Please Bury Me in the Library

**This review was created for an assignment at Texas Woman's University**

Book Review: Please Bury Me in the Library

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, Patrick J. 2005. PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY. Ill. By Kyle Stone. San Diego: Gulliver Books/Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN: 0152163875

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Please Bury Me in the Library is a collection of sixteen poems which all center around books and the pleasure found in reading. This book’s title comes from the title of one of the poems in this collection.

“Flea-ting Fame” is a poem about Otto the Flea who was writing his “ottobiography”, “Alphabet Soup” discusses how “fun-loving vowels” may need “tiny towels” after taking a swim, and “Reading in the Dark” talks about owls reading “The Field Mouse’s’ Guide to Midnight.”

Patrick Lewis infuses humor and references to classical literature throughout this collection. Readers will delight in the language Lewis uses to describe the joys that come with sitting down and enjoying a good book or poem.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Humor infused with references to classic children’s literature books start this collection off with a poem titled, “What If Books Had Different Names?” including references (with a twist) to, “Alice in Underland”, “Furious George”, and “Goodnight Noon”. This poem will have readers laughing out loud before the second page of this book is turned.

Various poetic forms appear throughout the book including acrostic poems, haiku poems, rhyming poems, and poems written in verse. Poems vary in length and depth, with some making a simple statement about “A Classic” (defined as a book that excites the six year old and the sixty-three year old), and others “Are You a Book Person?” which evokes emotion as it personifies a “good book” as someone who is, “kind” with “a heart and soul”.

The poems in this collection feature vivid characters and discussions about books and poetry that will entertain and hold the reader as they are shared. The illustrations (acrylic paint and mixed media) add depth to the page offering readers a rich visual experience as they read the poems in this collection.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: “A semi-swell collection of 16 poems celebrating books, reading, language, and libraries.”

Booklist: “This homage to reading salutes all the essential elements: letters, words, books. Lewis' poetry is continually clever, whether pithily summing up children's classics or capturing the thrill of reading in the dark.”

5. CONNECTIONS:
*This collection of poetry can be paired with other “silly” poems, or poetry about the love of a good book to offer students more then one medium or author to explore.

*Students can choose a classic book and give it a new name playing on the words like the ones found in, “What if Books Had Different Names.” Students can illustrate their titles, write a short poem if they’d like, and pull their pieces into a larger class collection of poetry that can be read aloud and shared with others.

Web Resources:
www.jpatricklewis.com