The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

by Laura Shovan (Author)

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
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Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
cms Common Sense Media Review

An award-winning, big-hearted time capsule of one class's poems during a transformative school year. A great pick for fans of Margarita Engle and Eileen Spinelli. Eighteen kids, one year of poems, one school set to close. Two yellow bulldozers crouched outside, ready to eat the building in one greedy gulp. But look out bulldozers. Ms. Hill's fifth-grade class has plans for you. They're going to speak up and work together to save their school. Families change and new friendships form as these terrific kids grow up and move on in this whimsical novel-in-verse about finding your voice and making sure others hear it.


cms Common Sense Media Review
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Review quotes

"The poems are easy to read, in authentic-sounding language that captures the poets' personalities; avatar-like illustrations accompany each piece to remind readers of who's who. A helpful guide to poetic forms appears at the end of the book." —The Horn Book

"Entertaining . . . Shovan skillfully employs different poetic forms and styles...Characters... will inspire readers as they find the courage to save their school and make their voices heard, both as a united front and as capable, valuable individuals." —Publishers Weekly

"Eighteen kids. Eighteen Stories. An original idea, artfully and heartfully rendered. What a treat." —Eileen Spinelli, author of Another Day as Emily and other books

"A delightful book, with an endearing cast of characters who can help teach the craft of poetry while sharing their own diverse personal stories." —Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree
Laura Shovan
Laura Shovan's debut middle-grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, was a NCTE 2017 Notable Verse Novel and a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, and won a Cybils Award for poetry, as well a Nerdy Book Club award. Her son's experiences as a member of a travel wrestling team were the inspiration for Takedown. Laura and her family live in Maryland, where she is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council. Visit her online at laurashovan.com, or follow her on on Facebook (facebook.com/laura.shovan.poet/) and on Twitter at @LauraShovan.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780553521405
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Yearling Books
Publication date
April 10, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
Library of Congress categories
Schools
Novels in verse
Middle school students

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