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Elizabeth's Children's Books Blog

By Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide to Children's Books since 2000

Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Commas Rock!

Wednesday July 8, 2009
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make A Difference! cover artUntil I read the adult bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by British writer Lynne Truss, I had no idea how much fun it could be to learn about proper punctuation. I was delighted when I found out that Lynne Truss had created a children's version of her bestseller. The kids' version, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make A Difference!, is full of amusing illustrated examples of the impact a comma can have on the meaning of a sentence. The book is illustrated with very funny, full-page pen and watercolor sketches by Bonnie Timmons. It's a book I recommend for children 8-12, as well as teachers and homeschooling parents. Have you read either version of Eats, Shoots & Leaves? If so, click on "comments" below and share your opinions. For more about the perils of poor punctuation, see Punctuation Matters: A "Dear John" Letter and a Two Million Dollar Comma from Richard Nordquist, the About.com: Grammar & Composition Guide.

(Cover art courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group)

Comments

July 9, 2009 at 2:59 pm
(1) mark waterfield says:

This is a delightful book and makes a tough – dry subject very entertaining.

The written word becomes more important as we move off the telephone and onto the computer

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