Module 6 Poetry by Kids: Salting the Ocean

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2000. Salting the Ocean. Ill by: Ashley Bryan. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN-10: 0688161936 ISBN-13: 978-0688161934.

Salting the Ocean is an anthology of 100 poems collected over 25 years by Naomi Shibab Nye while she was a visiting writer working with students in schools. They are written by students from grades one through twelve and have never before been published. How fun to read topics about cabbage, a foot, trees, nana, mountain, feelings, and more.

Naomi Shibab Nye began working with students in 1974 after she graduated from college. Her workshops began in Texas, but soon spanned the United States. This anthology of poems is a few (100) from her collection over the years. This book is divided up in four sections: “My Shadow is an Ant’s Night” with thirty-two poems about The Self and The Inner World, “Think How Many Stories Are in Your Shirt” with twenty poems about Where We Live, “My Grandma Squashes Roaches with Her Hand” with twenty-three poems about Anybody’s Family, and “Silence Is like a Tractor Moving the Whole World” ending with the last twenty-five poems about The Wide Imagination. These poems cover a broad spectrum of topics from family, growing, our bodies, friends, ethnicity, nature, trucks, and more. These poets expressed themselves in a variety of poetic formats speaking from the hearts of the authors. Children have a wonderful way of putting feelings into perspective and nonsense. This could be a collection of poems written by your own students, family or friends. Nye also includes a note about the poems, an introduction about how she got started, a section for teachers, librarians, parents, and other friends on how to use this book, and to the poets of this book. There is also a section for further readings on writing and poetry. Ashley Bryan, a Coretta Scott King Honor recipient, illustrated this book with colorful pictures, which added to the theme of children’s work. His pictures complement the poems. Tempera paints were used for the full-color art. The text type is Horley O.S.

How to Grow Up

1. Take yourself and go to sleep like Sleeping Beauty.
2. Sleep for 3 to 6 years.
3. When you wake up check your age.
If it isn’t right go to sleep again.
If you can’t go to sleep try this.
1. Take a growing pill made of sassafras and bullwinkle mixed together with beetle juice.
2. Buy the pill at the Children’s Dream Shop. It costs $15 for one pill.
3. After taking the pill sit in a very large chair.
With the age you want to be painted on,
put your pinkies in your eyes
and count to 1000 by halves.
Wait an hour and I think
you will be the age
you want
to be.
If not nothing will help.
(Alison Sagebiel, pgs. 8-9)

I would use this anthology of poems to show how poetry can be connected to students’ lives. Using their own feelings, likes, hobbies, sports, music, family, etc., words through poetry can be powerful ways to make personal connection. "How to Grow Up" is a perfect example to show students what other students' poetry writing looks like. The examples of poetry from students, just like them, should help inspire them to write poetry also. At the end of the school year, students will choose a poem which they have written that they would like to have included in the school poetry anthology book. This book will be included in the library as examples of poetry written by past students to encourage future poets. Reading the poems written by their own peers will provide inspiration and confidence in their endeavors as poets.

Module 6 Janeczko Collection: Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets

Janeczko, Paul B. 2002. Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, Inc. ISBN-10: 076362909X ISBN-13: 978-0763629090

Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets is just what the title says. Paul B. Janeczko has compiled advice and teaching inspirations from 32 poets, who write for children and young adults. Who better to inspire budding poets than the experts themselves with strategies, advice and experience? Get out your pencils, pens, recorder, journals, whatever you need to begin having fun with words.

Kristine O’Connell George’s poem “The Blue Between” pg. 37 about the blue between the clouds is the title of this book. Thirty two poets have given valuable insight on how to write poems. Some of the other renowned poets are Joesph Bruchac, Nikki Grimes, Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian, Georgia Heard, Janet Wong. Twenty-five others bring their own styles, ethnicity, humor, and experiences for inspiring and promoting young adults on their journey in poetry writing. I like the way that the poets begin each of their advice, for example, “Seeing Your Poetry”, “Dear Poet”, “To My Dear Writing Friends” and more. This sets the tone for the student in feeling that the poet is speaking directly to them, which they really are. This book is a must for all libraries and language arts classrooms, because of the many wonderful lessons, experiences and advice provided for inspiring future poets. As I was sitting on my back porch enjoying the birds, I was inspired from the encouragement of the poets to try my hand on a poem in my journal. Paul B. Janeczko's anthology of poets sharing their writing styles should be a required book when teaching poetry. This book would be best suited for 5th graders through adults. The book is typeset in Giovanni and Stone Sans.

Letter to a Young Poet

Love words,
play with them,
find the meanings of those you don’t know.
Learn to recognize
descriptive words,
active words,
evocative words,
reflective words—
all manner of words
for all manner of purposes.
Decide whether you like to write in rhyme
or in other forms.
Experiment,
invent words,
invent forms,
harness ideas,
fish for images,
and metaphors.
Express your ideas
in words and forms
that suit you.
Find your own voice
even if it takes hard work
and many hours.
Traveling to a poem
is a journey to be enjoyed.

P.S. I meant to start with this but decided to finish with it: Read other poets’ poems, learn from them, and delight in them.
(Michael Dugan, pgs. 14-15)

This poem is a great teaching tool without explanation from the librarian/teacher. I would have this poem displayed in the library or classroom and provide each student with a copy to use as a guide for writing their own poems. I love how the poem starts with “love words”. Michael Dugan encourages poetry writers to make a list of words they want to use and experiment with them. His advice at the end of the letter is also perfect for future poetry writers. I would use this letter as a starting place when beginning our poetry writing and introduce a variety of poems that depict his advice by showing how to invent words, express ideas, etc. His use of descriptive words provides a visual in the students mind on how words can be used. “Invent words”, “harness ideas” and “fish for images” are great ways for students to see how words can provide the magic through their own poetry expressions.

Module 6 Poetry & Fiction: Zoo Doings and A Sick Day for Amos McGee (2011 Caldecott Medal winner)

Prelutsky, Jack.1983.Ill. Paul O. Zelinsky. Zoo Doings. New York, N.Y.: Greenwillow Books. ISBN-10: 0688017827 ISBN-13: 978-0688017828














Stead, Philip C. 2010. Ill. Erin E. Stead. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. New York, N.Y.: Roaring Book Press. ISBN-10: 9781596434028 ISBN-13: 978-1-59643-402-8

Zoo Doings is a collection of animal poems from Jack Prelutsky. There are several favorite poems from prior books including The Pack Rat and 45 more incredibly outrageous, funny animals. Prelutsky’s wit and Paul O. Zelinsky’s drawings will have you entertained and laughing.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a wonderful, feel-good book about the friendships between the zoo keeper and the animals. Amos McGee takes care of the animals every day at the zoo, but one day he gets sick and is not able to be there. His animal friends decide to take the bus and go to Amos’ house to take care of him. This is a truly inspirational book on caring and how friends look out for each other.

Zoo Doings is a compilation of poems from three of Jack Prelutsky’s earlier works. This book was published in 1983 and is still a delight to read. His poems are timeless and should be used again and again. Children ages 3 through 12 will be able to appreciate the rhymes, wit and outrageous antics through these poems. Prelutsky’s gift of rhyming words, fun topics and connecting with children will have them visiting the animals as if at the zoo. Paul O. Zelinsky’s use of line drawings captures the animals in a cartoon effect that children will enjoy. This book is out of print, but if you are able to find it be sure to snatch it up for your library, because it is delight to read.

The Owl

The owl is wary, the owl is wise.
He knows all the names of the stars
in the skies.
He hoots and he toots and he lives
by his wits,
But mostly he sits…and he sits…and he sits.
(Jack Perlutsky, pg. 49)

Pairing Zoo Doings with A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a perfect combination of collaboration between fiction and poetry with first through fourth grades. A Sick Day for Amos McGee will set the tone for the zoo animals and zoo keeper. This book is perfect for talking about relationships with friends that don’t always have to be humans. Using the poems from Zoo Doings will introduce the students to how poetry can be fun with its rhyming and funny use of words. These poems need to be read out loud so that the students can hear the rhyming words. To help students with writing their poems, I would like to have them create a poem using words from poems in Zoo Doings. Using the words from the poem The Owl, I will demonstrate how using the words from this poem, we will be able to make a different poem. The words from several of the poems in Zoo Doings will be printed and handed to students to be cut out and used in creating their poem. The poem can then be glued into their journals, onto construction paper with pictures added to complement the poem or however they would like to use their poem. The words could be mounted on magnetic tape and the students could use them over and over in creating poems. Once they have created their poems, they will share them with the class by reading them out loud. Using their drawings, puppets, making their poem into a rap, or just straight reading will be very enjoyable for all who hear their poetry.

Module 5 Sidman Poetry: Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors

Sidman, Joyce. 2009. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN-10: 9780547014944 ISBN-13: 978-0547014944

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors is a festival of colors dancing through the four seasons. Starting in Spring and flowing Summer, Fall, to Winter the colors come alive through these wonderful poems. In spring Green is new, summer Yellow melts, fall Orange flickers, and winter Brown sways shyly is just a sample of how the colors will speak to you. This book of poems is a Caldecott Honor book for 2010.

Oh, to find a book that is a pleasure to read from beginning to end is a gift of talent and that is what Joyce Sidman has given us in this wonderful book of twenty-seven poems. The book begins with spring and continues through the seasons in a cycle that comes full circle. Even though the reading level is ages 4-8 this is a book to be enjoyed by all ages. You will capture the emotions of sight, sounds, smells, joy, anticipation and peace with your poetic walk through a year of colors. Sidman uses personification in allowing us to feel the colors, for examples, “In spring, White sounds like storms”, pg. 5 or “Red splashes fall trees”, pg.17. By Joyce Sidman using this type of personification, you will be able to visualize all the colors and experience the emotions that accompany each season. I was enamored with the narrator’s wearing the crowns of royalty including the animals. The crown symbolized the beauty of nature around us. The highlighting of the color words draws attention to the colors on the pages. Pamela Zagarenski’s artistic talent is a pleasure for the eyes. She captured and complemented Sidman’s poems by turning the pictures into works of art. I loved the red bird in nearly each picture. These pictures need to be study because there are many hidden pictures and words that heighten the meaning of the poems. This is the second collaboration with Joyce Sidman and I believe they make the perfect team. Zagarenski’s illustrations are mixed media paintings on wood and computer illustration. The text of this book is set in Oldbook ITC. Thanks Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski for this beautiful book of poems.

Fall

Orange ripens in
full, heavy moons,
thick with pulp and seed.
Orange flickers,
all smoke and candles.
Orange eyes.
Orange cheeks.
Orange teeth.
(Sidman, pp. 20)

This book is a wonderful source of colors and seasons. Red, Green, Yellow, White, Blue, Pink, Purple, Turquoise, Azure, Cerulean, Brown, Black, Gray and Orange are the colors mentioned. For kindergarten students learning their colors, this book with its poems and beautiful pictures, allows the teachers to expose the students to a variety of color sources. The pictures are great for asking the students to come up, find the color mentioned by pointing to it and then finding the color in the classroom. This book could also be used in the outdoor learning center for color recognition and discussion of the seasons. Children will be able to find the colors in everything around them. Kindergarten students would love to rhyme poems using the colors. They could use simple words like red, bed, head, blue, shoe, etc. and make their own poems. I have had kindergarten students tell me a story that I wrote down for them and then they illustrated it. The same concept can be used here and their poems and illustrations could then be posted outside the room titled “Kindergarten Poetry Wall of Fame” or the name of the class (Stars, etc.) As mentioned above, the poems are perfect for discussing the seasons and present the opportunity to revisit this book all year. This book represents a perfect media for learning colors, seasons and being exposed to poetry.

