Poison Ivy (Paperback)

by Amy Goldman Koss (Author)
Key Phrases: sea view, government class, Wayne Martin, Poison Ivy, American Government (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9–Ivy has been a victim of relentless bullying for years. Nicknamed Poison Ivy by Ann, Benita, and Sophie in fourth grade, she can hardly remember what it was like to be just plain Ivy. When earnest Ms. Gold, the middle school American government teacher, finds a depressing poem written by Ivy, she decides to put The Evil Three on trial for bullying. She is hoping to create a perfect learning experience to illustrate the American judicial system to the class–and possibly to teach the three girls a lesson. What Ms. Gold does not count on, however, is the power of popular kids and the resulting political leverage. Students are assigned roles: counsel for the plaintiff, process server, judge, jury, etc. The action is related through the multiple voices of the major figures in the mock trial proceedings, and readers see many personalities emerge in the alternate chapters. Of particular interest is the relationship among The Evil Three. Ann, the leader, clearly enjoys the status that Benita and Sophie give her in their roles as bystanders in the bullying process. Realistic dialogue and fast-paced action will hold interest, and the final verdict is unsettling, but not unexpected. This book will be useful for class discussions along with Kosss The Girls (Dial, 2000), another realistic and equally effective look at the agonizing bullying of a classmate.–Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. What better way to explain government in action than to stage a mock trial, in this case a trial in which one unpopular girl, Ivy (aka Poison Ivy), seeks to bring three bullies to justice. Alas, the questionable ambitions of a teacher, the fearful power of popularity, and the sad truth of how losers are made combine to make things ugly. The trial unfolds through the alternating viewpoint of several students, each of whom has a distinctive voice: Marcus' is penetrating and contemptuous; Ivy's is strangely cool; Ann's bubbles with cruelty. Sometimes the dialogue sounds candid and natural; at other times, it's overly dramatized. And, unfortunately, because readers never see how Ivy is bullied (we're just told it's bad), the story lacks an emotional punch. The message is clear: beauty, popularity, and fear are the trinity by which girls rule, and although most teenagers aren't cruel, many are indifferent to the suffering of their peers and are thankful they aren't the ones in the spotlight. School stories like this aren't rare, but they make compelling reading for teenagers in the trenches. Krista Hutley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031238453X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312384531
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #621,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives "Mean Girls" a run for its money!, May 26, 2006

By	Michelle Dunn "Columnist, author, credit expe... (NH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Poison Ivy (Hardcover)

Amy Goldman Koss gives us a great story told by eight different points of view. In a government class at school, a group of girls goes on "trial" for their bullying of a classmate they call "Poison Ivy". This story will give you the eight different points of view from each girl on the same event. Very interstingly puts you into the minds and perceptions of each narrator. See how differently these story tellers see things and learn more about human nature with each chapter. For example, Marco beleives if someone gets on your nerves, it is justifiable to be mean to them, it is a reality. Get into the minds of these characters and see just how our schools societies really are.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poison ivy - no antidote needed, September 18, 2008

By	Naomi Wender - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Poison Ivy (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book: Amy Goldman Koss tackles bullying head-on. She balances the heaviness of the subject with enough humor to make it not only bearable, but highly readable. The device of multiple voices is the perfect choice, giving the story depth, and guaranteeing no preaching is involved.
In a perfect world (which is surely not the one depicted in this story), the heroine would be vindicated, and justice served. But I think it's more thought-provoking and memorable this way. Hopefully, this lack of a happy ending will make readers more likely to speak up, and stand up, when a peer is being teased, mistreated, or harmed in any way; it's up to each of us to stop the cycle. An excellent read both in and out of the classroom.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 18, 2009

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Ivy has been teased and bullied every day since the fourth grade by three very popular girls at school.

Ms. Gold wants to have a mock trial in her government class. She decides that Ivy should sue the evil three.

All Ivy wants is an apology and to be left alone.

Told through eight different voices, this book is about the trial. Not only is Ivy a victim, but we also are told the story of Daria, the painfully shy student who ends up representing Ivy in the trial even though she doesn't want to.

What I had a hard time with was the indifference of the bystanders, those who see the abuse every day but decide they can't or won't do anything about it. I also had a hard time with the teacher, who delights in seeing her students squirm.

But I believe that bullies need to be stood up to - and not only by the victim, but by all of society. This illustrates the fact that when kids see bullying done to others they also need to stand up for what is right and not let them get away with it.

POISON IVY, I believe, is an important book which should be read in junior high and discussed in classrooms across the United States.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison