Every teacher should have this little book. ( )

I bought this book thinking it might be a fun way for my 11-year old daughter, who is beginning home schooling this year, to learn grammar. She has been reading since she was four and she writes wonderfully, but it can't hurt to understand how the various forms of punctuation work. I read this book myself to see if it would be suitable. I'm not completely sure; the author has a lot of fun with a few sentences that definitely have some adult meanings, although I'm not sure an 11-year old could tell. What was most surprising was that the author's sense of humor and deliberate strangeness didn't get old after a while. Amazingly it held up throughout the book and I found myself smiling or nodding in appreciation of a clever or amusing sentence quite a few times. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of what a grammar book written by Edward Gorey might have been like.

I also can't argue with her rules for punctuation. There are maybe one or two places I think a comma would suffice in place of a semicolon--but I could be wrong. I'll probably pass this one on to my daughter later in the year after she has gone through a more conventional grammar book. Given that she finished reading all of Jane Austen when she was 8, I guess she can handle this. ( )

This is the kind of book the coolest of cool professors would use in a writing class. The language is hip and humorous, the illustrations funny and fabulous. While Gordon lays down the law about when and where to use an exclamation point, a period, a comma, or semi colon, I don't feel obligated to follow her to the letter (or period). I read The New Well-Tempered Sentence as merely suggestion; here's what you can do, if you so chose (and obviously I don't). Think Edward Estlin Cummings. Gordon is careful to use witty examples and whimsical illustrations to prove her points to go along with that hip and cool vibe. This is the essential reference book you have on your shelf and because it is so funky you are not ashamed to have it in plain sight. ( )

You never again have to be bored while learning punctuation or grammar. Gordon's books are hilarious and entertaining, while delivering everything you need to know. ( )

Definitely not for those who actually need help with their grammar, this book is perfect for someone who enjoys the sheer deliciousness of it! My favorite part? The seperatrix, of course! ( )