Poetry by Kids: Salting the Ocean

Citation:

Shihab Nye, N, & Bryan, A. (2000). Salting the ocean: 100 poems by young poets. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0688161936.

Review:

Nye presents an anthology of poems collected from school children across the country. These poems are categorized into four groups, "My Shadow Is an Ant's Night: The Self and the Inner World; Think How Many Stories Are in Your Shirt: Where we Live; My Grandma Squashes Roaches with Her Hand: Anybody's Family; Silence Is Like a Tractor Moving the Whole World: The Wide Imagination." The text also contains an "Afterword; Acknowledgements; Suggestions for Further Reading; Index to 100 Poems and an Index to 100 Poets." The poems in this text are well written and engaging due to their expressive nature on life, sadness, wonder, curiosity, etc. Readers will find a poem they can connect with since these are written by children ages six through eighteen using poetry as their creative forum. Nye's format is easy to follow and the few illustrations found throughout the book compliment each poetry section. Teacher's will value the creativity presented by these young poets and it would be a wonderful addition to any classroom's library.

Excerpt:

"Words,
jumbled
in my mind.
Traffic jams
of sentences,
swirling,
and bubbling,
in the cauldron of my mind.
All I can do
is think
and write.
Breath deeply,
and let your feelings flow
onto the page.
Let your mind fill
with ideas.
Let them bolt
through your pencil,
crashing
with enormous
energy
onto your paper.
Poetry
has her own way of living.
Let her live
in peace."

-Rachel M. Reynolds


Introducing the Poem:

I would read this poem aloud to the students and have them pay special attention to the rhythm. I would also point out specific words in the poem (traffic jams, swirling, bubbling, bolt, etc.) and ask the students what do they think these words mean in the poem. At the end of the discussion, I would have the students journal what poetry means to them and encourage then to use a thesaurus while writing their entry.

Janeczko Collection: Blushing: Expressions of Love in Poems & Letters

Citation:

Janeczko, P. B. (2004). Blushing: expressions of love in poems & letters. New York, NY: Orchard Books. ISBN: 0439530563.

Review:

Janeczko presents a wonderful poetry collection paying tribute the many stages of love. Divided into five sections, "The Beginning of Love; In Love; Alone in Love; The End of Love and Remembering Love." Readers are treated to the poetry works of Shakespeare, Donne, Dickinson, Angelou and many more famous poets throughout the text that are sure to attract readers of all ages. The format of the text is easy to follow and the touches of pink give this text a romantic appeal. Janeczko provided an excellent combination of classic poems and new poems to please any reader. Readers will be able to make a connection with many poems presented in this book and reminisce back to the times when he or she had a crush, fell in love, and broke up. This book would be a nice addition to any romantics collection.

Excerpt:

"Deep in Love"
Bhavabhuti

Deep in love
cheek leaning on cheek we talked
of whatever came to our minds
just as it came
slowly
with our arms twined
tightly around us
and the hours passed and we
did not know it
still talking when
the night had gone


Introducing the Poem:

This is a delightful poem to read to older high school students and have them journal a poem about a first crush or first love they have experienced. I would instruct the students to close their eyes an imagine back to this time and pick a specific memory relating to their experience (weather, smells, scenery, etc.) and to write a poem expressing their feelings in association to this memory.

Poetry and Fiction

Citation:

Ruddell, D, & Rankin, J. (2009). A whiff of pine, a hint of skunk: a forest of poems. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry. ISBN: 9781416942115.

Review:




This is a fun and engaging poetry book of animals in their native habitat. There are twenty-two poems presented in this book and the illustrations that accompany the poems are vibrant and compliment each of the poems presented. Ruddell's poetic word play is wonderfully demonstrated in the poems and this will keep the reader engaged. There is a nice combination of rhythm and rhyming throughout the text. Readers will enjoy learning about the animals featured in this book (beaver, snail, woodpecker, badger, squirrel, turkey, etc.) and the humor element make this book very delightful. A great book to have in a classroom's collection! Teachers will value the science element which can lead to fun and engaging poetry breaks!

Excerpt:

"NOBODY'S PET"
A Word to the Wise from a Red Fox

"I will never take walks
in the park wearing socks
like some spoiled little dog
on a leash--I'm a fox.

I won't come when you call,
I won't jump for the ball,
I won't wait for your step
like a lump in the hall.

You can tell me to stay
if you want to, but hey--
there's no way in the world
that I'll ever obey.

Introducing the Poem:

This is a great poem to use to add humor and fun to a science lesson about animals! I would read this poem to the students and have the student pay special attention to the rhythm of the poem. I would divide the class into three groups and have each group retell the poem to the class using the appropriate body language in addition to the rhythm. Another fun activity would be to have the students journal a poem about animals and add humor and illustrations to their story.

Fiction Connection:

Ezra, D. (2010). Interrupting chicken. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763641689.



Summary:

This is a humorous story about a Little Red Chicken whom insists her Papa read her a bedtime story. However, the Little Red Chicken constantly interrupts her Papa at the beginning of each story! Readers will enjoy the humor and the illustrations presented throughout the story! Cute book!


Connection to Poetry:
Ezra's book "Interrupting Chicken," a Caldecott 2011 honor book, would be a great fiction book to present to the class because this books contains animals, humor and encourages use of imagination to create a story. These elements tie into the poetry story of "A Wiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: a Forest of Poems" by Deborah Ruddell and illustrated by Joan Rankin because both books have wonderful illustrations, animals and humor. Both books have fun word play and rhythm throughout their stories.

Sidman Poetry: Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

Citation:

Sidman, J. (2010). Dark emperor and other poems of the night. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Illustrated by Rick Allen. ISBN:9780547152288


Review:



Sidman presents a wonderful poetry book involving nature. The text contains twelve entries, "Welcome to the Night; Snail at Moonrise; Love Poems of the Primrose Moth; Dark Emperor; Oak after Dark; Night-Spider's Advance; I am a Baby Porcupette; Cricket Speaks; The Mushrooms Come; Ballad of the Wandering Eft; Bat Wraps Up; Moon's Lament." The text ends with a glossary. There are many poetic forms found in this book such as verse, concrete, lyrical and rhymes. Each poem's format is easy to follow and is accompanied with interesting information on the poem's subject. The print illustrations are full of detail and give the reader a front row view of a nighttime creature's world . Allen's illustrations are stunning and provide life to the poems. Teachers will appreciate the science element and this gives the opportunity to provide fun and engaging poetry breaks!

Excerpt:

"I Am a Baby Porcupette"

I am a baby porcupette.
My paws are small; my nose is wet.
And as I nurse against my mom,
we mew and coo a soft duet.

I am a baby porcupette.
I cannot climb up branches yet.
While Mom sleeps in the trees, I curl
beneath a log till sun has set.

I am a baby porcupette.
I nibble in the nighttime wet:
a sprig of leaves, a tuft of grass,
in hidden spots I won't forget.

I am a baby porcupette.
My fur is soft; my eyes are jet.
But I can deal with any threat:
I raise my quills
and pirouette.

Introducing the Poem:

I really like the science element in this poem! I would use a porcupette puppet or even a flannel board to re-tell this poem to children. I would ask children to draw a porcupette and as a group create a habitat similar to the poem's for their porcupette to live in. Another activity would be to have children journal a poem about an animal that they have observed in the zoo or one they live with (cat, dog, hamster, bird, etc.).

Hopkins Award Poetry: Jazz

Citation:

Myers, W.D. (2006). Jazz. New York, NY: Holiday House. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. ISBN: 0823415457.



Review:

Myers presents a wonderfully illustrated book on the journey of "Jazz". The text includes an introduction, fifteen poems, glossary of jazz terms and a jazz time line. Each poem's format is easy to follow and the combination of word play with the colorful illustrations make this book a fun read! The reader will find the glossary of jazz terms very helpful while reading the poems because one is able to understand the terminology used. The illustrations compliment the accompanying poem and help bring the poem to life. Teachers will appreciate the historical information about jazz throughout the text. Children will enjoy the rhythm that each poem reflects and appreciate how music can be brought to life through poetry. Fun book!

Excerpt:

"Bass"

Thum, thum, thum, and
thumming
I feel the ocean rhythm
coming
Thum, thum, thum, and
thumming
I feel the midnight passion humming.

Introducing the Poem:

This poem has wonderful rhythm and I would have children mimic the rhythm using different musical instruments (drums, tamborines, and rubberbands). This will allow children to experiment with a poem's rhythm using musical instruments, thus understanding how music can be used to accompany and bring life to a poem.

Performance Poetry: Poetry Out Loud

Citation:

Rubin, R.A. (Ed.). (1993). Poetry out loud. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. ISBN: 1565120302.