Module 5 Hopkins Award Poetry: Jazz

Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. Jazz. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday House, Inc. ISBN-10: 0-8234-1545-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-8234-1545-8

Jazz is a salute to the music, history, and the artists of this wonderful style of music. The fifteen poems and excellent pictures will have you ready to go to New Orleans and participate in some Jazz. Put on some Louis Armstrong or Billie Holliday, turn down the lights and enjoy the music while reading to the rhythms of Jazz that inspired this book of poems. This book will be a welcome addition to your library.

Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher Myers have once again collaborated with Walter’s poems and Christopher’s pictures in bringing us this informational history of the world of jazz. The book opens with an introduction, which provides the reader with a definition of jazz, what the music is like (melody and rhythm), from where it originated (African and European), and how it has evolved throughout the years to the present. The first poem, Jazz, which is also the title of the book, describes the music, its origin and the ways it has had an impact on the world through gospel, working, victory, defeat, but always through from the heart and soul whatever emotion being felt. Walter Dean Myers brings the different styles of jazz to life, through his poems, with heart and soul showing us ragtime, swing, be-bop, and fusion. Children will love learning about this style of music and will appreciate the rhythms and the beats of the poems. It will encourage them to tap their toes, snap their fingers or maybe learn how to play the trumpet. The poems need to be read after the understanding of where this type of music came from and then you need to listen to the music to fully appreciate the history being told through these poems. The book ends with a timeline of the jazz era from the beginning to the present. Christopher Myers’ pictures truly capture the emotion and feel of these poems. Louie, Louie (pp. 5-6) brought immediate memories of his great trumpet playing and his singing style. The pictures were created by painting black ink on acetate and placing it over acrylic. The fonts are Clarendon Rough and Pablo.

Jazz
Start with rhythm
Start with the heart
Drumming in tongues
Along the Nile
A black man’s drum
Speaks
Love
Start with
the Heart
Work songs
Gospel
Triumph
Despair
Voices
Lifted
From the soul
(Myers, pp. 3-4)

First, I believe it is important to review the introduction that Walter Dean Myers provides at the beginning of the book so students will have a basic understanding of the history that inspired these poems. Listening to some jazz will also prepare the students for feeling the rhythm and beats associated with jazz music. This is an opportunity for teaching about line breaks and why they are placed in a poem. These poems should be read out loud by the librarian modeling line breaks and then students who feel comfortable reading also. The students will be able to feel the rhythm of the poems by using the techniques of line breaks. It might also inspire readers to sing the poems, tap a beat, rap the poem or whatever inspires them.

Module 5 Performance Poetry: Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and other School Poems for Two Voices

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and other School Poems for Two Voices. Ill. by: Jessie Hartland. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN-10: 9780763631741 ISBN-13: 978-0763631741

The title alone, Messing Around on the Monkey Bars, brings memories of school and recess. This book of school time poetry will make you smile with subjects on homework, new kid, librarian, and more. This book is for reading out loud with partners. Be prepared to have fun!

Betsy Franco has written some very fun poems to be read using two voices. She provides an author’s note at the beginning, explaining how the lines are outlined for each reader’s voice. Voice 1 speaks lines that look like this, Voice 2 speaks lines that look like this, and Both voices speak lines that look like this, at the same time. This is such a great idea and very helpful for the students to know exactly what they are going to read without having to think about it. Reading out loud can be stressful sometimes but with the lines already designated takes the stress of remembering away allowing the students to concentrate on their performance. Not only will the students enjoy performing these poems out loud but it will be fun with partners, dividing the class into two groups or however they want to will allow for creativity. The use of rhyming and rhythm encourages anyone who is reading them to want to jump, hop, sing, and rap these poems. The poems also allow for adding new words. For example, New Kid at School pg. 10 could easily be read over and over adding each student’s name for the new kid. Animal Reports pg. 14 can be adapted with different animals which will encourage the students to find words that rhyme with the new animal names. Franco has provided many opportunities for reading, learning poetry and having fun with this book. There should be several copies available in the library or the classroom library to encourage reading these poems together out loud. Betsy Franco provides her ideas for Adventurous Ways To Read The Poems at the back of the book.
Jessie Hartland captured the essence of a school environment in her drawings. They look like students drew the pictures. The drawings are colorful and fun.

Jump Rope Jingle

Come on in.
I’ll jump with you.
It’s double fun
to jump with two.

Jump, jump,
spin around.
Jump, jump,
slap the ground.

Turn to the east.
Turn to the west.
Choose the one
you like the best.

Jump, jump,
A, B,
C.

Jump, jump,
1, 2,
3.

Turn in circles.
Keep the beat.
Feel the rhythm
in your feet!
(Franco, pp. 28-29)

Poetry doesn’t always have to rhyme and this needs to be reinforced because when thinking about a poem usually we associate rhyming. Jump Rope Jingle is a fun, interactive poem that is read using two voices individually and then together. Have the poem printed on poster board, chart paper, or the overhead with the voices delineated by different colors and numbers. Color codes will be Red and 1 for the first voice, Blue and 2 for the second voice, and Green and 3 for the combined voice. This will allow the students reading to know when it is their turn. I would give each student a color card that coincides with the color on the poem which will also reinforce helping to remember their part. Once the students are comfortable with this poem then it will be fun to change words or add new jingles.

Module 4 Social Studies Poetry: Lady Liberty: A Biography

Rappaport, Doreen. 2008. Lady Liberty: A Biography. Ill. by Matt Taveres. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN-10: 9780763625306 ISBN-13: 978-0763625306

Lady Liberty is the story of how the Statue of Liberty came to be. This book is told in poems from the viewpoint of the people involved, beginning with the idea to the final product. It is a story of a gift of friendship between nations. Young and old will enjoy hearing the story of the Statue of Liberty. God Bless America!

Doreen Rappaport begins this book by taking about her grandfather leaving his home to come to America and how he felt when seeing the Statue of Liberty after his long ocean voyage in seeking a new life. She provides a look at New York City today and ends the story with thoughts from immigrants when seeing the Statue of Liberty. Auguste Barhtholdi, the sculptor, tells about his vision of the statue and how Lady Liberty will be compared to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.(2008) The story continues with Maire Simon - Bartholdi’s assistant, Gustave Eiffel - structural engineer, Emma Lazarus - poet, Charles P. Stone - construction supervisor, Joseph Pulitzer - publisher, New York World, Florence De Foreest - a child willing to sell her roosters to help raise money for the statue, José Martí - journalist and poet, each telling the part they played in bringing Lady Liberty to America. Doreen Rappaport truly captured the essence of this wonderful piece of history through the short poems that flow through the spoken words, in first person, by the key players of the Statue of Liberty. Reading this book will allow students to hear it from the person’s view point, rather than reading out of a history book. Rappaport also includes Statue of Liberty Dimensions, important events from 1865 to 1986, more books to read about the Statue of Liberty and an official website of the State of Liberty. Matt Taveres rounds this book out with his wonderful pictures that capture the feel of the time frame of the 1800’s. This is an excellent historic book to be enjoyed by all ages.

Poem Excerpt

The flag falls.
Lady Liberty is visible in all her glory.
Cheering and shouting rip the air.
Roaring cannons, belching foghorns,
drumrolls, trumpet flourishes.
Arise, ye sons of France, to glory...
O say can you see...

Every part of her shouts freedom.
In one hand she holds a tablet,
engraved with July 4, 1776.
In her other hand she holds a torch.
These flames do not destroy.
Mon Americaine does not conquer with weapons.
True liberty triumphs through Truth and Justice and Law.

She wears a flowing robe
like the ancient goddess Libertas.
Her right foot is raised.
Liberty walks.
Freedom never stands still.
A broken shackle and chain lie near her feet.
America broke the links of slavery
to fulfill its promise of equality for all.
(Excerpt from Lady Liberty: A Biography)

This book of history and poems can be a great collaboration tool for combining research about great moments in American history. The students can research an historic event or current events and utilizing their research, they will compose a poem to complement the event. I feel that the students should be able to choose whatever type of poem they feel will heighten their work. Poems will be displayed on a wall of fame. This would also be a wonderful presentation at a PTA meeting or for the school, with the students performing the roles of the characters of this book and this historic event.

Module 4 Science Poetry: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Ill. Douglas Florian. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN-10: 9780152053727 ISBN-13:978-0152053727

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars is another great example of Douglas Florian’s love of science told through poems. The poems are fun, the information educational and accurate, and the pictures are amazing. Space is a mystery and children will love the poems, while exploring the universe.

Science is a subject that is sometimes overlooked. Douglas Florian’s books on science are wonderful ways to include science with language arts. The poetry in his books are fun to read with rhyming words that sometimes makes you want to sing his poems. It is obvious that he does the research and includes correct terminology. Pluto for example was changed from a planet to a dwarf planet and Florian truly captured this change in his poem, which when read, has a rap beat to it. Florian is also the artist and his unique way of adding words, hidden pictures, cutouts and color combinations to the pictures encourage children to want to look and read over and over again. This is a great way of learning facts and having fun reading with poetry. At the end he includes a Galactic Glossary of information on each aspect of space in this book and selected bibliography and further readings. He also includes an excellent website for NASA. I loved this book and wanted to include all the poems but I guess you will just have to read the book, which I feel you will do, more than once. Enjoy!

This book was also a bluebonnet nominee in 2008-09

Jupiter

Jupiter’s jumbo,
Gigantic,
Immense.
So wide
Side to side,
Bus gaseous, not dense.
With some sixteen moons
It’s plainly prolific---
So super-dupiter
Jupiterrific!
(Excerpt from: Comet, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings, pg. 28-29)

This book will be a great addition to a unit on the Solar System. How fun it will be to have the children write an acrostic poem using the planet names, the moon, the universe, black holes, comets, star, meteors, or galaxies. Creating a Solar System in the hall for all the school to see, the poems will be displayed to show how science and language arts can be

Module 4 Biographical Poetry: The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano

Engle, Margarita. (2006) The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Ill. Sean Qualls. New York: Henry, Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN-10: 978080507763 ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7706-3

The Poet Slave of Cuba is based on the autobiographical notes of Cuban poet Juan Francisco Manzano, born a slave in 1797. Margarita Engel was haunted by Juan’s story and felt compelled to tell the story, as only a poet would want his story told - by another poet in verse form. This story is about childhood slavery expressed with the brutal truth of Juan’s suffering and his survival.

