UP, UP AND AWAY
A Book About Adverbs
by Ruth Heller & illustrated by Ruth Heller
Continuing her unique series on parts of speech (Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs, 1988), Heller tackles one of the most difficult with her usual panache, coupling a deftly rhymed text with gloriously bold, colorful illustrations (``Some ADVERBS end in WARD, and others...in WISE... BACKWARD... LIKEWISE... COUNTERCLOCKWISE''—a succinct summary appropriately framed by two pairs of gymnasts, their backs arched in opposing curves). The end-page conclusion is unduly abrupt; still, what other grammar manual will leave students longing for more? Just right to lighten up the lesson, even at the high-school level; Heller's admonitions are not only more fun but often clearer than more earnest explanations. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 9+)