Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems - Hardcover

Levine, Gail Carson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061787256 ISBN 13: 9780061787256

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2012

Synopsis

This Is Just to Say

If you’re looking for a nice happy book

put this one down and run away quickly

Forgive me sweetness and good cheer are boring

Inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers a wickedly funny collection of her own false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. Matthew Cordell’s clever and playful line art lightheartedly captures the spirit of the poetry. This is the perfect book for anyone who’s ever apologized . . . and not really meant it.

About this title

About the Author

Gail Carson Levine's first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Ever, a New York Times bestseller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and a New York Times bestseller; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; A Tale of Two Castles; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction books Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, as well as the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie. Gail Carson Levine and her husband, David, live in a two-centuries-old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Matthew Cordell is the acclaimed author and illustrator of the 2018 Caldecott winner Wolf in the Snow. He is also the author and illustrator of Trouble Gum and the illustrator of If the S in Moose Comes Loose, Toot Toot Zoom!, Mighty Casey, Righty and Lefty, and Toby and the Snowflakes, which was written by his wife. Matthew lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, writer Julie Halpern, and their daughter, Romy.

Review

“A playful primer on insincerity for budding poets. This mischievous collection is sure to engage the devilish side of readers of all ages.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Readers will enjoy sharing the surprising selections, which will make them rethink what they thought they knew.” (Booklist (starred review))

“Levine models more than 40 poems after William Carlos Williams’s “This Is Just to Say,” taking its quasi-repentant tone to a whole new level. Poetry fans fine-tuning their sense of sarcasm need look no further. ” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Gleeful false-apology poems. Taking as her model William Carlos William’s poem about purloined plums, “This Is Just to Say,” Ms. Levine has devised verses written from the point of view of any number of unrepentant malefactors. Matthew Cordell’s comic drawings leaven the mordant wit.” (Wall Street Journal)

“Gail Carson Levine’s gleefully snarky poems in “Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It” go a long way in turning this high-minded literary form into a joy for youngsters – and their adults.” (Sacramento Bee)

“The collection overall possesses appealing irreverence and vitality. The open and breezy format adds accessibility, with each spread offering one or two of the terse verses offset by Cordell’s humorous art, monochromatic, wittily scrawled images often containing their own exclamations or sound effects.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

Praise for A Tale of Two Castles: “A thoroughly delicious romp from the author of Ella Enchanted. The plot is winningly unpredictable, the characters easy to relate to, the humor subtle and the action well-paced. Newbery Honor-winner Levine has once again breathed new life into old stories.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

Praise for A Tale of Two Castles: “Readers are certain to be pulled, like Elodie herself, right into the midst of the rich and swirling life of Two Castles.” (School Library Journal)

Praise for Writing Magic: “Levine encourages readers to take their work seriously while remembering to have fun. An informative and encouraging must-read for young writers.” (School Library Journal (starred review))

Praise for Writing Magic: “A veritable treasure trove of advice and guidance for writers across a range of ages.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0061787256
• ISBN 13: 9780061787256
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Cordell Matthew