The Raven Remix

This is brilliant! It's a great way to introduce Edgar Allen Poe's work to a younger audience. I have a daughter who is in 5th grade and she is very interested in history and people of history specifically, the second half is educational with Poe's background and I know she will particularly enjoy that as well as the poem.

The Raven Remix is a clever parody of "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. It is told in the style of the original, with the same rhythm and rhyme pattern. The story focuses on a young man who goes to a shop where creatures from Poe's works are escaping. I love that it is even interactive with a puzzle for the reader to solve with a cipher.

This would be a great piece to use in the classroom when teaching parody to your students, especially if they know Poe's works already. Also, there is supplemental material in the back of the book. Carolee Dean gives the reader information about Poe's life, stories, and poetry. There are brief descriptions about each that is referenced in the parody poem.

It would be a new and interesting way to introduce younger readers to Poe. I highly recommend this for middle-grade readers.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! Our little indie bookstore does a Poe event in January and I have already marked this as a must have! The mash up was excellent and I found myself smiling as I saw the different Poe references throughout. The history of Edgar's life was beyond interesting. Just the way it was written kept me reading! Bravo!

This was a refreshing read. I loved exploring the new dimension of poetry. This is a must read for all age groups. This is satirical. Moreover, the illustrations were impressive as well. At the end of the poetry was a brief description as well.

This book for young readers starts with a humorous take on The Raven, a poem so culturally significant it's in a Simpsons episode. The kid in the remix learns about the supernatural world when he is skips school and meets a raven, and the poem is fun and unpredictable.
Poe was my introduction to horror as a child, and I loved his stories so much I used to tell them to people, enthusiastically and dramatically. His stories are so dramatic, and the terrors were so relatable. So much darkness in the world, and Poe seemed to see all of it.
The biography that takes up about half the book helps explain Poe's dark outlook on life, and poor Poe went from one tragic incident to another. His death is still an unsolved mystery, and one that we continue to think about because of the incredible legacy he left behind. Only 40 when he died, Poe left a full collection of stories that still hold up. His influence is still obvious in literature and movies.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is a great way to introduce young readers to verse and rhythmic reading in a lighthearted and funny way! As a huge Poe fan, I found it so fun to see little nods to his various works, my favorite was the Cask of Amontillado cartoon, so cute! Would definitely recommend if you’re hoping to introduce your kids to Poes works but don’t want the heavy subject matter.

I love the way the author re-imagined The Raven. It is done with a lot of wits. It also has a lot of information about Poe. It is perfect for students who are fans of Poe.

The Raven Remix by Carolee Dean is a clever and engaging retelling of Poe's classic "The Raven," aimed at middle-grade readers. Dean masterfully captures Poe’s eerie tone while introducing young readers to his works through a fresh, accessible lens. The story’s humor and rhythmic verse, paired with Krista Weltner’s playful illustrations, make this an excellent introduction to Poe's world without losing its dark, mysterious essence. The educational elements, including background on Poe’s life and a puzzle for readers, add depth and interactive appeal. This is a fun, thoughtful way to blend literature, history, and creativity for younger readers.

What fun this was! I love the idea behind this book. Bringing classics into the vernacular, while still maintaining the style, structure, and concept of the original is a very clever way to engage kids - particularly when the original author, as is the case with Poe, is both so fascinating an individual and so accessible once a reader actually dives into his storytelling. The execution here is spot-on and the illustrations are perfect additions to the story. I love that so many of his classic tales are represented, and the additional summaries and biographical information appended to the end of the main story offer great background as well as follow-up opportunities for those not familiar with the author. As a children's librarian, I found this to be a very fun and satisfying find!