Review:

This book contains over ninety poems from various poets. The poems are put into seven categories, "Poems of Love and Wreckage; Light Verse and Poems that Tell Stories; Poems of Animals and the Natural World; Poems of Contradiction and Opposition; Poems of Vision; Poems of Alienation; Art, Poetry, and the Making Thereof." The end of the text contains an index on the poems, first lines and authors. The poetic formats found in this book are limericks, ballads, raps, verse, sonnets, satires and free verse. Any reader will find some favorites in this book. An interesting note...each poem has an accompanying entry that will assist the reader on their body language while reading the poem aloud. You will also find historical information regarding the poetic form and subject matter.

Excerpt:

"The Sniffle"
By Ogden Nash

In spite of her sniffle,
Isabel's chiffle.
Some girls with a sniffle
Would be weepy and tiffle;
They would look awful,
Like a rained-on waffle,
But Isabel's chiffle
In spite of her sniffle.
Her nose is more red
With a cold in her head,
But then, to be sure,
Her eyes are bluer.
Some girls with a sniffle,
Their tempers are uffle,
But when Isabel's snivelly
She's snivelly civilly,
And when she is snuffly
She's perfectly luffly.

Introducing the Poem:

I chose this poem due to the vocabulary and rhyming elements. I would read this poem to the students demonstrating the appropriate body language. I would have the students look up the rhyming words and then have each row say a verse back to me demonstrating the approriate body language. I am hoping to achieve a "wave" response from each row. Another activity would be to have the students identify the tumbling format that was used in this poem and identify the correct use of pauses for the listener to comprehend the humor element.

Biographical Poetry: The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano

Citation:

Engle, M. (2006). The poet slave of cuba: a biography of juan francisco manzano. New York, NY: Henry Holt. Illustrator: Sean Qualls. ISBN: 9780805077063.

Review:

Engle presents an emotional poetic verse biography of a Cuban slave named Juan Francisco Manzano. Readers will become engaged in Juan's story and feel empathy for the cruelty he experienced as a slave. Readers will also admire Juan's ability to find comfort in poetry during his life experiences...both positive and negative. Engle's character presentation allows the reader to connect with the story and one is able to distinguish each character by the rhythm of the verses. A moving story and the illustrations help the reader to visualize the story. The end of the book contains an historical note so the readers will be able to read more about Juan Francisco Manzano. Engaging book and recommended for older teens.

Excerpt:

"Juan"

These rhymes are mine
mine alone
never memorized
or copied
in any way

Rhymes about
soaring in spirit
a spark imprisoned
bursting it bonds
of clay

Rhymes about feeling delight
wrapped in love
alive
and able
to pray

Introducing the Poem:

This is a great example of showing teens how creating individual rhymes about feelings can be written in a poetic form. I would instruct students to journal a rhyme from their feelings and share with the others if so desired. I would also inquire if students could share any other examples of rhymes that were motivated by emotion. This will help students explore rhymes, rhythms and poetry!

Social Studies Poetry: I Never Saw Another Butterfly

Citation:

Volavkava, Hana. (1978). I never saw another butterfly: children's drawings and poems from Terezín concentration camp 1942-1944. New York, NY: Schocken Books. ISBN: 0805205985.

Review:

This is a book that contains drawings and poems from the children of the Terezín Concentration Camp during the years of 1942-1944. The poems give the reader a first hand observation of experiencing the Holocaust through the eyes of the children victims. While the poems and drawings are expressive about the human atrocities they witness and experienced, I found a delicate beauty present when some of the poems focused on the beauty of nature from a child's perspective. The book finishes with acknowledging the poets and illustrators by giving the reader a brief synopsis of their lives. Unfortunately many of these children perished in the Holocaust and due to this subject matter I would only recommend this book for older teens. This book would be a great addition for a social studies curriculum in an educational setting and should be made available in both public and school libraries.

Excerpt:

"The Butterfly"

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone...

Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world goodbye.

For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto
But I found my people here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut candles in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
In the ghetto.

Introducing the Poem:

This was a very captivating poem and was selected due to the artistic tones and subject matter. I would instruct students (high school) to listen to the word and reflect in their journals what they feel the author's message was. Also this is a good way to have students journal about any hardships they may have experienced due to their religious beliefs, ethnicity, economic status, etc. Another great activity would be to have students write their feelings in a poetic shape of a butterfly.

Science Poetry: The Tree that Time Built

Citation:

Hoberman, M, & Winston, L. (2009). The tree that time built: a celebration of nature, science, and imagination. Napperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. Illustrations by Barbara Fortin. ISBN: 9781402225178.

