Pearl Verses the World

I did not know this is Australian when I picked it up at a library discard sale while on a road trip (or, for that matter, when I was done; I only learned that from another review). I have no idea why it was discarded, and why it's not at the libraries from which I could borrow it.

The appeal is universal, across geography and, imo, across age groups. Such a lovely exploration of starting to grow up and learning about grief. Pearl is an individual, first, a charming little girl who nonetheless behaves authentically. But she's also representative of everyone, as her teacher finally realizes at the end.

I also very much admire the B&W illustrations. They look simple, but they are certainly not cartoony and have more going on than is seen show more at first glance. I will save this to reread before letting it go, and I will look for more by both author & artist. show less

Pearl thinks in poetry, but not the kind her teacher Mrs. Bruff likes, with rhyme and rhythm. Pearl’s heart beats in melancholy free verse. She lives with her mother and bedridden, memory-impaired grandmother, a holy family of three. When her grandmother passes away, Pearl must face her sadness, and her teacher learns about the poet within. A moving, heartbreaking tale, the book nonetheless suffers in a few passages that apply adult-level vocabulary and awareness to an elementary-aged child. Illustrations in muted grey watercolors add to the quiet moodiness of Pearl’s world. Recommended. (24)

A lovely, readable story about losing a loved one, told from the point of view of a young girl. Pearl loves to write everything, poetry, too. But her poetry doesn't rhyme, and her struggles to find her voice are chronicled in this touching book about fitting in.

In this little free verse(s) book, young Pearl belongs to a family of three. Pearl, Mom, and Granny. Except now, Granny is bedridden, and end of life talks with her mother happen frequently.
At school, Pearl is a loner, a 'group of one'. Her teacher expects her to write rhyming poetry, but Pearl can't seem to write one to please the teacher.
Then Granny dies, and Pearl is devastated, but her classmates and teacher step in to help ease the pain of her loss. Excellent story.

At home, Pearl is a well loved child who lives with her mother and grandmother. At school, though, she feels totally alone, a “group of one” in a world of groups. As Pearl struggles with loneliness at school and with writing a poem that fits in with her teacher’s idea of a poem, she suffers a sad loss at home. Pearl, with her sense of loss and confusion so well written, finally finds her voice by reaching straight from her heart. In finding a way to express her grief, she finds her voice.

Pearl Verses the World deftly handles some big issues and should generate some good discussions when read with younger children who may be dealing with similar issues of loneliness, loss, and isolation.

Written in verse, it is an utterly charming show more and heart-warming children’s story. Pearl is an endearing girl and the black and white illustrations by Heather Potter only add to her and the book's appeal. This was first published in Australia in 2009 and has won or been shortlisted for several awards.

A Candlewick book, read as an arc from NetGalley and will be available in the US in Aug 2011. show less

"Pearl Versus the World" is about a little girl named Pearl who lives with her mother and sick grandmother. Her grandmother suffers from Dementia and her mother is always tired from taking care of Pearl's grandmother. Along with this, at school, she doesn't feel as loved and goes through the struggles of feeling lonely and being disappointing. Her teacher, Ms. Bruff, is teaching the class about poetry and when Pearl writes, she doesn't include rhyming in it which Ms. Bruff disapproves of. She describes herself feeling like a "group of one" in her class. Pearl also goes through the hardship of her grandmother eventually passing away. To be able to properly talk about her feelings in her own way at the funeral, she shares a poem that she show more wrote about her grandmother. With this poem, Pearl finds the comfort she needs through this tough time and also proves to her teacher that a poem doesn't need to rhyme to be considered one. Overall, this book was very great to read. The story is full of realistic and sad situations that a young child could go through. Although Pearl faces hardship, she comes out stronger in the end and finds the comfort she needs for herself. This book shows the reality for some children's lives and how they try to find acceptance and love within themselves and others. I would definitely read this book with my students one day to teach a lesson on poetry while also teaching them the concept of accepting loss and finding comfort within themselves and positive outlets.

It was a very sad story. As a piece of writing, I think it would be worth using in class if we discussed the underlying themes and the idea of coping with loss of a family member. I think the book would be best suited for a child struggling with loss. ( show less

Summary from NetGalley: Pearl likes to write poems, but despite the insistence of her teacher, Ms. Bruff, Pearl’s poems don’t rhyme, and neither does she. She wishes she could grow gills so she could stay underwater in swim class without drowning. And she hasn’t a clue why perfect Prudence bumps her desk and sends her pencils flying. Pearl thinks there’s no nicer sound than the bell at the end of the day, even though back at home Granny, always a crucial part of their family of three, sometimes doesn’t recognize Pearl, and Mom is tired from providing constant care. In a lyrical novel told with clear-eyed sympathy, humor, and heart, Sally Murphy follows a girl who holds fast to her individuality even as she learns to let show more go—and in daring to share her voice, discovers that maybe she’s not a group of one after all.
Review: This was a very short read (80 pages), but it was such a sad story. I felt sorry for the little girl, Pearl. Her teacher, Ms. Bruff does not understand her poetry because it does not rhyme. Pearl feels like Ms. Bruff is always looking at her with disapproval, leading to Pearl’s feelings of being a “group of one.” When her grandmother dies—after a long battle with dementia—Pearl has a need to share her feelings, but has trouble finding the words. At the funeral, she shares a poem that she writes about her grandmother. In doing so, she releases her feelings and shows Ms. Bruff that not all poems have to rhyme.
The poems were quick and easy to read. Most of the pages had simple sketch drawings to help illustrate the book. I do not typically read middle grade novels, but I thought it might be something my students would read. After finishing the book, however, I’m not convinced any of my students would read this book without my probing. It was a very sad story. As a piece of writing, I think it would be worth using in class if we discussed the underlying themes and the idea of coping with loss of a family member. I think the book would be best suited for a child struggling with loss. show less