Your Own Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

Hemphill, S. (2007) Your own, Sylvia: a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath. New York: Random House Inc. ISBN: 9780375837996

Plot Summary: The story of Sylvia Plath is very interesting, and yet tragic. She is a well-known American poet and writer who has captured the hearts of many. Sylvia was born in Boston on October 27, 1932. Her father, Otto Plath, was a German and biology professor. Her mother, Aurelia Plath, had the desire to be a writer. When Sylvia was only 8 years old, her father died of diabetes. Stephanie Hemphill uses poetry to tell Sylvia's life story. Each poem is written from the perspective of different people in her life. Those people include her mother, father, brother, boyfriends, husband, professors, and other people who played an important role in her life. The poems begin from when Sylvia was a child and describes the relationship she had with her parents, her brother, and her husband, Ted Hughes. Readers will be shocked to see how Sylvia’s life comes to an end.

Critical Evaluation: The author does an extraordinary job at telling the story of Sylvia Plath's life through poetry. Although I have not been much of a fan of poetry, the fact that it was being used to tell a story made the verses very understandable. I appreciate how the author balances off the story with a brief summary of what each poem is speaking about. Readers will have a thorough understanding of the kind of person Sylvia Plath was and the kind of life she led. The poems are intimate and honest. After reading Your Own, Sylvia, I was intrigued with her life and wanted to learn more. The only disappointment was that not one of Sylvia's poems was used throughout the book. Having read all about her life, readers might want a sample of her work.

Information about the Author: Stephanie Hemphill lives in Los Angeles, CA. She has won the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry from the Children's Literature Council of Southern California for the book Things Left Unsaid.

Annotation: Sylvia Plath is a famous American writer who created poetry from her tragedies.

Genre: non-fiction, poetry

Curriculum Ties: elements of poetry

Booktalking Ideas: Read and discuss Sylvia Plath's poem, Ariel.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 9th-12th grade

Challenge Issues: Suicide

Reason for Inclusion: Your Own, Sylvia received the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.