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Eats, Shoots & Leaves Picture Books #2
The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes!
A comanion to the New York Times #1 best-seller Eats, Shoots & Leaves , this is punctuation play at its finest!
Just as the use of commas was hilariously demystified in Eats, Shoots & Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! , now Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons put their talents together to do the same for apostrophes. Everyone needs to know where to put an apostrophe to make a word plural or possessive (Are those sticky things your brother's or your brothers?) and leaving one out of a contraction can give someone the completely wrong impression (Were here to help you). Full of silly scenes that show how apostrophes make a difference, too, this is another picture book that will elicit bales of laughter and better punctuation from all who read it.
A New York Times Bestseller
Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Winner
Just as the use of commas was hilariously demystified in Eats, Shoots & Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! , now Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons put their talents together to do the same for apostrophes. Everyone needs to know where to put an apostrophe to make a word plural or possessive (Are those sticky things your brother's or your brothers?) and leaving one out of a contraction can give someone the completely wrong impression (Were here to help you). Full of silly scenes that show how apostrophes make a difference, too, this is another picture book that will elicit bales of laughter and better punctuation from all who read it.
A New York Times Bestseller
Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Winner
32 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2007
About the author
Lynne Truss
114 books1,042 followersLynne Truss is a writer and journalist who started out as a literary editor with a blue pencil and then got sidetracked. The author of three novels and numerous radio comedy dramas, she spent six years as the television critic of The Times of London, followed by four (rather peculiar) years as a sports columnist for the same newspaper. She won Columnist of the Year for her work for Women's Journal. Lynne Truss also hosted Cutting a Dash, a popular BBC Radio 4 series about punctuation. She now reviews books for the Sunday Times of London and is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Brighton, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
October 6, 2016
A fun and enlightening book.
February 28, 2012
After reading and assessing essays, it became apparent that many students are confused about apostrophe rules. I read this book aloud to my 8th graders and most of them loved the illustrations. It was great to hear students laughing and clarifying what they know. However, unless this is taught in conjunction with another exercise around apostrophes, the students who struggle most with understanding grammar rules will still have a hard time understanding the visuals that go along with the sentence.
There is an index of rules to go along with each page, which is super helpful.
There is an index of rules to go along with each page, which is super helpful.
May 31, 2015
Fun little book about the proper way to use apostrophes. I plan on using it in my lessons with the 5th graders next year.
The pictures were cute and the last page explains the nitty-gritty grammar. I thought some of the sentences were kind of a stretch, but it wasn't a big deal.
The pictures were cute and the last page explains the nitty-gritty grammar. I thought some of the sentences were kind of a stretch, but it wasn't a big deal.
March 7, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing (and rereading on occasion) all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review, back when I read them.
In this very delightful little tome, the author takes the humble apostrophe—often abused, frequently misunderstood—and turns it into the star of a linguistic comedy.
The book is technically about grammar, but it never feels like a lecture. Instead, it reads like a playful tour through the strange ways in which a tiny mark can completely alter meaning.
Truss is best known for her crusade against punctuation chaos, especially in her celebrated work ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves’. Here she adopts a lighter, almost cartoonish approach.
The book is filled with humorous examples and witty illustrations that demonstrate how apostrophes can transform ordinary sentences into accidental absurdities.
A misplaced mark can produce meanings that are unintentionally hilarious, and Truss delights in pointing out these linguistic mishaps with the amused patience of someone who has seen far too many grammatical crimes.
What makes the book particularly enjoyable is its tone. Rather than scolding readers for their punctuation sins, Truss invites them to laugh at the delightful weirdness of language.
English grammar, as she presents it, is less a rigid set of rules and more a quirky system that rewards attention and curiosity.
The apostrophe becomes a kind of trickster—capable of clarifying meaning one moment and causing utter confusion the next.
As a grammar instructor, reading it, I was reminded that punctuation often functions like stage direction in writing. The words may be the actors, but punctuation tells them how to perform. Without it, sentences stumble around like performers who have forgotten their cues. With it, even the simplest line can achieve clarity and rhythm.
Despite its brevity, this book manages to perform a small miracle: it makes punctuation entertaining. It’s the sort of book that teachers of English secretly wish more students would encounter, because it demonstrates that grammar need not be dull or oppressive.
Sometimes, all it takes is one mischievous apostrophe to reveal the hidden comedy within language.
On a lighter note, to conclude, if punctuation had a mischievous sense of humor, it would probably write a book like ‘The Girl’s Like Spaghetti’.
Enjoyable and instructive. Most recommended.
In this very delightful little tome, the author takes the humble apostrophe—often abused, frequently misunderstood—and turns it into the star of a linguistic comedy.
