1. BibliographyLewis, J. Patrick. 2005. Please Bury Me in the Library. Ill. by Kyle M. Stone. Orlando: Gulliver Books. ISBN 9780152163877
2. Plot Summary
This collection of 16 poems by J. Patrick Lewis honors libraries, books and reading. The poems include “What If Books Had Different Names?” (“Furious George, / Goodnight Noon”), “Necessary Gardens” (an acrostic using the word language), “Please Bury Me in the Library” (“Please bury me in the library / With a dozen long-stemmed proses.”), “The Big-Word Girl” (“Of all the clever girls I know, Elaine’s the one who counts. / But what she counts are syllables / In words I can’t pronounce.”), and “Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal” (“Paint me a picture book, Parrot. / Honey me poetry, Bee. / Hush me a lullaby, Owl. / Bookmark me, Flea. / Paint me and honey me, hush me right / Into an ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal night.”) The book includes a table of contents as well as acknowledgments written in couplet form.
3. Critical Analysis
Lewis’s verses are short and typically light and humorous with the last few poems being deeper and more thought-provoking (“A good book is a kind / Of person with a mind / Of her own / Who lives alone, / Standing on a shelf / By herself.”) The collection includes haikus, an acrostic, couplets, free-verse and quatrains. The smoothly written poems would be enjoyed by students of varying ages from primary to early middle school age.
Stone’s acrylic paintings add a whimsical touch and are a perfect match to this collection of poems. Some illustrations are a single page opposite the poem while others encompass two pages setting the background for the verse. There are several small pencil drawings added in that do not feel out of place in this book. Stone did an excellent job capturing the feel of Lewis’s poetry.
4. Review Excerpts
Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: “This offering from the prolific Lewis won’t stay buried long, no matter where it is planted.”
Review in Horn Book
Review in School Library Journal: “A semi-swell collection of 16 poems celebrating books, reading, language, and libraries.”
Review in Booklist
Review in Publishers Weekly: “Lewis and Stone’s combination of sentimental rhymes and at times ghoulish whimsy creates a volume of poetry about reading that may leave bookworms with a bit of indigestion.”
5. Connections
· Using the poem “What If Books Had Different Names?” have the students create new names for some of their favorite books.
· Other poetry books on libraries:
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Good Books, Good Times! ISBN 9780064462228
Huff, Barbara A. Once Inside the Library. ISBN 9780316379670
Pearson, Debora. When I Went to the Library. ISBN 9780888995131
