So a teacher is murdered on the first page, and every page is a poem expressing the reactions of dozens of different people. Some of the poems are enjoyable and well-written enough to enjoy independently, but that's not why I liked it. The juxtaposition of sometimes completely conflicting perceptions of the same man, the same experience, or the same conversation was insightful & insight inspiring. This I see in life; something I do in my classroom is both something remembered fondly by some students and something loathed and resented by others... The feelings, reactions, perceptions of this man reveal a teacher's impact and his flaws as a person. The ending deals with the truth about our mortality and importance (from a cynic's point of view). A quick read, not very suspenseful, but this was well done. Best suited for urban high school students.

Warning: Some swearing, some adult content, characters are clearly from diverse but challenging backgrounds. I'm not sure my rural high school students would be as interested as those from Albany, for example. I'm not putting it out in my middle school classroom even though that's where I found it (from a previous teacher).

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Although I am really not fond of poetry, this book pleasantly surprised me. I think I had in mind a more artsy abstract type of novel in verse. Who Killed Mr. Chippendale really allwed me to see that stories can be told in poetry. The one downfall of this book to me is that it doesn't seem like much of a mystery to me. I am not very good at solving things but I guess right away which character/poet killed Mr. Chippendale. I did enjoy that the story showed the varying connections, relationships, and effects that one person can have on many others, and how those connections are often intertwined. ( )

Better than I anticipated. The book uses (with varying degrees of efficacy) some interesting poetic conventions. The mirror twins, the alternating speakers during the eulogy, etc., are surprising well integrated, and the verse is not so "versey" that it detracts from the plot. I'm looking forward to sampling more of this genre. ( )

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? Is a fabulous book. I loved every word of this mystery written in verse, and actually read it twice. Each page/ poem is spoken by a different character, which allows the reader to get inside each character’s head. There is no single main character either, which makes for an interesting read, as the reader must change their focus every page or so.

The first speaker is Mr. Chippendale, clocking in to school at 7:04, before hitting the track for his morning run. We find out a bit about him, never married, long-time English teacher, a bit disillusioned with his job, with the school, with his life. We then meet Red Sweatshirt, who curses Mr. Chippendale, takes out a rifle, and shoots him in the head. From there, we start the investigation from a number of differing viewpoints: His ex-lover, Angela Falcone, Guidance Counselor, Harry Balinger, Detective, various students, reporters, teachers, etc. Each of the viewpoints is different, on how Mr. Chippendale affected each individual’s life. As each speaker states their feelings, the mystery of who actually killed Mr. Chippendale unravels.

The best part of this book is the voices of the individuals talking about high school education. From many of the points of view of the students, it is easy to understand the plight of many students in high school today. They deal with violence, racism, lack of drive, the need to be inspired, and the pangs of simply being a teenager. The constant change of point of view is really impressive, and some may find it hard to follow if reading too quickly. It is written in poems, so each page/ story/ perspective exists as it own mini story of the book’s larger picture, and takes time to digest. I found the book intriguing both as a mystery and as a look into the minds of the different types of people who make up a high school. I found it brilliant. Five Stars. Ages 14-18.

This collection of free verse describes the aftermath of a teacher's shooting from the points of view of students, colleagues, and community members.
While I like the idea of seeing a character from so many different points of view, I thought a lot of the voices were obvious stereotypes, and clumsily drawn. The use of free verse doesn't add anything to the telling. it's just stylistic faffing about, and doesn't disguise the heavy-handed description of kids-with-issues.
The subject matter - a murder mystery, where the victim is a teacher - may make it intriguing to a reluctant reader. ( )