Stella's second-grade teacher gives the class an exciting assignment: to write a poem using a metaphor. Although Stella is proud of the poem she writes about a pig she knows, Stella's annoying, know-it-all classmate, Horace, says the poem is full of lies. When Stella and Horace argue over it, their teacher banishes them to the principal's office in Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by author Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.

Given that this fifth children's chapter book in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series is the first book I've read by this author, I'm late to the game.

But "better late," right? What a delightful story! I really started getting into it during the precious meltdown of one of the characters. And I laughed out loud several times through the read. I'm not sure just how funny I would've realized this story is if I'd read it as a child, but it's got some hilarious parts to it.

The story has neat-o messages for the kiddies and a wonderful ending, and the illustrations are fun and fantastic. I've got to try another of these books! ( )

I love Mercy Watson! Though she has a smaller role here, she is a perfect muse for Stella Endicott, a newfound poet of curiosity and courage. ( )

Metaphor abound in this new tale about frightening school day. It is DiCamillo’s newest Deckawoo Drive adventure.

I was already in love with the Mercy Watson characters so I knew this was going to be a fun book. If you are in second grade or have ever been in second grade I think you can certainly identify with our main characters, Stella and Horace.

Stella SuZanne Endicott loves her teacher, Miss Liliana, and she is thrilled when the class is assigned to write a poem. Stella crafts a beautiful poem about Mercy Watson, the beloved pig next door. The poem is to contain a metaphor which proves no problem for Stella. But Horace Broom, Stella’s irritating classmate, insists that Stella’s poem just wrong and her reference to the pig next door cannot be true. He insists that pigs do not live in houses and most definitely do not sit on couches. This difference results in a shouting match in the classroom. Miss Liliana sends them to the dreaded principal’s office. Along the way, the two encounter a school bully, Mr. Clyde Murphy, maintenance engineer, then the scary principal’s secretary, Mrs. Shirley. By now they are too terrified to see Mr. J. Tinwiddie school principal. Horace is more dramatic than Stella and bemoans that his life is over. As the two abscond the principal’s office there are some surprising occurrences on their journey to being readmitted to the second grade classroom.

The illustrations enhance this story of friendship and understanding. Lots of interesting vocabulary awaits the reader. ( )