The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary - Laura Shovan - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Laura Shovan

GENRE: Middle-Grade Novel-in-verse.

PUBLICATION DATE: April 12, 2016

RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A middle-grade novel-in-verse, focussing on poems written by kids for their class time capsule. Brilliant in conception and execution, so much so that I thought it was a true-life story. Excellent characterisation visible even through poems. Much recommended. Try the audio version if possible.

Plot Preview:

Emerson Elementary is in its last school year. At the end of this year, it will be demolished to make way for a shopping mall. As such, one English teacher has asked her class to write poems that will go into the time capsule of their class – the last fifth grade batch at the school.

The entire novel-in-verse is a compilation of these poems from the whole school year.

I am not one for poetry, but when I read the blurb of this book, I couldn’t resist the concept. Novels-in-verse work better for me in audio form, so that’s what I opted for. And it worked brilliantly.

The poems in the book are arranged chronologically in the order of the school year, so we can see the progression of the year and the change in the moods of the children through their verses. The initial poems depict their concern about their future because of the school’s scheduled demolition and also their fond memories of the school. But not all the poems are nostalgic. As the months go by, we see other, more regular topics also coming up. As such, we get to see the varied emotions they express through their words, covering anger, disappointment, frustration, hope, joy, determination, and more.

The backgrounds of the children are diverse, which also leads to a good variation in topic and tone. There are so many poignant entries, especially the poems where the children show their vulnerability, like the girl whose mom is deployed, or the homeless girl staying in a motel. One of the children is an immigrant girl who is more comfortable in Spanish, so all her poems are in Spanish, and are translated to English with the help of her classmate – a brilliant idea.

As every poetic entry also mentions the name of the child who wrote it, we find ourselves becoming familiar with the children’s personalities after some poems. It is really wonderful, and sometimes amusing, to see their innocence shine through their poetic attempts. Some of them are really talented at poetry, and even show a knack for a specific style, such as the little boy who prefers using onomatopoeia in his verses. But some are clearly trying to complete the assignment given by the teacher, even if they don’t enjoy writing.

I cannot evaluate the poetic quality of the content, of course; I don’t have enough knowhow of (or an affinity for) poetry to do that. But thankfully, a majority of the little poets in this book are at the same poetic capacity as I am – the fifth-grade level. 😁 Plus, most of the poems are written in free verse, so I used my usual technique of reading them as ordinary text, which always helps.

Given that the poems are the only *chapters* in the book, everything we know about the school, the children, and their teacher is from the verses. But even this much is more than enough to offer us a complete picture without any gaps. And based on what we learn, their teacher sounds fabulous!

The final chapter is a detailed note about the included poems and also about poetry in general This section also contains information on various types of poems, and provides one poetic prompt per style for young readers so they can write a poem on that topic in that specific style. This entire section is fabulous, with the author’s poetic knowledge and teaching skills coming across strongly. (Coming from me the poetryphobe, consider this a massive compliment!)

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 3 hrs 14 min, is narrated by an ensemble cast comprising eight narrators: Jonathan Todd Ross, Kevin R. Free, Jessica Almasy, Almarie Guerra, Jill Frutkin, Cherise Boothe, Rachel Botchan, and Ramón de Ocampo. This elevates the overall experience to a whole other level. The narrators capture the individual child’s spirit perfectly through their voice modulation and emotions. The audiobook is definitely the way to go!

Overall, this debut novel-in-verse delivered on all counts that mattered to me – it was engrossing with a good balance between emotions and entertainment. Those who enjoy free verse might also be able to appreciate the poetic side of this book.

Definitely recommended. This is meant for middle-grade readers but it works far beyond its audience.

4.5 stars, rounded up wherever applicable for the audio version.