Learning to Swim - Ann Turner

Learning to Swim by Ann Turner is a short yet powerful collection of poems which details a troubling summer in the childhood of the author. The poems collectively tell the true story of Turner’s experience with abuse as a young child. On a summer vacation with her family, Annie becomes a victim of sexual abuse by Kevin, an older boy in town. The story focuses on Annie’s issues with trust following the incident, and her slow coming to terms with herself and the people around her.

This collection of poems could be a valuable tool for teaching young students for a variety of reasons. First, the use of poetic techniques implemented in the text could be a great way of teaching and modeling poetic forms. The use of imagery and metaphor throughout the poems could also be a good introduction to such poetic elements. Also, the subject matter itself, primarily the message of healing, could be a powerful experience for students who are either undergoing similar struggles or need awareness of the issue of abuse.

Although there are a few graphic scenes in the text, there is nothing which I would deem inappropriate for seventh or eighth grade classrooms. The issues dealt with in the text are important to relate to all students, and the message of healing can be powerful for students who are going through a troubling time in their lives. The poems are written in plain diction, and the book itself does not take very long to read, making it ideal for readers of many different levels.