The book is technically about grammar, but it never feels like a lecture. Instead, it reads like a playful tour through the strange ways in which a tiny mark can completely alter meaning.
Truss is best known for her crusade against punctuation chaos, especially in her celebrated work ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves’. Here she adopts a lighter, almost cartoonish approach.
The book is filled with humorous examples and witty illustrations that demonstrate how apostrophes can transform ordinary sentences into accidental absurdities.
A misplaced mark can produce meanings that are unintentionally hilarious, and Truss delights in pointing out these linguistic mishaps with the amused patience of someone who has seen far too many grammatical crimes.
What makes the book particularly enjoyable is its tone. Rather than scolding readers for their punctuation sins, Truss invites them to laugh at the delightful weirdness of language.
English grammar, as she presents it, is less a rigid set of rules and more a quirky system that rewards attention and curiosity.
The apostrophe becomes a kind of trickster—capable of clarifying meaning one moment and causing utter confusion the next.
As a grammar instructor, reading it, I was reminded that punctuation often functions like stage direction in writing. The words may be the actors, but punctuation tells them how to perform. Without it, sentences stumble around like performers who have forgotten their cues. With it, even the simplest line can achieve clarity and rhythm.
Despite its brevity, this book manages to perform a small miracle: it makes punctuation entertaining. It’s the sort of book that teachers of English secretly wish more students would encounter, because it demonstrates that grammar need not be dull or oppressive.
Sometimes, all it takes is one mischievous apostrophe to reveal the hidden comedy within language.
On a lighter note, to conclude, if punctuation had a mischievous sense of humor, it would probably write a book like ‘The Girl’s Like Spaghetti’.
Enjoyable and instructive. Most recommended.
July 11, 2020
A fitting and very humorous companion to her famous book on comma placement. She graphically shows how the placement of an apostrophe drastically alters the sense of a phrase or sentence.
March 18, 2012
This is another fun grammar book for children by Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons. In this book, they hilariously depict the difference an apostrophe makes in a sentence. Every time I find one of these books at our library, I make sure to borrow it right away - I love that the very complex lessons of English grammar are presented in a common sense and humorous way. If you enjoy this book, I also recommend Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! and Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why, every punctuation mark counts!
October 8, 2013
As I've grown older, I've become both more and less of a grammar nazi. After all, in high school I got in trouble for marking up the many mistakes in the school newspaper with red ink and tacking it to the staff's classroom door like Martin Luther's theses. I wouldn't do that sort of thing today, but at the same time I think I'm even more aware of grammar problems than I was then.
So this book is fun, as it presents some common mistakes with apostrophes (probably the most mis-used punctuation ever) side-by-side with correct usage, for comic effect. I like it.
The last two pages are particularly useful, and could be used as a poster in a classroom (or corporate office, for that matter), as they explain what's wrong and right about each instance in an overview.
So this book is fun, as it presents some common mistakes with apostrophes (probably the most mis-used punctuation ever) side-by-side with correct usage, for comic effect. I like it.
The last two pages are particularly useful, and could be used as a poster in a classroom (or corporate office, for that matter), as they explain what's wrong and right about each instance in an overview.
June 29, 2010
This book is a collection of contrasting pages where the pictures show how moving an apostrophe in a sentence can change the entire meaning. For instance, "The tiny cat's home" vs. "The tiny cats' home." It has strong examples and an introduction that talks about how important the apostrophe is for the English language. The book also simply explains the problem with its vs. it's. The back of the book also breaks down each page and how the apostophe grammatically affects the sentence.
The illustrations are simple watercolor and black line, but are effective.
The illustrations are simple watercolor and black line, but are effective.
March 24, 2009
This is a hilarious illustration of why apostrophes matter. An excerpt: "Those smelly things are my brother's." with an illustration of a girl pointing to her brother's smelly sneakers. On the facing page, "Those smelly things are my brothers." with a picture of the same girl pointing to two stinky boys and her friends turning away with clothespins on their noses." Laugh out loud funny. And it drives the point home to kids--they'll love it!
September 28, 2021
This is great fun for talking apostrophes! Each page spread has the same sentence twice, with only an apostrophe changed, and a picture for each sentence to show how vastly an apostrophe can change a sentence’s meaning. Very silly and educational at the same time. I’m so glad Lynne Truss brought her grammatical wisdom to picture books.
October 29, 2013
I profess, English was not a popular subject for me when I was in school. As I got older, reading books opened a new world for me. But inaccurate grammar muddled sentences: in books, magazines, newspapers or on the internet.
One of the most common punctuation marks that I have had problems with is the apostrophe. Oh, not with contractions but using it to show ownership. Like "Ladies' lounge" vs. "Ladies lounge". It makes me pause, I have to think. "See the boys bat. See the boy's bat. See the boys' bat.". Yes, I have to think. "The shop sells boys' and girls' clothing. The shop sells boys and girls' clothing." You see my problem? Yes, I have to think.
The two words that I often have problems with is 'childrens' and 'its'. I don't know why. I have brain-drain when I try to figure out the proper way of conveying these two simple in a sentence. Do I use an apostrophe or not? Lynn Truss's THE GIRL'S LIKE SPAGHETTI is a nice look at the importance of using often abused punctuation mark. And I confess: I am at the head of the line for making goofs when I use it in a sentence.
One of the most common punctuation marks that I have had problems with is the apostrophe. Oh, not with contractions but using it to show ownership. Like "Ladies' lounge" vs. "Ladies lounge". It makes me pause, I have to think. "See the boys bat. See the boy's bat. See the boys' bat.". Yes, I have to think. "The shop sells boys' and girls' clothing. The shop sells boys and girls' clothing." You see my problem? Yes, I have to think.
The two words that I often have problems with is 'childrens' and 'its'. I don't know why. I have brain-drain when I try to figure out the proper way of conveying these two simple in a sentence. Do I use an apostrophe or not? Lynn Truss's THE GIRL'S LIKE SPAGHETTI is a nice look at the importance of using often abused punctuation mark. And I confess: I am at the head of the line for making goofs when I use it in a sentence.
June 4, 2008
Oh my goodness, I love this book so much! I admit that I have something of a reputation as the grammar police, mostly because good grammar just makes sense to me, so I don't understand why it's so hard for other people. This book is by the same author as "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"--another of my favorites.
What makes "The Girl's Like Spaghetti" so great is that it's a visual explanation of why apostrophes matter and how to use them. Plus Lynne Truss includes an introduction explaining the rules and a sort of appendix at the end to explain each page's particular grammar rule(s). I love each and every set of pages, but my favorite (aside from the library help desk page) is, "Those smelly things are my brother's" (i.e. stinky shoes) versus, "Those smelly things are my brothers" (i.e. the brothers are smelly). The pictures are fabulous! I would not only use this to teach my own (hypothetical) kids about apostrophes, but it would work really well in a middle or high school classroom setting also...if you could walk the book around so everyone could see the pictures, that is.
What makes "The Girl's Like Spaghetti" so great is that it's a visual explanation of why apostrophes matter and how to use them. Plus Lynne Truss includes an introduction explaining the rules and a sort of appendix at the end to explain each page's particular grammar rule(s). I love each and every set of pages, but my favorite (aside from the library help desk page) is, "Those smelly things are my brother's" (i.e. stinky shoes) versus, "Those smelly things are my brothers" (i.e. the brothers are smelly). The pictures are fabulous! I would not only use this to teach my own (hypothetical) kids about apostrophes, but it would work really well in a middle or high school classroom setting also...if you could walk the book around so everyone could see the pictures, that is.
July 30, 2008
I still haven't read Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, but I managed a quick read of this little gem that will entertain and educate adults as well as children.
Truss presents several sentences two ways -- with apostrophes appearing in different places each time. Each example of the sentence is illustrated. Imagine what "The Girl's Like Spaghetti" would look like, as opposed to "The Girls Like Spaghetti," and you get the idea. Hilarity ensues.
The book also features a brief, humorous introduction about the correct use of apostrophes, and an appendix that fully explains the uses of, and rationales for, the apostrophes in each of the sample sentences.
This is a little book, but there's a lot of good information packed in it, with a big ol' spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Great for kids, and would make a fun coffee-table (or back-of-the-toilet!) book for adults too.
Truss presents several sentences two ways -- with apostrophes appearing in different places each time. Each example of the sentence is illustrated. Imagine what "The Girl's Like Spaghetti" would look like, as opposed to "The Girls Like Spaghetti," and you get the idea. Hilarity ensues.
The book also features a brief, humorous introduction about the correct use of apostrophes, and an appendix that fully explains the uses of, and rationales for, the apostrophes in each of the sample sentences.
This is a little book, but there's a lot of good information packed in it, with a big ol' spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Great for kids, and would make a fun coffee-table (or back-of-the-toilet!) book for adults too.
January 14, 2015
"The Girl's Like Spaghetti" is a book telling you the uses of using an apostrophe. Filled with funny illustrations, this book helps you understand the importance of using this symbol while writing. Lynne Truss wrote this book with a little bit of humor.
I picked up this book because I remember that in Grade 5, my teacher read a book written by this author. It was called "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". I really enjoyed that book so I wanted to read another book by her.
