Punctuation: The Write Stuff! (Basher Basics Series)

by Simon Basher, Mary Budzik, Simon Basher (Illustrator)

Overview

Basher Basics: Punctuation created and illustrated by Simon Basher, Written by Mary Budzik:

With its lively, creative approach, this is a unique and highly memorable one-stop guide to using punctuation marks correctly. Each mark is each represented by its own character – from unassuming Semicolon to loud-mouthed Exclamation Mark – who explain in their own words what makes them tick and how they are used. "Do's and "Don't"s provide practical advice to help every child unravel the rules and regulations of the English language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780753464205
Publisher:	Kingfisher
Publication date:	07/06/2010
Series:	Basher Basics Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Artist and designer Simon Basher has fun playing in the world of contemporary character design. Inspired by a love of simple line work and a rich color palette, his characters fill the gap between edgy manga and the cuteness of Hello Kitty. He lives in England.

Artist and designer Simon Basher has fun playing in the world of contemporary character design. Inspired by a love of simple line work and a rich color palette, his characters fill the gap between edgy manga and the cuteness of Hello Kitty. He lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

Perky, first-person characterizations ("Straight up and down, I'm the party-hearty punctuation mark") combine with clear examples ("You're the best!") to form an effective and friendly guide.” —School Library Journal

“Written with attitude as well as grammatical awareness, the first-person paragraphs are more readable than one might expect. . . . An informative and graphically bold addition to the grammar shelf.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 4–8—This slim volume uses catchy graphic design and an informal narrative to spark interest in the subject. In a presentation reminiscent of manga and Saturday-morning cartoons, each punctuation mark is introduced as a unique character who conveys his job through chatty dialogue. For example, Question Mark is characterized as a "wily detective," while Single Quotation Marks provide "a bit of he-said-she-said," and the Comma Twins are a "trusty twosome" who love interruptions. "Nobody, but nobody, tells us not to interrupt!' they declare. 'With us around, you can interrupt yourself, too, right in the middle of a sentence.'" Organized into chapters that cover different groupings ("The Basic Bunch," "The Comma Crew," etc.), the book explains the various uses of each mark and some basics of sentence structure. Though the casual, first-person narration may appease some reluctant grammar students, the style may be confusing for kids seeking basic information and for non-native English speakers. An illustration of each punctuation-mark personality accompanies its one-page description. A poster showing all of these characters is included. Unfortunately, some images are less iconic than was clearly intended, and students may be hard-pressed to remember which punctuation mark they are looking at from the illustration alone. While the information is solid, the colloquial delivery marks this as an additional purchase. Refer to Marvin Terban's Punctuation Power (Scholastic, 2000) for your core collection.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal