I entered the language arts classroom and took my seat that first day of 8^th grade. Standing at the front was a balding, little man, appropriately named Mr. Reading (although pronounced “redding”). He went through a few minutes of roll calling and introductions and the usual first-day-of-school routine. Then he stopped.

We watched him move to his left and open his small coat closet. We watched him wrestle his desk chair back to it and climb up. He stopped again. Then, with a sense of dramatic flair, he turned his head over his right shoulder and glared at us. “Don’t peek up my suit coat.”

Somewhere amid our giggles and murmurs, he climbed down with the standard Warriner’s grammar book in his hand.

We had a choice, he told us. Either we allow him to integrate a heavy dose of dry grammar into our class’s curriculum, or we could read extra literature-type books and have more exhilarating discussions. Easy choice. Bring on the reading books, right?

The class vote, however, was unanimous. Bring on the grammar. Mr. Reading was a very persuasive man. He explained that if we had him teach us grammar, 90% or more of us would pass the test exempting us from the semester-long 9^th grade grammar course.

Because of him, since 8^th grade, I’ve rarely had to crack open a grammar book. (However, I must have missed the days he taught lie v. lay and which v. that.)

Still, I do own Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. I bought it decades ago as one of the necessary steps toward becoming an author. And it covered writing advice Mr. Reading couldn’t fit into a year-long course.

So where’s today’s book review? I’m getting to that now.

Recently, when I was in Upstate New York, we stopped at the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester. I don’t often linger over the information cards posted alongside the paintings, so I found myself slightly ahead of the others with me. I came upon a small gallery room, displaying Strunk & White’s book in its windowed wall. That got my attention, I went in and found a collection of whimsical drawings, some as odd as Mr. Reading himself.

My curiosity forced me to read the info cards. It seems that a few years ago when I wasn’t paying attention, artist and picture book author/illustrator Maira Kalman created an illustrated version of the quintessential writing guide. She chose dozens of the sentences and phrases Stunk and White used to underscore their rules, then drew her interpretation of those examples.

One of my favorites from the exhibition illustrates None of us is perfect. I also particularly liked The temple of Isis.

Her entire collection of these drawings plus the full and updated Strunk and White text are in The Elements of Style Illustrated (Penguin Press, 2005). More than just the iconic guide, this version enticed me to go through all the writing rules again, simple because of the pictures.

In short, it makes learning fun. Something that Mr. Reading did for us so many years ago.

(This post is part of Barrie Summy's Book Review Club, bringing you many wonderful and varied reviews the first Wednesday of each month. Go HERE to see where you can find the other books highlighted for July.)