Messing Around the Monkey Bars: and other School Poems for Two Voices    by Betsy Franco & Jessie Hartland Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2009 (2009) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Betsy Franco's Messing Around the Monkey Bars: and other School Poems for Two Voices - from Wild Bus Ride to The Very Best Feeling - is a collection of nineteen amusing poems, 'ideal for reading aloud in pairs' or in groups. Jessie Hartland's antic illustrations accentuate the humor in the verses. I liked New Kid at School very much. It begins, 'Where did you come from? / Far away. / Miss your friends? / Every day' and ends, 'Got any friends? / Not yet. / Wanna play? / You bet!' Anatomy Class is a fun commentary on language, while Whirr, Whirr, Zing, Zap addresses classroom noises, and Weird Stuff in the Lost and Found lists it all, right down to the lunch box filled with garter snakes! At the back of this engaging picture book of poems about school life are Adventurous Ways to Read the Poems, with tips tailored to performing each of them. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews