Jabberwalking

This is a middle-grade book that seems designed to help kids open up their minds, to allow their thoughts to flow freely onto the page and start them on the road to writing poetry. Basically the idea is to walk around, notebook in hand, and free-write about all the many things that might stimulate their creative side, becoming Jabber-Walkers. Author Juan Felipe Herrera, former Poet Laureate of the United States, has an unusual fascination with blue cheese and often refers to Jabber-Walkers as Burrito-Heads. He has an odd sense of humor, but one middle-graders will appreciate. There are funny sketches throughout the book and a tremendous use of type as graphics, if that makes sense. You will understand if you get a gander at the book. It is difficult to imagine kids in cities walking around writing in notebooks. Yikes! There are traffic and curbs and dog poop and other things that seem to require watching where one is going. And there is a frenetic quality to the writing that may make it hard for adults to read, but adults are not the target audience. Kids will probably eat this one up.