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.