Tamera Wissinger's novel-in-verse GONE FISHING is one of the funnest books I've read all year! Following Sam, a boy whose fishing trip with his father seems doomed when his sister Lucy finagles her way into joining, the story is made up of poems of various forms, all used inventively to strike different moods, from funny to disappointment to triumph.The fun of this book--and the virtuosity of Wissinger's language--are captured well by the first two stanzas of "A Fishy Spell," a curse poem in Sam's voice. Sam has just found Lucy playing with all of his fishing things, and here is his reaction: "May a worm crawl up your nose, / Leeches creep between your toes. / May your nails be caked with dirt. / Maybe a bug fly up your skirt." What humor, what tone, what whimsy!Kids who love fishing, humor, and fun will ADORE this book! These poems would also work wonderfully in the classroom--they're elegant, fluent, and fun, perfect for reading aloud (indeed, some of the poems are even meant for multiple voices!).Great book, great poems!