Product Description

Just as the use of commas was hilariously demystified in Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!, now Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons put their talents together to do the same for apostrophes. Everyone needs to know where to put an apostrophe to make a word plural or possessive (Are those sticky things your brother’s or your brothers?) and leaving one out of a contraction can give someone the completely wrong impression (Were here to help you).

Full of silly scenes that show how apostrophes make a difference, too, this is another picture book that will elicit bales of laughter and better punctuation from all who read it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17218 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-01
• Released on: 2007-07-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Booklist
Bringing her proper-punctuation campaign to children for the second time, Truss follows up her best-selling 2006 picture book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Matter! (which shares its title with Truss' bestseller for adults) with this companion about apostrophes. Mishaps related to the flying comma (fancifully envisioned as a Good Punctuation Fairy . . . flitting above a page of words) are set forth in paired statements, with Timmons' lighthearted cartoons driving home the shift in meaning precipitated by missing or misplaced apostrophes. The strain of coming up with clever, illustration-friendly examples occasionally shows, but many of the 13 scenarios successfully find the sweet spot between kid-pleasing goofiness and perfect clarity of purpose: with one scenario's play on the two meanings of behind, one referring to a horse's rear end, kids won't soon forget the crucial distinction between its and it's. Endnotes provide brief technical explanations. Hide your red pens: if Truss and Timmons keep this up, the grammar police may have its youngest recruits yet. Mattson, Jennifer

About the Author
Lynne Truss is constantly tempted to correct punctuation on signs, advertisements, movie posters, and more. She lives in Brighton, England.

Bonnie Timmons is best known for inspiring and creating images for the television show Caroline in the City and illustrating numerous national ad campaigns. She lives in Coatsville, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Kids Love Apostrophes
I teach Language Arts to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders (in the same classroom). They loved this book and often choose to read it on their own!

An excellent grammar fun book
Lynn Truss' THE GIRL'S LIKE SPAGHETTI: WHY YOU CAN'T MANAGE WITHOUT APOSTROPHES is an excellent grammar fun book which blends humor with pointed comments on how grammar can make a different in content. Examples of statements with and without apostrophes are presented in facing pages demonstrating how very different intentions can be with the wrong grammar choice. Many an adult will love this approach, also!

The Girl's Like Spaghetti is great!
I ordered this book to use in my 6th grade classroom. The pictures show the meaning of similar sentences with and without apostrophes. Using this book brings humor to reinforcing correct punctuation in writing for students and adults alike. The book includes the rules used to know when and where to use apostrophes. This is truly a fun way to learn punctuation.