Mel Glenn

So a teacher is murdered on the first page, and every page is a poem expressing the reactions of dozens of different people. Some of the poems are enjoyable and well-written enough to enjoy independently, but that's not why I liked it. The juxtaposition of sometimes completely conflicting perceptions of the same man, the same experience, or the same conversation was insightful & insight inspiring. This I see in life; something I do in my classroom is both something remembered fondly by some show more students and something loathed and resented by others... The feelings, reactions, perceptions of this man reveal a teacher's impact and his flaws as a person. The ending deals with the truth about our mortality and importance (from a cynic's point of view). A quick read, not very suspenseful, but this was well done. Best suited for urban high school students.

Warning: Some swearing, some adult content, characters are clearly from diverse but challenging backgrounds. I'm not sure my rural high school students would be as interested as those from Albany, for example. I'm not putting it out in my middle school classroom even though that's where I found it (from a previous teacher). show less

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? Is a fabulous book. I loved every word of this mystery written in verse, and actually read it twice. Each page/ poem is spoken by a different character, which allows the reader to get inside each character’s head. There is no single main character either, which makes for an interesting read, as the reader must change their focus every page or so.

The first speaker is Mr. Chippendale, clocking in to school at 7:04, before hitting the track for his morning run. We show more find out a bit about him, never married, long-time English teacher, a bit disillusioned with his job, with the school, with his life. We then meet Red Sweatshirt, who curses Mr. Chippendale, takes out a rifle, and shoots him in the head. From there, we start the investigation from a number of differing viewpoints: His ex-lover, Angela Falcone, Guidance Counselor, Harry Balinger, Detective, various students, reporters, teachers, etc. Each of the viewpoints is different, on how Mr. Chippendale affected each individual’s life. As each speaker states their feelings, the mystery of who actually killed Mr. Chippendale unravels.

The best part of this book is the voices of the individuals talking about high school education. From many of the points of view of the students, it is easy to understand the plight of many students in high school today. They deal with violence, racism, lack of drive, the need to be inspired, and the pangs of simply being a teenager. The constant change of point of view is really impressive, and some may find it hard to follow if reading too quickly. It is written in poems, so each page/ story/ perspective exists as it own mini story of the book’s larger picture, and takes time to digest. I found the book intriguing both as a mystery and as a look into the minds of the different types of people who make up a high school. I found it brilliant. Five Stars. Ages 14-18. show less

Better than I anticipated. The book uses (with varying degrees of efficacy) some interesting poetic conventions. The mirror twins, the alternating speakers during the eulogy, etc., are surprising well integrated, and the verse is not so "versey" that it detracts from the plot. I'm looking forward to sampling more of this genre.

A look at the power of stereotypes of all kinds (racial, cultural, sexual, etc.) and how they can color one’s thinking.

In rural, routine Hudson Landing, the biggest stirs are the big new supermarket and Kristen Clarke, the beautiful daughter of the supermarket manager. Now something new is happening with the “foreign exchange” weekend in which high school kids from the big city are invited to spend time matched with a Hudson Landing peer. But after the dance, Kristen’s body is found show more in the lake, a victim of murder. Everyone assumes Kwame, the African-American boy from the city, did it because he was at the scene. It turns out it was the alcoholic city council member, Oliver Nesbitt whose little grocery was failing because of the supermarket. show less