I finished this book with the same satisfaction I had when I read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". I like Lynne Truss' ability to teach us about punctuation and add some humor at the same time.
I would recommend this book to Kai Wei, since he is the GRAMMAR POLICE!
I picked up this book because I remember that in Grade 5, my teacher read a book written by this author. It was called "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". I really enjoyed that book so I wanted to read another book by her.
I finished this book with the same satisfaction I had when I read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". I like Lynne Truss' ability to teach us about punctuation and add some humor at the same time.
I would recommend this book to Kai Wei, since he is the GRAMMAR POLICE!
October 31, 2007
Advertised as a "companion to the #1 best seller Eats, Shoots & Leaves," this is a book for children about the proper use of the apostrophe. It is awesome. It uses pictures to illustrate the difference between two statements, one of which uses an apostrophe, one of which doesn't. It is so simple, yet so helpful.
In a world filled with misused apostrophes (check out the signs in any neighborhood), The Girl's Like Spaghetti is a true gem. This should be required reading for everyone.
10/31/07
In a world filled with misused apostrophes (check out the signs in any neighborhood), The Girl's Like Spaghetti is a true gem. This should be required reading for everyone.
10/31/07
August 4, 2012
Any teacher or parent who wants to explain apostrophes in a memorable, fun way should get this awesome book. There is another one on commas by the same author/artist. Lynne Truss thought of numerous fun examples how commas or apostrophes in the wrong places make all the difference for meaning, and got the best illustrator to make it immediately clear what the difference is, as between: "the girls like spaghetti", or "the girl's like spaghetti". Or: "Student's refuse to go in the bin." or "Students refuse to go in the bin." I've bought it to give it to children.
April 1, 2014
This book is a fun and creative way to teach about the importance of punctuation. The illustrations are perfect for this type of book. They are also essential if you are to understand the difference between the punctuations. That being said, I think that there were just a couple pictures where the meaning wasn't immediately clear. Overall though, it wasn't that big a deal. It just meant that you had to pay a little closer attention. This would be a great book to do some extension activities with.
February 23, 2009
Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons show the importance of the apostrophe by pairing sentences such as "Those smelly things are my brother's," with "Those smelly things are my brothers," and then illustrating the difference in the meaning of the two sentences. I liked this, but I don't know how many students would understand the concepts on their own. I think this would be a great book for a teacher to use in a lesson on the many fuctions and the importance of apostrophes.
April 1, 2014
I don't remember when I first learned about apostrophes, but I'm sure a book like this would help them make a lot of sense in a sentence when I was young. Like the other one about commas, this book compares sentences with and without apostrophes and shows what a difference they can make. After mastering apostrophes, you can make your own sentences to compare like the ones in the book.
March 12, 2015
Apostrophes can be a very tricky convention for students of all ages to use correctly. This book makes silly situation to teach the difference by mistakes in the simple sentence. This can be used to teach the correct use and improve their writing. Instead of a boring lesson on apostrophes, you can make it fun and more interactive lesson.
March 17, 2015
I love this book!!! It is a great book for using if you are focusing on apostrophes. The pictures show the meaning of similar sentences with and without apostrophes. Using this book brings humor to reinforcing correct punctuation in writing for students and adults alike. The book includes the rules used to know when and where to use apostrophes. This is truly a fun way to learn punctuation.
January 4, 2014
A truly cute book for teaching children the use of apostrophes. The plays on words actually made me laugh, and the illustrations are playful and fun. This is a nice, short, and silly resource for teaching punctuation.
January 26, 2015
An interesting take on how one can form their sentences and can be easily changed with a single apostrophe. Although the title may seem like a book for girls, it's appropriate for both genders and grades 2-5. A great for the grammar police.
March 17, 2015
I think this is a good book to introduce by reading it with the children, and then allowing them to read through it on their own. It isn't very thorough about explaining some of the things, but I think with a little thinking and once its understood, it is clear.
March 17, 2015
I like this book because it can truly help me to know how to use apostrophes.
honestly, it is quite confusing for children of this grammar thing.
however, its pictures and comparison help me to understand more.
I believe the children will learn it well also from it.
honestly, it is quite confusing for children of this grammar thing.
however, its pictures and comparison help me to understand more.
I believe the children will learn it well also from it.
January 21, 2016
Anyone who teaches punctuation should have this on his/her shelves. The illustrations emphasize the importance of apostrophes. One of my nephews was a fan of humor in his early elementary years; I should have had this book then.
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February 11, 20144W heard this book talk first.
April 1, 2014
A fun way to teach punctuation.
August 24, 2014
As helpful to adults as to children!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews