Write From the Edge: A Creative Borders Book

Gr 5-8--This book is filled with creative ideas and factual information about the alphabet. Following a brief history, Vinton quickly moves to the essential body of his text, 26 mini-chapters (A-Z), each containing two reproducible, full-page, pen-and-ink cartoons. For each letter, there are two pages of text featuring a quotation from a person whose surname begins with that letter, fun facts about the letter, and both common and challenging words beginning with the letter. A brief history about the evolution of the letter and its representation in six different alphabets (manual, Braille, Morse Code, Semaphone, International Flag code, and NATO Code) are provided along with suggested projects. Lists of people, places, and things to learn about, all related to the specific letter, are also found. Hieroglyphs and the Greek and Hebrew alphabets are included at the end. Vinton's cartoon illustrations invite readers to have fun and to view letters and words through a fresh lens. However, the book is not without flaws, the most serious of which is the total lack of references cited despite the large amount of historical information presented. NATO codes are never defined or explained. In the "M" chapter, students are encouraged to create a metamorphosized drawing using "surreal" and "semi-abstract" stages, but those terms are neither defined nor illustrated. Reservations aside, this is a charming, creative resource.

Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

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