Poet Ron Koertge has written a beautiful, poignant verse novel. It is a newer book, published in 2013. It is on YALSA's 2014 list of books for "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Walker and his mother are mourning the tragic and unexpected death of Walker's brother Noah.
Written in honest verse, this novel will let the reader get a bird's eye view of Walker, his mom and the patients at the care facility they own in tiny Coaltown. The reader will be able to experience Walker's anger, sadness, and grief over his brother Walker's unexpected death. Through his humorous and sometimes irreverent conversations with Jesus, Walker comes to understand who he is and how he can help his mom recover from her own grief over Noah's passing.
Most of the verse seems to be dialogue between Walker and Jesus, but there are moments of beautiful imagery. Koertge sets a beautiful scene using third-person narrative. At least for this author, the third-person point of view worked, because the omniscient narrator paints a vivid picture of all the characters, including the little dog Shadow, whom Walker adopts. Towards the end of the novel is a beautiful verse titled "The Sky was Black and Blue". Here is an excerpt:
The Sky was Black and Blue
when Walker, Jesus, and Shadow set out.
The night lay ahead of them. It rolled in
like an ocean tide, and they went into it.
Ankle-deep, then waist-deep. Then all
the way.
(Koertge, 104)
This verse is a beautiful representation of Koertge's style. The imagery and poetic devices used in these five short lines is brilliant. Throughout the novel there are other similar verses. Since this excerpt is from a larger verse novel, it would be best to introduce this verse novel by posting some of the different titles of the entries. Some of these entries could be written on a dry erase board, smart board or in a document from a tablet or computer projected onto a screen or the wall. Additionally, the librarian, teacher, parent or other adult could print out the titles of the entries onto small strips of paper and task teenagers with creating original poems using the entry titles.
Written in honest verse, this novel will let the reader get a bird's eye view of Walker, his mom and the patients at the care facility they own in tiny Coaltown. The reader will be able to experience Walker's anger, sadness, and grief over his brother Walker's unexpected death. Through his humorous and sometimes irreverent conversations with Jesus, Walker comes to understand who he is and how he can help his mom recover from her own grief over Noah's passing.
Most of the verse seems to be dialogue between Walker and Jesus, but there are moments of beautiful imagery. Koertge sets a beautiful scene using third-person narrative. At least for this author, the third-person point of view worked, because the omniscient narrator paints a vivid picture of all the characters, including the little dog Shadow, whom Walker adopts. Towards the end of the novel is a beautiful verse titled "The Sky was Black and Blue". Here is an excerpt:
The Sky was Black and Blue
when Walker, Jesus, and Shadow set out.
The night lay ahead of them. It rolled in
like an ocean tide, and they went into it.
Ankle-deep, then waist-deep. Then all
the way.
(Koertge, 104)
This verse is a beautiful representation of Koertge's style. The imagery and poetic devices used in these five short lines is brilliant. Throughout the novel there are other similar verses. Since this excerpt is from a larger verse novel, it would be best to introduce this verse novel by posting some of the different titles of the entries. Some of these entries could be written on a dry erase board, smart board or in a document from a tablet or computer projected onto a screen or the wall. Additionally, the librarian, teacher, parent or other adult could print out the titles of the entries onto small strips of paper and task teenagers with creating original poems using the entry titles.
Some of the entry titles are:
His Mother's Voice Startled Him
Walker Bolted
In the Kitchen
When the door closed, Jesus said,
Hanging around with you
A siren pierced the air like a lance
That afternoon
After dinner
All of a Sudden
As teenage readers participate in this activity, they will be able to explore different themes and phrases from Koertge's verse novel. After creating their own poems with the entry titles from the novel, teenage readers can dive into the novel with a hint of what is in store.
Coaltown Jesus. JPEG. Retrieved from http://candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763662283&pix=n
