Room Enough for Love

VOYA - Debby Adams

If teens read the poems in this book, they might just change their usual opinion of poetry: that it is hard to understand and does not relate to their own life experiences. Fletcher's poems are written in a simple, gentle prose about the one thing all teens experience, romantic love. Introspective teens especially will appreciate his talent for taking spare words and creating detailed images, leaving the reader thinking, "That's exactly how I feel!" The first section of this book contains the complete poems from Fletcher's earlier book I Am Wings (Bradbury, 1994/VOYA June 1994). It is divided into two parts, "Falling In" and "Falling Out." In the second half of the book are the complete poems from Buried Alive (Atheneum, 1996/VOYA October 1996). The poems are arranged by the elements of earth, water, air, and fire. The great strength of this book is that Fletcher gets the voices exactly right. Both male and female narrators are believable teens feeling believable feelings; these are not poems that are written in flowery language in voices too old or mature. The only disappointment with this book is its cover. Within the book are great black-and-white photographs of teens or natural scenes, but on the cover there is a tiny square collage surrounded by ivory space. It is not consistent with the style of the poems inside and definitely not a cover that would beg readers to grab it off the shelf to discover what is inside, and that is a shame. Photos. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, Will appeal with pushing, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

Children's Literature - Sheree Van Vreede

While capturing the intensity that love brings, this collection of poems provides an outlet for discovering and wondering about love's complexities. These lyrics do not judge or pretend to have the answers; rather, they describe the ups and downs of falling in and out of love. Fletcher doesn't create light poems; he dives deep and incorporates mythology, nature, literature, as well as other types of intellectual imagery. Readers are taught that both poetry and love require skill and artistry in order to thrive.