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Gr 2–4—"My poems don't rhyme, and neither do I." Pearl feels lonely. She doesn't fit in with the ballet girls, the library kids, the bus kids, or the rough kids. She can't write the rhyming poems that her teacher prefers. She longs to be at home with her mother and her Granny, where she feels safe and loved. These days Pearl's mother is always tired, and readers learn that she is caring for Pearl's ailing Granny "…I think she's in there. If only she could come out to play." The possibility of moving her into a care home is mentione...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In this extended monologue in free verse form, Pearl, who seems to be about eight years old, tells the story of the last days and eventual death of her grandmother from dementia. The voice is unpretentious, and Murphy accords Pearl real dignity in her grief. "There are three people at our...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In this extended free-verse monologue, Pearl tells of her grandmother's last days and dementia-related death. The voice is unpretentious,...Log In or Sign Up to Read More