Review:

Hoberman and Winston created a wonderful anthology inspired by the works of Charles Darwin. The poems in this text are spread out into nine sections that compliment nature and science. These sections are titled, "Oh, Fields of Wonder, The Sea is Our Mother, Prehistoric Praise, Think Like a Tree, Meditations of a Tortoise, Some Primal Termite, Everything that Lives Wants to Fly, I am the Family Face and Hurt No Living Thing." The poems that are included display many poetic form such as verse, concrete, shape, haiku, etc. The poems presented have good rhythm and rhyming. Some poems have accompanying footnotes that provide additional insight on the subject and creator of the poem. The book also includes a glossary, short biographies of the poets and a CD where you are given the opportunity to hear some of the poems read aloud. This book was an engaging fast read and would compliment science curriculums in an educational setting.




Excerpt:

"Frog"

Pollywiggle Wet skin
Pollywog Cold blood
Tadpole Squats in
Bullfrog Mucky mud
Leaps on Leaps on
Long legs Long legs
Jug-o-rum Jug-o-rum
Jelly eggs Jelly eggs
Sticky tongue Laid in
Trick flies Wet bog...
Spied by Pollywiggle
Flicker eyes Pollywog.


Introducing the Poem:
This poem has wonderful rhythm and really helps to reinforce the frog species for a science lesson. I would have children close their eyes and visualize the words of the poem. In addition, I would instruct the children to draw what they visualized in their journals.

2011 Poetry Book: "Hurricane Dancers"

Citation:

Engle, M. (2011). Hurricane dancers: the first Caribbean pirate shipwreck. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN: 9780805092400.


Review:

Margarita Engle wrote a very high quality tale of a Spanish pirate named Bernardo de Talavera, his slave named Quebrado and a hostage named Alonso de Ojeda. All three were left to swim for shore when a hurricane destroyed their ship. The slave, Quebrado, was a very smart young man who spoke two languages (Taino and Spanish) and this knowledge ultimatly helped to save his life when he found a Ciboney Indian tribe on this new found island. The pirate, Bernardo de Talavera, and his hostage, Alonso de Ojeda, were not so fortunate because they did not speak nor understand the language of the island natives. Ultimately, Quebrado decides the fate of these two men by warning the island natives about the dangers these two men pose. Quebrado befriends a Ciboney fisherman named Narido and is captivated by the beauty of a young Ciboney woman named Caucubu. The story takes some twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged. Engle did a good presentation of poetic free verse for each of her characters and the reader will be able to recognize the tone and rhythm of each character while reading their verses. An interesting aspect of the story is the historical setting which is sure to attract history enthusiasts of any age. Great book and compelling story that should be in every library’s collection!

Excerpt:

"Quebrado"

The hurricane
falls silent.

We step out of the cave,
and find masses
of writhing sea things
that look like snakes,
moons, flowers
and stars....

The Woman of the Wind
taught all these creatures
how to fly.

What will the hurricane
teach me?

Introducing the Poem:

This is a great poem to introduce children to the power of mother nature and how one can turn a weather event into poetic form. I would ask children to journal a weather event they experienced or viewed on a television and write a short poetic verse reflecting the power of such an event.

Verse Novel: "Love that Dog"

Citation:

Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0060292873

Review:

This is a wonderful story of a boy named Jack who is very reluctant to write poems in a journal for class. With much encouragement from his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, Jack begins to make poetic connections with real-life experiences. When Jack listens to Ms. Stretchberry read poems by Walter Dean Myers, his attempts at writing poetry take on new life and begin to shine in his journal. Especially touching was the experience Jack wrote about his dog named Sky. Creech is able to connect with readers by presenting Jack's story in short free-verse poetry which will keep the reader engaged during Jack's story and he or she might even shed a tear. The book's format is easy to follow and Jack's journal entries are dated which gives the reader a sense of timeline that is beneficial to the story. Creech concludes her book with a short segment featuring the poems Jack's teacher read throughout the story. A must have book for anyone who may have a reluctant reader and for boys in general.

Excerpt:

"OCTOBER 24"

Blue car, blue car, shining bright
in the darkness of the night:
who could see you speeding by
like a comet in the sky?

I could see you in the night,
blue car, blue car, shining bright.
I could see you speeding by
like a comet in the sky.

Introducing the poem:
I picked this poem because I really like how Jack took another poem's rhythm and proceeded to write the above excerpt in the "beat-beat-beating" rhythm. I would discuss and read poems of specfic rhythms and have children attempt to write or re-write one of their poems in a specific rhythm. This will be a great way to introduce how poetic rhythms can really add a new twist to the words of a poem.

