The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary is Laura Shovan's engaging, big-hearted debut. Families change and new friendships form as a class of terrific kids grows up and moves on in this whimsical novel-in-verse about finding your voice and making sure others hear it.

Eighteen kids,
one year of poems,
one school set to close.
Two yellow bulldozers
crouched outside,
ready to eat the building
in one greedy gulp.
But look out, bulldozers.
Ms. Hill's fifth-grade class
has plans for you.
They re going to speak up
and work together
to save their school.

Laura Shovan is former editor of Little Patuxent Review and editor of two poetry anthologies. Her chapbook Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone won the inaugural Harriss Poetry Prize. Laura conducts poetry workshops for children and teens as a Maryland State Arts Council Artist-in-Education. She blogs about arts education at www.laurashovan.com.

Event Details