Relatively Speaking [Paperback]

Ralph Fletcher (Author), Krudop (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

A collection of poems that describe the experiences and relationships in a close-knit family.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Like the puzzle pieces on the book's cover, these poems come together to form a picture of one family. Narrated by the youngest member, each poem highlights a different person or event. Readers learn about his older brother's serious accident, his new sibling, and the family's annual reunion. There are poems about seldom-seen cousins, big brother's "beach muscles," and an uncle's funeral. The selections are striking in their simplicity, universal themes, and realistic voice. Pen-and-ink line drawings detail items ranging from a favorite quilt to a water bucket and sponge used to wash the car. Ultimately, these pieces connect throughout the book and show how individuals mesh to become a family.
Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

PLB 0-531-33141-5 In what amounts to a novel in poems, a narrator, 11, declares his satisfaction at ``Being The Youngest,'' introduces his big brother (``God's Gift to Girls''), who later has a scary brush with death, watches his grandmother plant tulip bulbs ``in that dirty confusion/of bulb and knuckle,/knuckle and bulb,'' observes several relatives at a huge family reunion, tracks his mother's pregnancy, and, after his sister is born, finds pleasure in ``Being A Middle Child,'' too. In easygoing free verse that hides no meanings behind oblique imagery or language, Fletcher (Ordinary Things, 1997, etc.) creates a close-knit, recognizable cast; Krudop's small pen-and-ink still lifes of food and common household items evoke an air of intimate, everyday domesticity. Children will enjoy reading or listening to these linked episodes of high drama, low comedy, and comforting human contact. (Poetry. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531071863
• ISBN-13: 978-0531071861
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,519,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ralph Fletcher is a friend of young writers and readers as well as writing teachers. He has written or co-authored many books for writing teachers includng Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide, Teaching the Qualities of Writing, Lessons for the Writer's Notebook, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, and Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft That Sparks Writing. Ralph has worked with teachers around the U.S. and abroad, helping them find wiser ways of teaching writing.

Ralph's many books for students include picture books (Twilight Comes Twice, Hello Harvest Moon, and The Sandman), novels (Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Spider Boy), poetry (A Writing Kind of Day and Moving Day), and a memoir, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid. His novel Uncle Daddy was awarded the Christopher medal in 2002. He has also written a popular series of books for young writers including Poetry Matters, Live Writing, and A Writer's Notebook. Ralph lives with his family in New Hampshire. He is a strong environmentalist who believes we all must work together to live in a more sustainable way. His other passions include travel, good food, dark chocolate, growing orchids, and sports.