Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty, by Christine Heppermann

Cover:

Bibliographic Information:

Title: Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty

Author: Christine Heppermann

ISBN:  978-0062289575

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Copyright: 2014

Reader’s Annotation:

Real life does not always have a happy ending

Summary:

Using imagery common to fairy tales, this collection of poetry discusses issues of body image, consent, self harm, and gender norms, among other issues teens face.  Each of the 50 poems is a stand alone work, but the fairy tale theme runs throughout the collection, alluding to stories such as Goldilocks, The Three Little Pigs, and Hansel and Gretel.  

 Critical Evaluation:

Because the poems draw on familiar themes from fairy tales, the writing is engaging to teen readers.  For example, in the poem "The Runaway", Heppermann tackles issues of self identity through the eyes of Goldilocks, discussing how being famous for breaking and stealing things colored the way she sees herself, and her place in society.  By using imagery that is familiar from childhood to explore issues that are common to teens, Heppermann deftly meets teens where they are.

The book has a series of photographs that accompany the poetry, often containing subtle clues to fairy tales and relating to the poem they accompany.  This imagery helps solidify the themes from the poetry.  For example, the poem "Thumbelina's Get-Tiny Cleanse-Tested" tackles issues of societal pressure for teens to have the perfect body, and how this effects they way teens see themselves.  The corresponding image is a giant hand grasping a tiny female, both playing on the Thumbelina theme and the concept of society guiding the actions of young females.

The writing tackles issues not always addressed in teen non-fiction.  Specifically, there are several poems addressing feminism and the rejection of gender norms, and even talking about menstruation.  It is valuable that teens, regardless of gender, see these themes represented in the books they read.

Author Biography:

(from author’s Amazon page)

Christine Heppermann writes fiction, poetry, and criticism. Her books include Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty (2014), City Chickens (2012), and Backyard Witch (with Ron Koertge, 2015). She currently reviews young adult books for the Chicago Tribune.

Christine grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where she attended an all-girls Catholic high school. As an undergraduate she studied philosophy and literature at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She has a masters degree in children's literature from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Christine lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her two daughters, two cats, and one husband.

Genre(s): 

Non-fiction, Poetry

Curriculum Ties:

Pennsylvania State Standard - CC.1.2.11-12.L

Read and comprehend literary non-fiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Booktalk Ideas:

Discussing sexism in traditional fairy tales.

A discussion about re-writing traditional fairy tale princesses.

          

Reading Level:

Not available

Interest Age: 

14 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based on adult language, teen sexuality, discussion of eating disorders and self harm.

  If this book were challenged I would:

·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge

·         Consult the library’s collection development policy

·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 

·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials

·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus

·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received

·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights

·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:

Often, teens find poetry, as a reading material, to be boring, and too tied to academics (in other words, they only read poetry when it is assigned in English class).  However, teens are often drawn to writing poetry as a means of exploring their emotions, and dealing with traumas.  By providing teens with collections of poetry that address situations that teens encounter, particularly when written in a theme or style that feels familiar to them (such as fairy tales), libraries can present teens with an opportunity to appreciate poetry and a non-academic manner, and to explore it as an art form.  I have always been fond of writing that sets fairy tales on their heads, since so many fairly tales have been given a slightly misogynistic bias, so this collection really spoke to my inner teenager.