Poetic Form: "THE CUCKOO’S HAIKU"

Citation:

Rosen, M. (2009). The cuckoo's haiku: and other birding poems. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick. Illustrated by Stan Fellows. ISBN: 9780763630492

Review:

Rosen presents wonderful haiku and other poems for more than twenty American birds. The book's layout is easy to follow and is written in three seasons (spring, summer and autumn). The illustrations are beautifully done in water color and bring a burst of color to the accompanying haiku. Readers will enjoy the vibrant colors on each of the bird's pages. Rosen adds insightful information in cursive about the pictured bird which also includes the bird's song. Each bird's song is written so that the reader will understand the rhythm and repetition of the song, which is an added benefit for the reader. The text ends with a directory of each bird that was pictured and facts about their heritage, life, eating habits, etc. This is a great book and will be a prized entry into any library's collection!


Excerpt:

"European Starling"

masking the daylight
one wheeling black star explodes
thousands of starlings


Introducing the Poem:

This is a nice poem to use to introduce children to how animal migration can be written in a poetic form. I would encourage children to write in their journals about certain animals they only see during specific seasons and then use this information and write a poem.

Poetry Book Review: "Florian Poetry"

Citation:

Florian, Douglas. Dinothesaurus: prehistoric poems and paintings. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009. ISBN:978-1-4169-7978-4




Review:

Florian presents a wonderfully-illustrated conventional rhyming poetry book about eighteen dinosaurs and the prehistoric world they live in. The illustrations are made from a variety of water colors, collage, stencils and gouache that are promising to the eye. Children will enjoy Florian's combination of wordplay, rhyming and humor throughout the text. There is an added educational element throughout the text since the author included each dinosaur's name pronunciation, brief description of the dinosaur and an informative glossary that will keep science teachers and science enthusiasts smiling. This is a fun rhyming poetry book and is sure to keep the reader engaged to the very end!

Excerpt:

"Stegoceras"
steg-OSS-er-us (roof horn)

Thick head. Brick head. Hard head, too.
Round head. Mound head. Odd head, you.
Bone head. Stone head. Head like a dome.
Bash head. Smash head. Then head home.

Introducing the poem:

I would introduce this poem to school-age children so they can see how one specific anatomy part of a dinosaur, animal, mammal, reptile, etc. could be used to make a rhyming poem. I would also encourage students to use a thesaurus to enrich the vocabulary portion of their poem.

Poetry Book Review: "NCTE Award Poetry"

Citation:

Cullinan, Bernice. A jar of tiny stars: poems by ncte award-winning poets. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong Boyds Mills Press, 1996. Illustrations by Andi MacLeod. Portraits by Marc Nadel. ISBN: 978-1-5639-7087-0



Review:

This is an award-winning poetry anthology book containing works from David McCord, Aileen Fisher, Karla Kuskin, Myra Cohn Livingston, Eve Merriam, John Ciardi, Lilian Moore, Arnold Adoff, Valerie Worth and Barbara Esbensen. Each of the selected poets was nominated by the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English Award) and their poems were chosen by more than 3,000 school children across the United States. Only five poems were selected for each poet and displayed in black and white texts with accompanying black and white illustrations. The poems' topics included animals, feelings, insects, food, an important historical figure, weather and objects. Each of the poems was easy to understand and the verse text format was easy to follow. Many poems provided humor, good rhythm and repetition to the reader that would make one want to say them out loud! The readers will value the brief biography of the poets in the back of the book but more so the individual quotes each poet shared about poetry before you read his or her works. This is a very kid-friendly poetry book and should be in every classroom!

Excerpt:

"The Meal" by Karla Kuskin

Timothy Tompkins had turnips and tea.
The turnips were tiny.
He ate at least three.
And then, for dessert,
He had onions and ice.
He liked that so much
That he ordered it twice.
He had two cups of ketchup,
A prune, and a pickle.
"Delicious," said Timothy.
"Well worth a nickle."
He folded his napkin
And hastened to add,
"It's one of the loveliest breakfasts I've had."

Introducing to Poem:

This is a wonderful poem to introduce children to rhyme, rhythm, repetition and vocabulary! I feel that children will be drawn to the humor and rhythm of this poem. I would expect this poem to encourage children to sing or chant and enlighten them to use their imaginations when writing poems.

