In this little free verse(s) book, young Pearl belongs to a family of three. Pearl, Mom, and Granny. Except now, Granny is bedridden, and end of life talks with her mother happen frequently.
At school, Pearl is a loner, a 'group of one'. Her teacher expects her to write rhyming poetry, but Pearl can't seem to write one to please the teacher.
Then Granny dies, and Pearl is devastated, but her classmates and teacher step in to help ease the pain of her loss. Excellent story. ( )

"Pearl Versus the World" is about a little girl named Pearl who lives with her mother and sick grandmother. Her grandmother suffers from Dementia and her mother is always tired from taking care of Pearl's grandmother. Along with this, at school, she doesn't feel as loved and goes through the struggles of feeling lonely and being disappointing. Her teacher, Ms. Bruff, is teaching the class about poetry and when Pearl writes, she doesn't include rhyming in it which Ms. Bruff disapproves of. She describes herself feeling like a "group of one" in her class. Pearl also goes through the hardship of her grandmother eventually passing away. To be able to properly talk about her feelings in her own way at the funeral, she shares a poem that she wrote about her grandmother. With this poem, Pearl finds the comfort she needs through this tough time and also proves to her teacher that a poem doesn't need to rhyme to be considered one. Overall, this book was very great to read. The story is full of realistic and sad situations that a young child could go through. Although Pearl faces hardship, she comes out stronger in the end and finds the comfort she needs for herself. This book shows the reality for some children's lives and how they try to find acceptance and love within themselves and others. I would definitely read this book with my students one day to teach a lesson on poetry while also teaching them the concept of accepting loss and finding comfort within themselves and positive outlets.

It was a very sad story. As a piece of writing, I think it would be worth using in class if we discussed the underlying themes and the idea of coping with loss of a family member. I think the book would be best suited for a child struggling with loss. ( ( )

This book would be good for a young girl who is facing the death of a loved one, especially a grandparent.
Pearl and her mother have always lived with her grandmother and now her grandmother is very ill and passes away. ( )

I love that Pearl's poems don't rhyme. A warm, real, sympathetic character who will resonate with many young readers. ( )

This very short book told in verse is touching but not sappy. Pearl's Granny is dying and she is trying to cope. The illustrations are just right. Could be used to help 1st thru 5th graders. ( )