Slavery! Slavery is usually associated with African-Americans; however, there is and has been slavery in every culture. This story is a depiction of just one of those cultures. Slavery of a child – brutal, descriptive, repulsive and heart wrenching. Juan was born a slave and was taken by his wealthy slave owner to be her pet. He was shown off as a prized poodle, required to call her mama (although he had a mother) and was made to perform for her friends. Juan was a very intelligent boy who could memorize and recite what he had heard. He would recite stories and poems for his owner and her friends. Upon the death of his mistress, he became the property of an owner, who was much crueler, and who subjected Juan to beatings and starvation. His talents of his story telling helped him to survive. This story begins at age 6 and ends when he was finally able to escape at 16. Margarita Engle has taken Juan’s story and together with his voice tells us about himself, his mother, the cruel owners, the white boy who tried to help and Juan’s amazing strength to survive the unspeakable cruelty that a child should never have to experience. This story is told in verse displaying Margarita Engle’s strength in storytelling. Sean Qualls’ black and white pictures captured the expressions of the suffering Juan was experiencing. There is also a brief historical note at the end of the book. This book is for older readers, due to the content on child abuse.

Juan

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

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

Rhymes about feeling delight
wrapped in love
alive
and able
to pray
(Excerpt from The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, p. 64)

This book will be great to partner with Social Studies on slavery. It would also work well having students read the characters out loud for poetry performance.

Module 3 Verse Novel: Love That Dog

Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. (2001) Read by Scott Wolf. HarperCollins Publishers, New York. ISBN-10: 0-06-085278-X ISBN-13: 978-0-06-085278-8

Poetry! What boy enjoys writing poetry? Love That Dog is about a boy and his dog who, through some careful coaching from Miss Stretchberry, his teacher, finds out that through words he does have something to say. Sharon Creech’s novel of free-verse-poetry is a wonderful introduction to this look into a boy’s changing journey of himself.

I chose to listen to this book on CD performed by Scott Wolf who is also an actor. Wolf’s boyish voice truly captured Jack in this novel. His portrayal of Jack’s character allowed the book to come alive. You were able to sense Jack’s insecurities in his beginning attempts of poetry writing. This book was written in journal format which is great for students today, since journaling is really encouraged. This gives the student, whether listening to the novel on CD or reading the book, the opportunity to experience the journal format. Using free verse avoids the use of regular meter and is less ridged than typical rhyming poetry, but allows for the use of varied line length and no rhyme pattern. This allows the reader to see the difference in verse poetry, compared to the more traditional rhyming poems. Students will love listening to this book, but I recommend that they also read the novel. Sharon Creech also makes the book come alive by having the word small written really small and the word large written larger in the text for an example. My Yellow Dog by Jack on page 37 is in the shape of a dog with the words making the dog shape. There is also added sniffsniffsniff of the dogs nose. This is a wonderful depiction of how students can be creative while having fun with their writing. The added poems by William Carlos Williams, William Blake, Valerie Worth, Jack Frost, Arnold Adoff, S. G. Rigg and Walter Dean Myers give the reader a variety of poets to enjoy. Walter Dean Myers’ poem “Love That Boy” inspires Jack to write his poem “Love That Dog” about his dog that was hit by a car. This poem inspires Jack to write to the poet asking him to come to their school. The questioning that Jack does throughout the book should encourage children to realize that it is okay to question, which leads to understanding and confidence. Great book for teaching free verse poetry and inspiring children to understand it is okay to write about experiences whether they are sad, funny, scary, etc. and that asking questions is the way to find out answers. The story ends with Walter Dean Myers coming to Jacks school. I loved this book!

Love That Dog

Love that dog,
Like a bird loves to fly
I said I love that dog
Like a bird loves to fly
Love to call him in the morning
Love to call him
“Hey there, Sky!”
(Creech, pg. 86)

I enjoyed listening to this book on CD. I would like to have a class set of Love That Dog and have the students follow along as Scott Wolf performs this story. Before listening, I will go over the differences of rhyming and verse poetry. After they have listened to the book, while following along in their books, which will take a couple of days, we can then discuss the book and verse poetry. I would then ask them to think about something that has happened in their lives - good, bad, funny - and write a verse poem about their experience. They can chose to make it a shape poem, put it on colored paper, whatever, and then post them in the room. I would also like for them to choose a poet who is their favorite and write a letter to them. This will be a good extension activity that can incorporate research of the poet and journaling. The students will present their letters if they receive an answer, or present the research of the poet even if they don’t receive a response. This will also allow them to journal in their poetry journals. I like that this will be an ongoing activity that the students can work on independently as we move on to other areas of study.

If you enjoyed Love That Dog, then don’t miss Sharon Creech’s verse novel, Hate That Cat.

Module 3: Poetic Form - The Cuckoo's Haiku

Rosen, Michael J. 2009. The Cuckoo’s Haiku. Ill. by: Stan Fellows. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN -10: 0763630497 ISBN-13: 978-0763630492

The Cuckoo’s Haiku is a beautiful book about twenty four different North American birds, complemented by a haiku poem. If you weren’t a bird lover before, be prepared to look at them with a keen appreciation. The beautifully written poems that accompany each bird are truly the essence of haiku poetry. You will love the watercolor pictures while enjoying the poems. A calming read and beautiful book to be enjoyed by young and old.

