Zero the Heroby Joan Holub
illustrated by TomLichtenheld
Henry Holt, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher
My students and I loveloveLOVED
E-Mergency by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer!!
When I put the poster for Zero the Hero on the chalkboard, excitement was instantaneous.
E-Mergency was a funny look at the way the letters of the alphabet work together (and how our words suffer when the E cannot be used). In Zero the Hero, ("A Book About Nothing"), Zero has all the trappings of a hero -- mask, cape, and pointy boots -- but he doesn't seem to be able to do anything amazing (mathematically speaking) all by himself.
"The thought gave Zero a hollow feeling inside." So he
runs rolls away. Without Zero, the other numbers realize they are severely limited. Then, when the Roman Numerals capture the Counting Numbers...well, Zero can finally be a true hero.
50 Reasons to Write Poetry
Opinion / Column
1. To bear witness to life, the good, the bad, and the ugly
2. To discover what I feel
3. To express my feelings
4. To corral my experiences
5. To discover what I think, know and care about
6. To get life’s pain out
7. To use what hurts positively
8. To enjoy the power of words
9. To share serious thoughts
10. To define who I am
11. To be seen and heard
12. To open minds and change the world
13. To make sense of the world
14. To understand the human condition better
15. To stay engaged with my own divinity
16. To be authentic, genuine and real like Holden Caulfield
17. To avoid Depression
18. To build bridges with words
19. To keep my brain alert and alive
20. To keep Alzheimer’s at bay
21. To have something positive to daydream about—writing…
22. To recite my own poetry in traffic
23. To be part of various poetry groups and writing organizations
24. To be a leader instead of a follower
25. To conduct poetry workshops
26. To be anything I want
This sounds fun! I really liked E-Mergency, but I wondered whether kids would get very much of the visual humor. So much of it seemed to depend on adult/past allusions.
I love that Zero got a hollow feeling. I'm off to put this book on reserve!