Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt
Release Date- October 14, 2014
Age Range- 10-14 years old
Pages - 164
The Story
“And only easy prey
as far as my eye can see
are millions words on million pages
just waiting.”
Set in verse, this book is centered around a character named Kevin who is the school bully. His parents don’t pay attention to him, and his older brother Petey bullies him. So Kevin preys on kids he thinks are weak. He even found a secret way to make fun of kids and teachers in poems (from stolen pages of library books). One day, someone that Kevin has picked on finds Kevin’s book of poems. Suddenly, Kevin is no longer the bully but the kid who is being bullied! Kevin must now try to navigate his new status while he learns about the power of words.
The Review
I was surprised by the depth of this novel.
Even though it is set in verse, it provides some excellent well rounded characters.
I also think a lot of boys may find some humor in it too. For instance, at one point Kevin says, "We will die. The smell is killing us! Teacher smell is deadly. Barf."
I don't think this is that funny, but I do think some of tween boys will find its content historical. Even though I felt like this book was okay, I do think that many schools will use this book to address bullying. Since it is set in verse, it makes it a great read to address bullying. The thing I love most about this book is that it is a little bit different. Kevin enjoys to write poetry. I liked that by the end, Kevin found other ways to express his feelings. I foresee some poetry units with this book! I hope it makes it on some state lists.
What's your favorite anti-bullying book?
- Pamela
No comments