Shakespeare Bats Cleanup (by Ron Koertge)

Soon he's hooked, and even when he gets well and gets back to regular life, he finds that he can't stop writing, even in the dugout. Though teased by his teammates, his love of writing is noticed by others, including a beautiful new girl in school who is attracted by the idea of a boy with brains and sensitivity.

Haiku, sonnet, pantoum, ballad, blank verse, sestina, rhymed couplets, and pastoral are just some of the forms Kevin tries, along with learning about rhythm, meter, and types of rhyme. The plot proceeds in the poetry, the poetry is integral to the plot, and the two together form a seamless whole that is accessible even to reluctant readers. The writing is believably that of a young teen; one can see progression in his skill, and the voice is real. It's about as well done as a novel in verse can be.

Kevin's laid-back, humorous personality gives this book a warm, light touch, even when dealing with a serious issue. Though Kevin is coping with his mother's death, by the time the book starts he's past the worst of it, and just feeling a sense of loss and a vague melancholy. But most of the book is concerned with his life, his attempts to get it back after the disease passes, and the new layers writing has added. It's a delightful confection.