42 Miles

by

Tracey Vaughn Zimmer

Contemporary realistic fiction

Subjects you'll come across in this book:

JoEllen’s parents are divorced, so she spends weekdays with her mom in the city and weekends with her dad and relatives on the farm where he grew up.  She is a different person in each place: "Ellen" with her mom, and "Joey" with her dad.  As her 13th birthday approaches, JoEllen begins to bring her two lives together. 

"Using free verse, Zimmer shows the richness in both places, while black-and-white composite illustrations bring the bits and pieces together...Casual and open, both the poetry and pictures show the fun." (Booklist, 2008)^[1]

"...the free-verse text traces the hopes and fears of a thoughtful teen who optimistically merges the best of her two lives into an even better 'new me.'" (Kirkus Reviews, 2008)

Author:

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's official site

Illustrator:

Elaine Clayton's official site

(Her collage illustrations in 42 Miles are like mini-scrapbooks,  but she draws and paints in other styles too.)

Of note:

• 73 pages, published in 2008
• Written entirely in free verse poetry
• A very quick book to read!
• 42 miles is the distance between JoEllen's two homes
• Includes scrapbook-style, black & white art throughout
• Look for other poetry in Dewey section 811. 

^[2]

Listen to "Fine," one of the poems in 42 Miles.

Discussion and project guide for 42 Miles. (blog)

View discussion and project guide as a PDF.^[3]

What is free verse poetry?

“Free verse is just what it says it is—poetry that is written without proper rules about form, rhyme, rhythm, meter,etc.  In free verse the writer makes his/her own rules.  The writer decides how the poem should look, feel, and sound.”^[4]

Some poets who write in free verse are:

Poetry can be found in Dewey section 811. 

Want to investigate free verse poetry?^[5] 

• Poetry Writing with Karla Kuskin 
• Poetry Splatter  If you like MadLibs, you’ll like this site! 
• Words are color-coded by part of speech. 
• Poems from Homeroom: A Writer’s Place to Start, by Kathi Appelt

Other books written in free verse

(Check Destiny for availability.)

• Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms, by Charles R. Smith
• What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
• Out of the Dust and Witness, both by Karen Hesse
• Love That Dog and Hate That Cat, both by Sharon Creech