The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary Review by Elaine Alexander
Bibliographic Citation:
Shovan, Laura. 2016. The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN: 9780553521375
Poetic Elements:
This novel-in-verse is a collection of poems by a fictional class of students, writing as a part of a proposed time capsule project to mark the school's last 5th grade class. The initial assignment is explained in early poems and it is made clear that poems are only read by their teacher, Ms. Hill, which sets up a type of diary of sorts. The diverse group of students all have unique voices, with a range of different backgrounds and experiences. This range of diversity casts a wide net, providing both universal emotions of how the children feel about their school closing, at the same time as it encapsulates intimate experiences, such as how one student is dealing with poverty, another with being an outsider, still another on a painful divorce. Although all the poems are written, by Shovan, the emotional impact of the book is keenly expressed in the way in which she uses seventeen different poetic styles to communicate the secrets and thoughts that each student is harboring, making for an intimate experience for the reader.
Appeal:
The appeal of this novel in verse is the variety in both the poetry forms and the variance in voices. The author describes her poems as "persona poems...[that]...try to make you laugh with a joke, tell you a sad story, or share a secret" (Shovan 231). The book uses language and experiences that will resonate with young readers. It challenges readers to try to step into the shoes of the characters in this fifth grade class and see themselves in the poems and become a part of the experience. The subject matter allows the students to express their feeling on the fate of their school, but along the way, students end up sharing details of their lives with universal subject matter, such as fitting in, feeling alone, dealing with frenemies, personal struggles, and sticking up for what you believe in.
Overall Quality:
The poems in this book communicate how the children see themselves and how they believe they are perceived by others. In addition to the moments of self-reflection, the students are engaged in the greater community due to the town's proposal to close the school. They also share their experiences as if they are writing poems in their own diary. Because the poems remain between the writer and the teacher, the children are candid, speaking honestly about their lives. The collection shows how individual students begin to grow as people, facing life challenges and stretching to understand those challenges by expressing them through figurative language and varied poetic structures. While Norah struggles with homesickness, living in a foreign land, and deciding whether or not she wants to wear a hajib, other students like Brianna are dealing with the realities of poverty, as she tries to jazz up an old dress for her mother. These are kids struggling to fit in -- all in their own way. Whether it is ADHD or autism, learning to speak up against bullies or to fight for their beliefs, these poems tell universal stories that are pertinent to kids today.
The collection also shows that, as a whole, students also begin to come together towards a common goal of saving their school. As the narrative comes to an end, we see that although they did not achieve the goal of saving the entire school, they were able to find a common ground to fight for what they believed in.
The Poets: The book is written from the perspectives of the eighteen students in Ms. Hill's fifth grade class, but the poems are actually all composed by Laura Shovan. The author of six books, Shovan is a a poet and novelist with a unique background that exposed her to different cultures and experiences. That diversity shows in her writing and the way in which she uses language and formats to communicate emotional intimacy with her readers. Shovan's books have received numerous award nominations and she has been been honored with a Cybil Award, as well as a Banks Street and a NCTE Notable for this book.
Layout:
The format is broken into quarters, mirroring the way a school year marks time. The poetic formats are as varied as the voices of the children, with students trying out different formats of poems as their voices grow and develop. Each new poem has a cartoon drawing of the author, along with the name, to keep the different personas straight. The book provides a detailed section in the back to discuss all the different types of poems used in the book, relating each form to a specific poet, and offering suggestions on how to experiment with each style to write your own. The prompts are written with questions designed to spark creativity and get the ideas flowing.
Spotlight Poem:
This spotlight poem shows the transformation of one student, but also exemplifies the way in which the kids may not have saved their school, but they did fight to retain a piece of it.
One Wall
by Rachel Chieko Stein
When fifth grade started,
I was sad.
A big part of my life was ending.
I couldn't believe anyone
would demolish this place.
When fifth grade started,
I was scared.
Certain people were mean.
I couldn't believe
the things they said to me.
Even though it was hard,
I learned to stand up for myself.
Now fifth grade is almost over.
I've been thinking,
what if we saved one wall?
One strong wall no bulldozers
can knock down.
One wall made of many bricks
held together, like our class.
We'll use it as a special place
to store the time capsule.
We can paint a mural
of all our faces.
One wall to say we were here. (Shovan, 205)
Follow-up Activity:
This book has a generous section in the back filled with ideas on follow up activities and ideas to inspire young poets. One of the many fabulous suggestions would make a great art challenge: Concrete Poems. The idea is to draw the outline of an object of importance, such as a lucky hat or favorite item of clothing. Fill in the shape by writing about that item, using language to describe why it is important.
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