Rhyme Schemer

I am a sucker for a book in which a library figures importantly, but that was a bonus in this adorable little book about a normal kid, a little overlooked in his large family, and kinda mean as a consequence. He gets his comeuppance from one of his victims, and finds a way to defend his own voice with the help of a librarian. This book was so note-perfect, clever and smart that I actually could not wait to put it my kids' hands.

Rhyme Schemer is a perfectly charming and wonderful book, and just right for middle school readers. I hope it gets into a lot of school libraries.

RHYME SCHEMER by K.A. Holt is a surprisingly original MG novel told from the bully's point of view through poetry. Kevin looks for "easy prey" on Day 1 of middle school and declares…

So many
weenies.
So little
time.*

On Day 2 he is making fun of teachers and by Day 3 he is tearing pages out of library books. Why would we root for a main character like that? Because on Days 5 and 6, we get a glimpse into why he acts out and chooses not to care…

If I am stone
I am unbreakable.

Kevin is also using the torn book pages to create "found poetry" and explains…

The words just jumped out at me
like tickly little fleas
needing a good scratching.
So I scratched them.

Okay, I need to stop quoting here and let you discover the brilliance of the poems for show more yourself. Back to the story, Kevin posts his found poems around the school (which are none too nice) and it is driving the teachers and principal crazy—and turning him into somewhat of a legend, though no one knows it's him. The poems stray a bit from the definitioin of found poems because most use the twist of selecting letters to create new words, but I like the effect. I also like that the library pages are from classic pieces of literature and fairy tales, so not only did I enjoy the poems, I got to read pages from books I love as well (and not the Disneyfied version, which makes the excerpts even more delightful).

Another marvelous thing about RHYME SCHEMER is that Holt obviously knows middle schoolers. While there were a few lines here and there that were a bit on the didactic or cliché side, for the most part, the middle school voice rang true throughout. Admittedly, there was also a defining scene that came about far too coincidentally, but it was so well written that you accept the situation and eagerly keep reading.

Kevin's relationship with his family, classmates, teachers, principal, and the librarian are each unique. There are people on his side, though he is too busy maintaining his protection as "stone" to recognize this at first. He's also too busy learning what it feels like to be the victim instead of the bully.

Endings are always tough and I probably judge them more harshly than I should, but Holt decides on a "nice" ending, a "soft" ending. I was waiting for a WOW ending and maybe something indicating that Kevin's story isn't quite done yet and we'll see him again. Perhaps we will anyway?

Holt uses humor and poetry to tackle two serious challenges students face: bullying and feeling alone. I highly recommend RHYME SCHEMER as a novel for every middle school library and English class, as a tool for every anti-bullying program, and as a must-have addition for poetry lovers of all ages.

For more about Kari Anne Holt and her books, go to http://kaholt.com.

*Note: This review is based on an Advance Reader's Copy, so the final edition may be slightly different. show less

Holy cats that was a good read. I don't know if the Kevins, or Peteys of the world will read & learn from it, but the Kellys and Mrs. Littles will. And maybe the Robins and Harkowitzes. I had prickle tears in my eyes from almost the beginning, but was also laughing all through. I feel like I can understand something about bullies a little better... it doesn't necessarily take a criminally abusive childhood to create one, but there are ways that are worth trying to help one.

I do kinda wish I understood the parents a bit better. Does Kevin really know/ care nothing about them? I mean, are they really so stupid and awful that they'd have four boys in four years and name them all with "P" and then have another a few years later and name him show more with "K" and not realize that's a problem?

I like the band names. I like the Dewey notes. I love the 'found' poems (shades of the wonderful [b:Battle Bunny|16702384|Battle Bunny|Jon Scieszka|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1382220352s/16702384.jpg|22935165])... but I do wonder about the texts, as I've read those stories and they don't seem like real true pages from the books but rather they seem edited to say what Holt wanted them to say.

Too many novels-in-verse these days are lame wannabees. This is real poetry, and really effective, and recommended. Worthy of being in the same class as [b:Love That Dog|53498|Love That Dog (Jack, #1)|Sharon Creech|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415581593s/53498.jpg|984829]. show less

A story told in free-verse, your first person narrator, also a poet, does not start out as a very like-able character which makes the book interesting from the get-go. The main character, within his internal monologue is quite arrogant and judgmental of other people. He likes to post his poems anonymously around school and feels very powerful to be able to pull this off without being discovered, until one day his classmate does discover his secret and now the narrator is quite humbled and not nearly as confident in his own skin. A very quick read and simply plot, but regardless, the author still manages to have well-developed characters and an intriguing plot in line without using a lot of words or pages to tell a complete story. show more Creative play on words and figurative language throughout. Intriguing form beginning to end. show less

K. A. Holt has the ability to find the soft spots in tough characters, uncovering the reasons for their actions, making them likable despite sometimes questionable decisions. In RHYME SCHEMER, Kevin starts seventh grade as the bully, but turns into the victim when a notebook full of his poetry is found by a classmate.

Told in verse, RHYME SCHEMER explores the struggles of being a tween and introduces poetry in a way that will engage children and possibly even encourage them to try a hand at writing their own. And, through the tough guy protagonist, it's a nice way to remind boys that poetry isn't just for girls.

When I started reading "Rhyme Schemer," I was skeptical. Writing from the perspective of an adolescent can be difficult under any circumstances, and getting the voice of a middle school student who writes poetry and who goes from bully to bullied just right sounded like a formidable task. However, "Rhyme Schemer" won me over right away. While the narrator's voice seemed to falter in a few places, overall Holt does an excellent job capturing the character's perspective and using language and description that rang true. Additionally, Holt lets readers see different sides of the bullying issue. While she doesn't excuse or condone Kevin's behavior, she lets us get a sense of why he bullies others, and this makes the turnaround later in the show more book all the more effective.

In addition to the story, "Rhyme Schemer" is also notable for its writing. The fun, witty, and descriptive use of language and the inclusion of different types of poetry, such as found poems, make it a great book to use with middle grade students who are studying poetry. I could see this being especially effective with students who take a dubious stance when it comes to poetry. Kevin's (and Holt's) often subversive poems and observations help illustrate the various forms and topics poetry can include, and the fact that the main character is a boy can make poetry seem more acceptable to male students who might otherwise dismiss poetry. show less

YA Clever, clever, clever! This is a story in free verse. The school year is just beginning for 7th grader Kevin Jamison. Day 1 and he is already feeling tortured. To say he is a non-traditional learner would be sugar-coating things. He is smart and scrappy and tells us his story in his poetry interspersed with some of the Poetry Bandit's antics: he rips pages out of old books and circles words, phrases and letters to convey a message. Clever. Behind the hype, he is hurting. The youngest of 4 boys, (all his older brother has names that begin with P) he is the butt of their taunting and teasing, if they bother to take notice of him at all. Mom and Dad are high-powered busy doctors who also don't seem to have much time for him. Kevin show more alternately sees himself as stone and as vulnerable -- which will win out? When he is stone, he is cruel to other kids and often in the principal's office. When he is vulnerable he is a poet, and also under the wing of the school librarian Mrs. Little. "You know how when something bad happens your ears feel stuffed with socks, your eyes focus like microscopes, your cheeks catch on fire, time slows down, and no matter how much you wish pray promise beg a hole does not open up and swallow you?" (126) Pretty much sums up middle school. show less