Okay, so this text was pretty cool. I only perused it since I've read a majority of the stories within it, but I still enjoyed the artwork and the captions. I find that one of the hardest parts about reading Poe is that his topics venture so far on the abnormal that it is sometimes difficult to visualize. Yes, we can feel the anticipation and the ominous moods involved with reading the story, but it works a lot better when we can visualize. So when the illustrator decided to include a picture of the dead man on page 108 in "The Tell-Tale Heart," it made the text easier to visualize. The beam of light on the eye was also a nice touch, since it was the eye that caused the killer so much trouble. And in case you wouldn't catch the emphasis on the eye, the author includes the quote, "He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more." This guides the reader into what to focus on.

What struck me most significant was that the stories are in their entirety. Since this book included so many illustrations, I expected the stories to be scaled back or dumbed down. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with the text being shown in its entirety. This book would be excellent to use when teaching Poe. The students will appreciate the illustrations and it will serve as a form of scaffolding for struggling readers who need the reinforcement. Overall, great book.