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!