Michael Rosen has taken his love of nature and created a work of art through his haiku poems. There is nothing more calming than sitting on the back porch and bird watching. The imagery, through Rosen’s and Fellows’ eyes of the beauty that birds represent, is captured in these pages of wonder. The book begins in spring with the Eastern Bluebird and ends in winter with the Purple Finch. There are twenty four birds showcased in this book enhanced by the beautiful watercolor pictures of each one by Stan Fellows. Michael Rosen includes the name and a short description of the birds. His poems truly capture the essence of the birds allowing you the reader to have the imagery that he saw, complemented by the pictures as if you were there watching and enjoying the beauty of nature with him. They both have brought the birds we know to us in an inspirational and vibrant way. Haiku has always been difficult for me, but after reading these beautiful poems I have a renewed appreciation for them. I know that this book should be read, displayed and enjoyed by all ages. A treasure for years to come!

Pileated Woodpecker

woodpecker knocks-knocks. . .

riddled with the same question

trees yawn, answering
(Rosen, pgs. 27-28)

I would do this book for each season, starting with fall, since that is the beginning of school and revisiting each season as the year progresses. This is a great book for combining poetry with nature. This also is a wonderful way of teaching imagery, which is sometimes hard for younger students to comprehend. As a lover of nature, I would include a unit on birds with the lesson on haiku poems. This is a wonderful opportunity to show how easy it is to write haiku using nature. Taking our journals we would visit the outdoor learning center and watch for birds or other forms of nature. The students could also draw the birds or have their poems on the shape of birds. This will allow the students to include nature in their writings. This is an opportunity to continue this lesson all year, while building on their competency in writing haiku poems with success.

Module 3: 2011 Poetry Book - Hear My Prayer

Here is a booktrailer for Lee Bennett Hopkins Hear My Prayer.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. (2011). Hear My Prayer.Ill. Gretchen “Gigi” Moore. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zonderkidz. ISBN-10: 0310718112 ISBN-13: 978-0310718116

Module 2: Florian Poetry – Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings

Florian, Douglas. 2009. Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 1416979786 ISBN-13: 978-1416979784

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, and Dinosaurs! Eighteen to be exact with some you will recognize, like Tyrannosaurus Rex and some you might not know, like Giganotosaurus. Become the paleontologist, a dinosaur expert, and discover dinosaurs like you have never seen them before - with factual information - while reading entertaining poetry.

Douglas Florian has done it again with his pleasurable, engaging writing and illustrator’s talent in this book about dinosaurs. Dinothesaurus offers poems that are fun to read using several different rhyming schemes that should definitely be experienced by reading aloud; however it can also be enjoyed through silent readings. The first poem is about the beginning of dinosaurs, the next eighteen covers different types of dinosaurs, while the last poem is the extinction of the dinosaur era. Florian also included a Glossarysaurus at the back of the book with scientific information on each dinosaur featured in this book. Dinosaur Museums and Fossil Sites are also added at the end, with websites that are good for looking up added information and places to go and see some dinosaur specimens. Be sure to check out Dinosaur National Monument’s website. www.nps.gov/dino Children will enjoy the poems while learning factual information about a species that is always entertaining and sometimes scary, exclusively in a new way through poetry.

Douglas Florian must have had a good time illustrating his book by combining extinct dinosaurs with present day, adding a variety of pictures like a cell phone, iPod, computers, museum building, clothing, newspapers and more. The illustrations for this book were done with gonache, collage, colored pencils, stencils, dinosaur dust, and rubber stamps on printed brown paper bags.

Tyrannosaurus rex
Ty-ran-oh-SAW-rus REX (king of tyrant lizards)

Some forty feet long.
Some fourteen feet tall.
Its back limbs were strong.
Its front limbs were small.
Its eyesight was keen.
Its hunger voracious.
This creature was seen.
In times called Cretaceous.
Its jaws were horrific.
Its profile distinct.
I find it terrific
That it’s T-rex-tinct.
(Florian, pgs. 14-15)

Dinothesaurus offers the perfect pairing of poetry awareness with science. The children will enjoy having fun reading about dinosaurs while learning facts about these interesting extinct animals. There are enough dinosaurs for each letter of the alphabet. I would have the students work in groups of two and pull two letters from a hat. After writing poems with their chosen letters they will then use Florian’s style of artistic illustrations to make dinosaur poem posters to display in our room and around the school. They will also include factual information to tie into the science study. Additionally, we will have a dinosaur alphabet book to add to our classroom library and to share with other classes.

Module 2: Multicultural Poetry - Yum! ¡MmMm! Qué rico! Americas’ Sproutings

Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum!¡MmMm! Qué rico! Americas’ Sproutings Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee and Low Books Inc. ISBN-10: 141697986 ISBN-13: 978-1-58430-271-1

Yum!¡MmMm! Qué rico means mmmm delicious in Spanish and who better to introduce us to her first collection of fourteen haiku mouthwatering poems than Pat Mora. She is celebrating the Americas’ native foods. Americas’ sproutings blueberry, chile, chocolate and eleven more foods will have your tummy rumbling for more. Disfrutelo! (Enjoy It!)

Pat Mora’s collection of haiku poems introduces us to the foods that are native to the Americas. Alphabetically you will enjoy blueberries to vanilla with the description of the food on the left-hand page and the poem on the right hand page. The poems, paired with Rafael Lopez’s colorful pictures are a pleasure to devour. The beginning of the book includes a map of the Americas and ends with Mora offering the reader some of her thoughts on writing haiku poems, which are seventeen-syllable poems of Japanese origin, and some comments on the native foods. The rhythm of these poems can be felt from clapping them out and reading them out loud. Pat Mora shows this by offering a fun activity using fast-clapping or jump-rope rhyme with the foods from the book. It is always a pleasure reading her books and I really like how she includes words in Spanish.

