Stories in Verse by Hilary Williamson, April, 2006 'My child, do not exaggerate, Lest you incur a horrid fate - ... For if you ever fabricate, Dissimulate, prevaricate, Or even minor facts inflate, The fist of doom will crush you straight.' So Dennis Lee warns us in his delightfully articulate Cautionary Verse - which is also a great SAT vocabulary primer! But despite the risks, all fiction authors fabricate, and many do it in free verse. Since April is poetry month, here's a selection of Stories in Verse for your reading pleasure ... A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone With heartbreak and humor, 3 girls learn about love, sex and respect. Cinnamon Girl by Juan Felipe Herrera Verses and letters address the fall of the World Trade Center Towers. The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith Follows narrator Penny Morrow, from age 14 to 18, in free verse. Jinx by Margaret Wild Jen, the most unlucky girl in the world, renames herself Jinx. Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman & Eric Beddows Poems for 2 voices survey the insect world in a celebration of life. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech As he opens up to poetry Jack also opens up about his dog Sky. Orphea Proud by Sharon Dennis Wyeth A young woman performs her own work, telling of joy, pain, and sorrow. Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant Heartbreaking and heartwarming story of Georgia pursuing her muse. Enjoy all these stories, and why not unleash your muse to pen your own fabrications in free verse? But keep Dennis Lee's caution in mind when you do! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.