Metamorphosis: Junior Year is a quick read full of free-verse poetry and pen-and-ink drawings from Ovid, a junior high school teen, who has to be perfect to make up for the mistakes made by his meth-head older sister, Thena. If only his parents were as hopeful as they were when they named their kids, Ovid wouldn't have to try so hard to be perfect. He compares his life in high school to Roman mythology, comparing his friends to Icarus, Orpheus, Dalia, Cupid and Callisto among others. An artsy kid, Ovid is afraid to be himself around his parents, to show them his artwork and poetry, because he worries they'll think he's crazy and about to go off the deep end like his dear sister, which he may very well be close to doing.
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 1)) says of Metamorphosis, "Franco blends references to the classical canon with fast free verse and casual prose, and the wry combination of contemporary technology and archetypes will appeal to teens, even if they don’t get all the nods to the mythical stories."
A ForeWord review (Foreword Reviews, January/February 2010) says, "Like Ovid, famous for his epic poem, Metamorphoses, Franco's Ovid delivers a message of the transformative powers of experience and love."
The artwork shown in Metamorphosis is drawn by the author's son, Tom Franco, and if you happen to catch the audio version, it's performed by James and Dave Franco of movie and television fame. Who knew the Franco family would be so amazing?
Sharing this book with teens then asking them to write and draw their own poetry, or even asking for poems and drawings in response to the book, will be a sure way to grab and keep their attention.
France, Betsy. 2009. Metamorphosis: Junior Year. Ill. by Tom Franco. Somerville: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763637651
No comments:
Post a Comment