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.