Poetry Book Review: "Multicultural Poetry"

Citation:

Mora, Pat. Dizzy in your eyes: poems about love. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010. ISBN:978-0-375-84375-4

Review:

Mora presents a wonderful collection of poems that focus on the life experiences of teenagers, i.e. crushes, love, breakups, divorces, etc. Mora's poems are written in many poetic forms such as free verse, blank verse, sonnets, haiku, letter and pantoum form to name a few. Each poem has an introduction of the type of poetic form on the previous page for the reader. This is a nice touch especially for beginner poetry readers to understand the different poetic forms and how to read the poem in the appropriate rhythm. The text format and language was easy to follow throughout the book due to each poem's introduction. The reader will be able to connect with many of the poems since they relate to life experiences.

Excerpt:

"Dumped"

I can't believe you dumped me.
For months, I felt so happy inside.
What a catastrophe!
Now I feel ugly and just want to hide.

All those months, I felt so happy inside.
Was everything you said untrue?
Now I just want to hide
and try to forget I loved you. Still do.
I ache at the mean rumors I've heard.

"Let's just be friends." Haunting words.
Me, a lump you dumped, casually.
How I ache at the rumors I've heard.
My heart broke, my private catastrophe.

Introducing the poem:

I feel this is a great example of a pantoum poem to teenagers who can relate to the realism of how happy and difficult romantic relationships can be. For example, I would ask the class after introducing them to this poem to journal an experience of having a crush or romantic relationship and then demonstrate how the journal entry could be put into a pantoum, sonnet or letter poetry.

Poetry Book Review: "African American Poetry"

Citation:
Hughes, Langston. My people. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009. Illustrator: Charles R. Smith Jr. ISBN: 978-1-4169-3540-7

Review:

This book is a short poem written by Langston Hughes honoring African Americans. The poem is accompanied by photographs. These photographs accented the text and gave a perfect visual of how to connect Langston's poem with nature and black people.

Excerpt:

"My People"

The night
is
beautiful,
so
the
faces
of
my
people.
The stars
are
beautiful,
so
the
eyes
of
my
people.
Beautiful,
also,
is the
sun.
Beautiful,
also,
are
the
souls
of
my
people.

Introducing the Poem:
The above poem is an excellent beginning for talking to older children about how poetry can be used to beautifully describe one's heritage and how photographs instead of drawings can accompany text.

Poetry Book Review: "Hopkins Collection"

Citation:

Bennett, L, & Hall, M. 2009. City I love. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN:978-0-8109-8327-4

Review:

This story is about a dog who is traveling around the world and is sharing poetic observations with the reader. Beautifully written and illustrated, the reader will be able to connect with the vibrant pictures and the text format is easy to follow. Featuring landmarks such as New York, Paris, London, Washington DC and Egypt, readers will be able to relate to the poetry connection Bennett is presenting.

Excerpt:

"City Lights"

Blazing lights
flicker
flash
glitter
gleam
twinkle
sparkle
bedazzle
beam

so

brilliantly
bright.

Reasons
why
city
stays
awake
all
night.

Introducing the Poem:

The above excerpt is a wonderful tool to show children how to visualize poetry to places they have visited. I would discuss traveling, landmarks, modes of travel and cultures with the children so they will be able to understand how poetry can be used to explain their adventures.

Poetry Book Review: "School Poetry"

Citation:

Koertge,Ron. The Brimstone Journals. 1st ed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2001. ISBN:0-7636-1302-9


Review:

Koertge presented a well-written free-verse poetry novel that details the lives of fifteen high school students, who are in the Branston High School class of 2001. Each student shares excerpts of their lives and the many problems that they face such as peer pressure, depression, eating disorders, violence and drugs. For example, one student named Boyd is very hostile to the majority of his fellow peers and decides to make a "hit list". Readers will find this novel engaging and will want to keep reading to find out the conclusion. The text format is easy to follow and Koertge's writing will allow the reader to easily visualize the story while reading.

Excerpt:

"Boyd"

We make plans, we download from that
super secret website, we draw diagrams,
or go on a weapons recon, and Mike just
get calmer.

Not me. I keep both my fists in my pockets
and nod. Otherwise my voice, my hands,
everything shakes.

Then I look at the list: everybody who
ever blew me off, flipped me off,
or pissed me off.

So I shake a little. It'll be worth it.

Introducing the Poem:

I would use the above excerpt to open a discussion about violence to teenage readers. I would want the students to further evaulate and discuss what they feel the excerpt meant to them, i.e. what do they think is happening or going to happen.

New Requirement for my Blog

As of today 01/25/11 my blog will be used to post poetry book reviews as required by the Children and YA Poetry (LS5663) class I am taking this semester at Texas Woman's University.