HEY WORLD, HERE I AM! Jean Little. Illustrated by Barbara Di Lella. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 1986. 64pp., paper, $6.95. ISBN 0-91996471-0. cloth, $12.95. ISBN 0-921103-14-X. CIP. Subject Heading: Children's poetry, Canadian (English). Grades 6-8 / Ages 11-13 Reviewed by Fran Newman. Volume 15 Number 2 1987 March The "I" of the title is Kate Bloomfield, the thirteen-year-old, once minor character in Jean Little's novel, Look Through my Window (Harper & Row, 1970). In her introduction to the book, her rationale for recognizing Kate as co-author, Jean talks of the young girl as if she were a very real person. In effect, she is Jean and yet not Jean. "I tell myself that her world would not exist if it were not for me. After all, her poems were written down in MY handwriting. They were written from her point of view but I think up the words. Yet I have this eerie feeling that Kate might have found somebody else to write her poetry down for her if I hadn't been around " Here then, is Jean-Kate, and what a range of emotions we cover in the short prose pieces and poetry contained in the sixty-four pages. We share Kate's thoughts on loving, wanting recognition, wanting to rest from life, her puzzlement about her heritage, her mother and father. We learn of Emily, her so-special friend their joys and fights and closeness. School is very much there: a poignant sketch of a Kate versus supply teachers, new notebooks, studying poetry. I am reading this book to a grade seven class. Many of them do not know Jean Little. I am hoping that this introduction to her, through and with Kate, will tempt these children into her novels. To me, a long-time admirer of this author, it is a treat to share her with the children. I recommend this book very highly indeed. Fran Newman, Murray Centennial P.S., Trenton, ON.