The cover has been revealed for Christine Heppermann’s forthcoming book, Ask Me How I Got Here. According to the Under the Green Willow blog, this young adult novel features a story written in verse.
We’ve embedded the full image for the jacket design above—what do you think? Greenwillow Books, an imprint at HarperCollins, has scheduled the publication date for May 03, 2016.
Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty
by Christine Heppermann. HarperCollins. 2014. Reviewed from electronic galley.
The Plot: Fairy tale retellings, in poetry and photographs.
The Good: Seriously, I just adore retellings. Whether it's looking into the historical origins of fairy tales, modernizing them, twisting them -- I just love what people can do with the familiar and the unknown, making them new and fresh.
Poisoned Apples approaches fairy tales with a particular question: what do they say about what it means to be a woman? What does it mean in today's world?
"
The action's always thereWhere are the fairy tales about gym classor the doctor's office of the back of the buswhere bad things can also happen?"
Where bad things happen. There, right there, it shows that the darkness of the fairy tales is what will be examined.
So many good, tight poems, and each is independent, so it's hard to write about because how to select just one or two.
Some are cynical -- the "
Prince Charming" who is charming to parents but says to the girlfriend
"
Girl,you look amazing
. That sweatermakes your boobs lookway bigger."
Others are not. "
Retelling" says, "
What the miller's daughter should have saidfrom the startor at any point down the line is,no."
And then offers a better solution:
"Once upon a timethere was a miller's daughterwho got a studio apartmenttook classes during the day."
"Retelling" may be my favorite because it says, you can say no. You can put yourself first. And that means a happier ending for everyone.
Poisoned Apples is a short book but not a quick read. There is a lot here to discuss; a lot to think about it; a lot to question. And the questions are not just about fairy tales and the poems. It's about what it is to be a woman, what that means, what society and family and friends say it means.
I reviewed this from an electronic galley; and let me say, I want to get my hands on the final print version because I think it's going to be an even more intimate reading.
Other reviews: Sense and Sensibilities and Stories;
Kirkus Reviews.
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© Elizabeth Burns of
A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Happy National Poetry Month! All throughout April, we spoke with poets about working in this digital age. Recently, we spoke with writer Christine Heppermann.
Heppermann (pictured, via) worked as a columnist and reviewer for The Horn Book from 1996 until 2013. In addition to poetry, she also writes nonfiction and fiction for young readers. Check out the highlights from our interview below…
continued…
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