More Spice Than Sugar [Hardcover]

Lillian Morrison (Author), Ann Boyajian (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In this collection of poems celebrating high-spirited girls and women, you will meet independent spirits — young rebels, hardy pioneers, mavericks, athletes, and heroines — who dared difficult tasks and who show the strength of the human spirit in the face of hardship. With considerably more spice than sugar, these poems present the many faces of active, bold, brave, and sometimes funny girls. Real girls. Compiled by poet Lillian Morrison, this thoughtful and inspiring anthology speaks to the hopes, passions, and convictions of girls and young women. Some of the poets included are Emily Dickinson, Stanley Kunitz, Eve Merriam, X. J. Kennedy, Nikki Giovanni, and others. An appendix includes helpful background information.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

New poetry collections address femininity, family, pets and more. More Spice Than Sugar: Poems About Feisty Females, ed. by Lillian Morrison, illus. by Ann Boyajian, begins with Nikki Giovanni's life-affirming "the drum" and closes with William Collins's "Captain Molly," who saved the day at the battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution. In between are tales of past heroines (Eloise Greenfield's "Harriet Tubman"; Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?") and words of inspiration (Marianne Moore's "I May, I Might, I Must"; Alice Walker's "Women"). Boyajian's drawings capture the strength and pioneering spirit of this stalwart cast.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Divided into three sections, "When I Am Me," "She's a Winner," and "Against the Odds," Morrison's selections tell of real and imagined girls and women, famous or nameless, but all true-to-life. Whether it's a poet writing about herself (Marianne Moore's "I May, I Might, I Must"; Emily Dickinson's "[The Poet Emily]") or about others (Alice Walker's "Women," Eloise Greenfield's "Harriet Tubman," Stanley Kunitz's "Girl with Sampler"), these poems are accessible, inspiring, and challenging. Some are available in other collections, although not in this context. This book is an appealing size and length, and Boyajian's black-and-white spot illustrations decorate every page without hampering the effect of the words. Notes at the end give a few lines of background on people mentioned in the poems. There is no index, so readers looking for a specific poem will need to browse, but they will be glad they did.-Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First Edition edition (February 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618068929
• ISBN-13: 978-0618068920
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,504,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spicy Superwomen Only, May 27, 2002

By 

"mrmcrae" (Clemson, South Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Spice Than Sugar (Hardcover)

Lillian Morrison's compilation of poems, More Spice Than Sugar: Poems About Feisty Females, contains poetry written by famous authors like Emily Dickinson and Alice Walker, as well as many poems written by less well-known authors. Ann Boyajian's illustrations throughout the pages provide support for the wonderful poetry in this anthology. In the poem, "Lashondra Scores," the illustrations convey the meaning of the poem. Each letter "O" in the poem looks like a basketball, and the words arch from Lashondra's hands into the basketball goal on the opposite page. Featuring many different types of poetry, More Spice Than Sugar offers something for everyone-women and girls alike. The poetry that fills the pages of this book gives girls and women who like to challenge authority and gender roles the inspiration to do just that.
This wonderful collection of poetry makes even the tamest of females want to push boundaries, "go against the odds," and feel great about being superwomen. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to live life outside of bounds and needs the support of other women who have done so.

Morrison, Lillian. More Spice Than Sugar: Poems About Feisty Females. New York:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.