BLUE LIPSTICK by John Grandits

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Grandits, John. c2007. BLUE LIPSTICK: CONCRETE POEMS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618568604

PLOT SUMMARY:
BLUE LIPSTICK is a book of concrete poems written in the voice and thoughts of a 15 year old girl named Jessie. She writes the poetry to illustrate the typical concerns and thoughts of adolescents she and others like her face in a teenager's world. Jessie talks about things like new hairstyles, playing volleyball and cello, and dealing with her annoying little brother. The poems take the shape of their themes. For example, "All My Important Thinking Gets Done in the Shower" is written in the shape of water streaming out of a showerhead.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
BLUE LIPSTICK would be a great resource for showing students examples of concrete poems. The topics are those that middle and high schoolers would find interesting and relevant to their own lives. This book would be excellent for using with a poetry unit or for leisure reading. The design is simple and easy to read. Each of the 34 poems takes a certain shape as the author tries to paint a picture of what the teenager, Jessie, is talking about. As with any shape poem, the concreteness, adds to the meaning of the poetry. The topics that teenagers deal with are used in a way that it gives the reader a real insight into a teenager's thinking process. This book would be appropriate for any adolescent, but it would also be beneficial and interesting reading for parents and teachers of this age group.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION - "Purchase this thin, highly creative collection to involve teens in poetry in an engaging and humorous way. Recommended"

THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS - "Design is friendlly and accessible... This has enough activity to appeal to fans of sophistocated poetry and enough energy to draw those who find the sophisticated stuff merely dull, and it will undoubtedly inspire a multitude of curricular uses."

LEE BENNETT HOPKINS POETRY AWARD, 2008 Honor Book, United States.
SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA JOURNAL BEST BOOKS, 2007
Notable Children's Books, 2008 ALSC

CONNECTIONS:
Students divide into groups of 2 or 3. Assign poetry to groups, Each group discusses poetry and Jessie's problem or idea presented in the poem. Come up with a solution to her problem.
Show exampels of concrete poetry. Students think of a topic that might be faced by adolescents. Write poem and make a large posster to present the poem.