• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Geordie likes baseball, crunching carrots, playing the trumpet in the school band and anything to do with water. Not quite telling the truth earns: "You're grounded!" Over the year that follows, the world's truths turn out to be more interesting than Geordie ever imagined. Some discoveries are comic, some are exciting, some upsetting, some sad. And some are puzzling. Consisting of word puzzles, a series of poems and a diary, this book will delight young readers and teenagers alike.

William H. New is a Canadian poet and literary critic. He taught English at the University of British Columbia from 1965 to 2003. In 2007, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. For 29 years, he held editorial positions at Canadian Literature and, in 2004, was made Editor Emeritus.

William New's profile page

• Short-listed, The Chocolate Lily Award
• Commended, The Lion and the Unicorn - Honor Book

“This is a very gentle book, an easy read for young readers.”

Bookmark

"This book will appeal to kids who love word play, and would be a great read-aloud for parents or teachers to share with young readers."

Resource Links

"The typesetting and design are of particular note; in many poems the words become the art…Give this to fans of other narrative poetry collections."

Booklist

"This funny and poignant work is a delight for casual reading and would make an excellent book for classroom study. Because of its use of a variety of literary techniques and its imaginative page layout, it would be particularly appealing to reluctant readers."

Canadian Children's Book News

"The whole book is pulled together with fun design and typesetting tricks used to enhance the personal journal motif...the effect is delightful – at once playful and believable...While its brevity and visual appeal make The Year I Was Grounded a good choice for reluctant or struggling readers, the subject matter and language are by no means in the 'light reading' category. This is capital L Literature, make no mistake!... Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"A pleasing command of rhythm and imagery."

School Library Journal

The Year I was Grounded

This collection of poems and journal entries is by a young character named Geordie. Geordie’s journal opens with a list of his likes (“…dill pickles / skateboarding / singing / kayaking…”) and dislikes (“liver…”). Organized over four seasons, the book contains a variety of topics ranging from growing carrots to playing baseball to dealing with his grandfather’s death. Journal entries are in a font that imitates a charming scrawl. The book also contains many themed word puzzles and concrete poems, which would be great startups for classroom creative writing. An added feature is the book’s web presence where students find answers to the word puzzles and are challenged to make their own. There’s also a ‘blog’ which serves as a study guide to the book.

Poet W.H. New, who also writes for adults, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is his fourth book for young readers.

The Year I was Grounded

In his fourth book for young readers, William New tells the story of a year in the life of Geordie, who loves, among other things, playing baseball. The tale really begins when Geordie throws a baseball and accidentally breaks a window. To make matters worse, Geordie tries to wriggle out of the situation by lying. This gets him grounded for two whole weeks. Dad does, nevertheless, reassure Geordie by adding, “We love you…all day, every night – and in darkness and light, when you’re you, you’re just right.”

Naturally, Geordie is not actually grounded for an entire year. However, the reader is invited into a year in Geordie’s world through his journal entries, his poems, and word puzzles. The layout of these elements is particularly intriguing as it’s so varied. Both funny and touching, these methods of telling the story of Geordie’s year will captivate readers.

There is a clear ecological theme running through the book. When Geordie speaks of the year he was grounded, he also means the year he begins to grow up, appreciate the things around him that are truly important, and feel increasingly sure of himself. I was especially enchanted by the beautiful verse throughout the book, in particular “A Handful of Earth” and “Things I’ve Learned This Year.”

As an enjoyable addition to this wonderful volume, the author offers the reader Geordie’s website where the answers to all of the word puzzles included in the book are located.

This funny and poignant work is a delight for casual reading and would make an excellent book for classroom study. Because of its use of a variety of literary techniques and its imaginative page layout, it would be particularly appealing to reluctant readers.