Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women

Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women

ISBN	9780761453611

Specifications

6" X 9"; 64 pages; Eight black-and-white illustrations

Author(s)

Janice M. Del Negro

Illustrator(s)

Vince Natale

Interest/Age Group

Grades 6+

Ages	Ages 10 and up

List Price

US$ 16.99

About the Book

"Giovanna undid her cloak, and it slipped to the ground. The sun was coming up over the edge of the sea, and the light caught the rubies around Giovanna’s throat and set them on fire. Rafael could not take his eyes from those flaming stones. Giovanna reached behind her head to undo the clasp that held the rubies."

Janice M. Del Negro’s unique storyteller’s voice enlivens this collection of eight original tales about strong, resolute females. Whether she’s spinning a story about a brave housekeeper who does not suffer fools gladly or a woman who uses her wits to avenge her sister’s death, she embroiders her tales with elegant language and vivid imagery. There are characters and settings that will chill the bones, from the skulls in a moonlit mausoleum to the apparition of a wealthy woman "in a cyclone of light and fog" to three cauldrons filled with hair, bones, and blood. Mysterious shape-shifters and ghostly figures appear, but the women here handle them with grace and conviction. Acting to achieve justice and fairness, these characters become heroines in the landscape of the imagination. An author’s note is included.

JANICE M. DEL NEGRO is a professor of literary and information science at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Del Negro was formerly the director of the Center for Children’s Books, a special collection of children’s books located at the University of Illinois, and editor of the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, a monthly review journal of books for youth. She has also reviewed children’s and young adult books for many other publications and has served on numerous award committees. Ms. Del Negro lives with her husband and two daughters in Chicago, Illinois. She has previously published two picture books, Lucy Dove and Willa and the Wind.


	Top 40 Fiction Titles Pennsylvania School Librarians Association , June 2008

Passion and Poison

"The brevity of the tales makes this a perfect choice for reluctant readers, particularly girls, to read, and also a great read-aloud for teachers who don’t have much extra time to read to classes. Recommended."
—Library Media Connection, Jan 2008

"These eight original tales and retellings all possess the uncanny feeling common to new takes on familiar traditional motifs, and they are enlivened by a voice so penetrating that it seems to be in the room rather than just on the page."
—The Bulletin, Jan 2008

*"Gather all grannies, aunts, mothers, sisters, and daughters–and assemble the menfolk, too. This collection is sure to thrill all readers and listeners who appreciate spirited stories." STARRED REVIEW
—School Library Journal, Dec 2007

*"You could read these seven tales alone to enjoy their spooky twists and turns, but it would be a shame. Del Negro’s mesmerizing storytelling begs to be shared aloud... Natale’s full-page art is appropriately equipped with fierce visages, looming shadows, and grasping hands." STARRED REVIEW
—The Horn Book Magazine, Nov/Dec 2007

"Written for telling aloud, these seven original tales or recast folktales range from a tender tale of two mourning mothers, only one of whom is alive, to an utterly terrifying version of the serial-killer tale "Mr. Fox." Natale’s art adds atmospheric touches."
—School Library Journal, Oct 2007

"Good for reading aloud to older children, the stories will add shivers to storytimes in the library, at home, or by the campfire."
—Booklist, September 1, 2007

"The language is cadenced and carefully chosen, and Natale’s black-and-white illustrations are properly spectral and modestly elegant. Teens young and old will enjoy these gothic tales."
—Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2007

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