TILT, A Middle Grade Verse Novel by Jone MacCullogh

Welcome to Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Carol Labuzzetta Here. Thank you, Carol, for hosting.

Greeting from my last week in California. It will be hard to leave my grandson, but his Grandparents from China are on the way. Tommy is being emmersed in two languages, sorting them out, trying out sounds.

But, enough about me.

Jone Rush MacCullogh’s new middle grade novel in verse, TILT, is a must read.

Jone Rush MacCullogh is an artist, poet, librarian and Poetry Friday blogger Here. Several weeks ago, Jone invited bloggers to get the word out about her new middle grade novel-in-verse.

So I ordered TILT from Amazon. It was a great read, the voice of her main character, fifth grade Darrah, is totally authentic.

In the author’s note, she explains that her book was inspired by a 2004 tragedy at the middle school where she worked: A fifth grade boy died. “He was killed by dog mauling.” Jone’s fictionalized novel has been in the making ever since.

Children learn through story. I don’t have to tell teachers and Librarians that. They don’t learn by being preached at. The best books for kids place readers in a believable setting and tell stories through believable characters. They elicit emotion in readers. TILT, does just that. The word “tilt” of pinball origin, is a metaphor for how the main character, fifth grader Darrah’s, world is suddenly changed… tilted.

DAD'S FAVORITE WORD

Dad taught me to play pinball.
Plant your feet, maybe one in front of the other.
Lean in. Body centered. Practice flipping. 

nudging--left, right, left, right--an art.
Slight nudge right, slight nudge left, and BAM--
Winning! But beware! 

If you nudge too hard, loud bells ring, lights flash,
     TILT!
Dad sometimes says TILT as a swear word.
TILT --everything changes. Sometimes good,
    sometimes rotten.

My world now?
TILT!

The novel is set into motion soon after because Dad leaves Mom and moves out.

TILT!

Her mother and Darrah are sad and angry. Mom is withdrawn.

In addition, Darrah, absorbed in this tragedy, feels insulted by her best friend, Lily, and the two friends grow distant: another loss. Who can Darrah trust?

Enter a a boy named Jackson. He is charming, a risk -taker, who likes to climb trees, whereas Darrah is afraid of heights. He likes dogs whereas Darrah who has been bitten by a dog in the past, is wary of dogs. But they are soon best friends, the two name themselves “The Fearless Daredevils.”

With her new friend, Darrah begins to do dangerous things like sneaking out at night to do, going where kids should not. One adventure at school lands them in the principal’s office. Tension in the novel rises.

Eventually, Jackson asks Darrah to sneak out of her house late at night to meet him on an adventure. Hesitant, she agrees and rides her bike to a fenced in yard in their neighborhood. She finds Jackson there visiting with two large dogs beyond a fence. Will she climb over?

THE DOGS AND JACKSON

The streetlight casts a spooky glow on the yard
littered with chew toys. Jackson stands with the
      dogs. 

I ask, "Jackson, WTH? Why are you with them?"
Hair prickles on my neck. Hop off my bike.

He replies, "I'm having fun.
These dogs are sweet. Look at them1"

Tails wag. Noses nudge his leg.
I ask, What if the owners see you?"

Jackson shrugs. "Not sure. I don't know.
C'mon over! Jump the chain link fence."

I step back. "No, don't think so.
Not a good idea."

This dare-devil scheme, a visit with these dogs, is a bridge too far. Darrah leaves and goes home. She finds out the next day that dogs have taken Jackson’s life.

With this climax, the novel winds down. Darrah has to talk to the authorities and other grownups, including her parents, who offer support.

Through reading, Kids don’t have to sneak out of their houses at night in real life and go to dangerous places to understand that it might not end well.

Jone Rush MacCullogh tells the story through engaging free verse poems and the voices of believable characters. The obstacles Darrah faces are clear and evocative. The reader feels the thrill of breaking rules, yet might understand that it’s wise to think and to question one’s decisions.

Away from home for six weeks now, I have been writing some, and drawing and painting when I can. This is Tommy, who is one and a half on his play mat. I have learned that it’s hard capturing babies. In most of my pictures of him he looks like a little man. I like this one. He looks like a baby.

I have been working on a novel in verse about my brother’s year in Vietnam inspired by his letters home in 1969. I’m working on submitting it, but I thought I’d share the first free verse poem:

NICK’S LETTERS

July 1970, 
summer before ninth grade:

I have decided, 

           after all that happened,
           during the last two years,

 and 

         with so many letters
         from Vietnam in my hands,

that I will stitch together 
what I figured out about

my family,
our town
and the war

the way I stitch together
a new dress or pants,

one piece at a time.

Can I do it?
I sew pretty well.
Maybe I can write this story, too.

©Janice Scully 2026

I hope everyone has a great week. Thank you, Carol, for hosting.