Thanks to Heidi at my juice little universe for hosting Poetry Friday today.
I received a copy of WHEN MY SISTER STARTED KISSING by Helen Frost last fall for review as a CYBILS nomination. I thoroughly loved the book. As always, Helen Frost pushes the envelope in her verse novels. In this novel, she used quatrains, free verse, and acrostic forms. Once again, I found another mentor text.
While WHEN MY SISTER STARTED KISSING didn’t make the CYBILS finalist list for poetry, it was on my favorites list.
A couple of weeks ago, I handed the book to a fifth grader, Lily. She needs to be challenged in her reading. When she returned it this week, I asked her for a quick review:
I liked the book because it begins mellow then there is action and then it’s mellow again.
I liked how the action was at the lake. I liked the poetry and how some poems created words at the end.
To me, the lake was like her (the narrator’s) mind. I would recommend it to a higher reader because it’s complicated.
I really liked the poem, “White T-Shirt” Abi because it has lots of action and things happening in it
I wonder what Helen Frost is writing for her next book.
~Lily or L (as she likes to be called), 5th grade
Title: WHEN MY SISTER STARTED KISSING
Author: Helen Frost
Published: 2017
Pages: 193
Reading Level: 5th and up
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books
ISBN: 978-0-374-30303-7
Source: From the Clackamas County Library
Check It Out 
I enjoyed Lily’s review and look forward to reading this book.
Thank you, Heidi, and please thank Lily (L) for me, for this thoughtful, careful reading. I thought of the lake poems as being the thoughts of the sisters’ mother, so it’s interesting that they come through as my own thoughts, because I am a mother!
I enjoyed your review- but I especially loved Lily’s review. As an elementary media specialist I always like hearing what my students think of books. It is often very different from reviews written by adults. Thanks for sharing. I am curious about this book now.
Sounds like it captured L’s attention, what a wonderful review, I’d definitely like to read it! Thanks Jone!
I really should go back and read all the Cybils nominees–I can see that I’ve missed out on some winners!
I haven’t seen this one yet, but will be looking for it. I enjoyed L’s review, too!