Blueberries, cranberries, pricky pear fiesta,
Tomatoes, chile, corn; spicy, spicy sals.
Lime for papaya, cream for pumpkin, butter for potato.
Yum! Vanilla! Peanuts! Chocolate. ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico!
(Mora, pg. 30)

Rafael Lopez draws from his rich cultural heritage growing up in Mexico City and being surrounded by the infusion of colors. The colors burst off the pages while absorbing the reader into the pictures with the expressions and natural Hispanic heritage of the people, birds, insects, reptiles and history we all share as Americans from Canada to South America. The illustrations are rendered in acrylic on wood panels. The text is set in Egyptian 505 and Mex Regular.


Vanilla

Quick! Lick white river
running down the cone cooling
your warm summer laugh.
(Mora, pg. 29)

A great book for introducing haiku poems to younger children. Haiku has three non-rhyming lines which is sometimes hard for children to understand. This is why using foods was a great way to visualize how these poems work. After discussing the foods, reading the poems, counting the seventeen-syllables, I would like for the children to take turns choosing a topic and together building some haiku poems that we can add to our anthology books as a class. Then as an added treat, make some coffee can ice cream using natural vanilla bean.

Module 2: NCTE Award Poetry - Another Jar of Tiny Stars

Cullinan, Bernice E. and Deborah Wooten, (Ed.) (2009) Another Tiny Jar of Stars. Portraits by Marc Nadel. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press. ISBN-10: 1-59078-726-9 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-726-7

Another Jar of Tiny Stars is the expanded edition of the popular anthology, A Jar of Tiny Stars published in 1995. This edition includes the original 10 winners of NCTE Award-Winning Poets (National Council of Teachers of English), their poems, the 5 newest winners and their poems. The poems featured in this book and the prior one were selected by children voting on their favorite poems by the featured authors. What a wonderful honor to be selected by children!











This is the emblem that depicts the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Established in 1977 to honor a living American poet for his/her work with children ages 3-13. The award stemmed from the tragic death of Bernice E. Cullinan’s son Jonathan Paul Cullinan. The boy in the tree on the emblem is in honor of him. Karla Kuskin, poet, illustrator, and NCTE award winner in 1980, designed the emblem in 1977 for NCTE. This anthology began as a research project where Cullinan polled 3,500 children to rank their favorite poems by the 10 award winning poets. In 1977 David McCord received the first award. In 1978 - Aileen Fisher, 1979 - Karla Kuskin, 1980 - Myra Chon Livingston, 1981 - Eve Merriam, 1982 - John Ciardi, 1985 - Lilian Moore, 1988 - Arnold Adoff, 1991 - Valerie Worth, 1994 - Barbara Esbensen are the first 10 award recipients and in this sequel there have been 5 more winning poets included starting with 1997 - Eloise Greenfield, 2000 - X.J. Kennedy, 2003 - Mary Ann Hoberman, 2006 - Nikki Grimes and 2009 - Lee Bennett Hopkins. Bernice E. Cullinan and Deborah Wooten , editors, have taken the beloved anthology A Tiny Jar of Stars and created an updated expanded anthology sequel, Another Tiny Jar of Stars, which will be just as loved as the first one. A black and white portrait by Marc Nadel of each poet is accompanied with a personal quote followed by their selected poems. This anthology is a nice addition to any library, especially since children voted on the selections. These are poems that children will understand and enjoy. Since there are no pictures accompanying the poems it allows the reader and listener to use their imagination.
The text of this book is set in 13-point Adobe Caslon. The portraits are done in watercolor washes.


To Catch a Firefly

If you catch a firefly
and keep it in a jar,
You may find that
you have lost
A tiny star.

If you let it go then,
back into the night,
You may see it
once again
Star bright.
(Moore, pg. 50)

I would ask the children close their eyes and use their imagination while listening to this poem. I would remind them that each person will see their own pictures in their minds and will see it differently than their classmates. After reading it the first time we would discuss whether anyone knew what a firefly was and then explain to the ones who did not know by showing a picture. I would expand this discussion by asking how they are able to produce light at night. Then we could tie this into a science lesson. I would then re-read the poem to allow everyone to have the example of what a firefly is. We would then discuss what an anthology is and how they could start their own anthology of poems by copying ones that were their favorites and then including their own poetry. I would then pass out a large piece of paper and ask them to copy the poem and then illustrate it however they would like with their own artwork. These will look great displayed in our room, library and around the school.

"NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children." National Council of Teachers of English - Homepage. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. http://www.ncte.org/awards/poetry

Module 1: African American Poetry - Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat

Giovanni, Nikki (ed). HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. Ill. by Kristen Balouch, Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, and Damian Ward. Naperville, Ill.:Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky. ISBN: 9781402210488

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat is a diverse collection of 51 poems by African-American artists. The book includes a CD with 30 poems performed by most of the poets and well- known artists, such as Nikki Giovanni, Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, and Sugarhill gang to just name a few.

Nikki Giovanni starts this book with an introduction that tells the story of hip hop. To fully understand how the poems use rhythm and rhyme the introduction should be read to the students so they will understand how the languages (slang) of people changed throughout the years. Dig it, Be cool or Whassup, Dawg all represent eras related to music in our history. These poems communicate the many voices of African-American history spanning the beginning to present. Nikki Giovanni has compiled an amazing variety of poems that children will have fun listening to. The CD is a treasure of poets and artists performing their work. This is a wonderful complement to the poems and there is nothing like hearing the artist perform his or her own work to truly hear the passion or significance that the poem reveals. There are six illustrators who collaborated on this book. Kristen Balouch, Michele Noisets, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, Damian Ward, and Caroline “Olivia” Wolf brought their many talents together to bring the heart and soul of these pictures to life. Colorful, fun, serious, heartfelt laughter, hope and dance complete and represent the significance of the poems. The back of the book offers a section on About the Editor and Advisors, About the Illustrators, and About the Contributors. Nikki Giovanni did an outstanding job not only with the book, but in all the extras which makes this book a reference book as well. This is a must book to have in your library, classroom library, listening center and at home.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

They call me
the show stopper the dime dropper
the spin-move-to-the-left
reverse jam poppa.
The high flier
on the high wire.
The intense rim-rattlin’
noise
amplifier.

