book to use in my 6th grade classroom. The pictures show the meaning of similar sentences with and without apostrophes. Using this book brings humor to reinforcing correct punctuation in writing for students and adults alike. The book includes the rules used to know when and where to use apostrophes. This is truly a fun way to learn punctuation.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun,factual and funny, August 10, 2007

By	salesgranny (Iowa) - See all my reviews

For those who love books written by Lynn Truss, this one is for you. The clear explanation of how to use apostrophes, along with the clever illustrations make this a book to share with children you love to read to.