The net-shaker
back board break
creator
of the funk dunk
hip-shaker.
The Man
Sir Slam
The Legend
I be.

That’s just a few of the names they call me.
(Charles R. Smith, Jr., 24)

This poem is fun, has a beat and is about sports. Children know a lot about sports and enjoy playing games. Hip Hop Speaks to Children poetry book comes with a CD of several of the poems read by the author. This is a great way to introduce the poem by having the students listen to it being performed by the poet. After listening to the poem, we will discuss who Charles R. Smith Jr. is and why he chose to write this type of poem. This will lead to the class discussion about sports and athletes. Now we are ready to write a poetry response - “The poem made me feel …, Images I thought of…, and Words I liked.” Using their knowledge of sports, what they like, or who they like, will work on a poem for their poetry journal. It can be as a rap or not but I want them to have fun with this.

Module 1: Hopkins Collection - City I Love

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. City I Love. Ill by Marcellus Hall. New York, NY: Abrams for Young Readers in Association with the Field Museum, 2009. Print. ISBN-10: 0810983273 ISBN-13: 978-0-8109-8327-4

City I Love is a delightful collection of poems that explores cities from around the globe. The inside cover features a map of the world with the cities that you will visit through each poem, which are marked for you on the map. Put your traveling shoes on, grab your map and explore cities you might know and ones you don’t through poetry. Have fun!

Eighteen poems about urban cities will take you on an adventure that begins in New York City and progresses around the world. The dog with his backpack will be your tour guide on this trip. Be sure to look for the blue bird in every picture with the dog. Children will feel the sensory images that the pictures inspire, which are colorful and fun. You will experience tall buildings, hear the sounds of the taxis, be jostled on the subway, feel the heat of the sun on the beach, walk waist deep in snow, learn about diverse populations and experience the life that cities emanate. Lee Bennett Hopkins has taken his memories of cities and partnered with illustrator Marcellus Hall and his wonderful pictures. They have created a book to enjoy for ages 4-8, but I also feel that adults will enjoy just as much. Each poem is easy and fun to read.

City Summer

It is so hot.

So hot.

So very hot
even
the fiery
orange-red
sun
wears
a
sweatband
on
this sultry
heat-filled
summer
day.
(Hopkins, 14)

This book of poems is a wonderful way to bring poetry and geography today. I would read each poem aloud and have the students listen. Then the students will brainstorm on chart paper, as a group, what they know about cities. Let the students, 2nd graders for example, take turns reading the poems aloud to the class, then see if they have any other memories to add to the chart. The students will then chose a city they know or one they would like to visit and write a poem about it. Using the world map, globes, and atlases the students will be able to add the name of the city, state, country and continent. We will add this poem to their poetry journals. Later, they could also make a poster to display their poem and city with geographical information.

Module 1: School Poetry - The Brimstone Journals

Koertge, Ron. 2001. The Brimstone Journals. Ill. by: Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN-10: 0763617423 ISBN-13: 978-0763617424

The book is narrated by 15 high school seniors. Looking through the teenager’s eyes you will experience a small perspective of the cruel veracity of what teens are struggling with today. These teens allow you to experience some of the harsh realities of choices they are making and others that they did not chose to deal with on a day to day basis. This verse novel is a quick read and hard to put down once you start.

Your narrators include Boyd, Sheila, Damon, Kitty, Meredith, Joseph, Tran, Allison, Rob, Carter, Neesha, Jennifer, Lester, Kelli and David. They will share sexuality, guns, sexual abuse, guns, anger, guns, racism, guns, anorexia, guns, bullying, guns, God, lesbianism, guns, jocks, guns, addiction, guns and neglectful parents. The violence is apparent as you walk through and experience their lives. The students renamed the school from Branston High School to Brimstone High School – I can surely see why.

Ron Koertge said that the voices woke him in the middle of the night and it only took him three weeks to write the first draft. (Koertge, 2001) He truly has captured the heart wrenching feelings of these young adults. The characters are believable with the use of their language and emotions. You will be able to identify with some experiences from your high school days while being horrified, angry, frightened, laughing, saddened and hopeful with these readings.

Lester

I’m about half sick to my stomach all
the time because I’m scared.

Those jocks come down the hall like
a tidal wave of muscle. On a good day
they only knock me into the wall once.

The time Damon smashed a Twinkie
in my face I went to the office and
ratted him out.

I could see Mr. Newman look at his
calendar and think, The game’s tomorrow
night.

But he said, “I’ll talk to him, Lester. We’ll
make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Next time it was a Ding Dong instead
of a Twinkie. Damon said if I opened
my big mouth, I was a goner.
(The Brimstone Journals, 36)

The Brimstone Journals deals with so many issues that plague our youth. This poem shows bullying! This has become a major issue in our schools and this poem is a great way of discussing steps to take when confronted with this issue. These poems are written in free verse and a great lead in for introducing free verse. I would have the students write a free verse poem about an experience they are having at school. This one should be included in their anthology that they are compiling throughout the year.

Welcome!

This blog was created for LS 5663 Poetry for Children and Young Adults at Texas Woman's University. I will be posting book reviews on a variety of children's and young adult poetry books. I am looking forward to reading these books and I hope you enjoy my reviews.