Poetry by Young Adult Writers

Franco, B. ed. (2001).  Things I have to tell you:  Poems and writing by teenage girls.  Ill. N. Nickles.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press.  ISBN 0-7636-1035-6.

Powerful images lay ready to invade the senses in Betsy Franco’s collection of writing by teenage girls ages 14-19.  In Betsy Franco’s preface, she states that in this collection of writing, “you will find the hope, disillusionment, anger, joy, sadness, and most of all, the strength of young women today” (p. xi). 

The last poem in the book express the joy and optimism found in many of the young writers:

            I know I am strong

               both in my convictions and in myself.

            I know I am beautiful

               both inside and out.

            I know I am powerful

               and growing more so.

            I know I will do just fine.

            Laura Veuve, age 15

However many more of the poems and essays express the difficulty of becoming a young woman now.  As an adult reader – a teacher, as well as a mother of two daughters who have struggled to grow up in a world where they were not always nurtured, I found myself saddened and frightened by some of the experiences these girls shared.  Experiences with boys, drugs, suicide attempts, body image, and friendships gone awry. 

Betsy Franco’s desire was that girls who had lived through many of the difficulties growing up could share  with others their struggles, their successes, their frustrations, and their joys so that they could help each other cope. The photos by Nina Nickles do a beautiful job of reflecting the everyday lives of teenage girls.  

The poems in this book may not be choices I would make in read-alouds to my classes, but they are a valuable resource for students who are growing up in a time and a place where it can be hard becoming a woman.  The writings will hopefully empower young women to become who they know they can become.

Franco has a matching book for boys You Hear Me?  Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys that includes

70 writings by 50 young men. 

Teachers and media specialists may want to be prepared to defend these choices being on their library shelves.  The topics and the language are raw and uncensored.  The potential exists for parental challenge.  However, this is how teens are feeling and the writings reflect their concerns.  I believe that teens deserve access to the thoughts of those who are like they are.  Together, young men and women can help each other navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence. 

Paul B. Janeczko

Janeczko, P. B. ed. (2005).  A kick in the head.  Ill. C. Raschka.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press. ISBN 0-7636-0662-6.

On the flap of the dust jacket is this acrostic poem which describes the contents of the book perfectly:

            P lease

            O pen this book for something

            E xtraordinary.

            T wenty-nine poetic forms await you

I nside these pages.  How many

C an you master?

            F rom sonnets to double dactyls,

            O des to limericks –

            R aschka and Janeczko (and a frisky mule)

            M ake learning the rules of poetry

            S o much fun!

And that is exactly what this book is – a book of 29 poetic forms, defined and demonstrated by poems from numerous famous poets.  The forms include well-known forms such as couplet, haiku, cinquains, and limericks to lesser known types of poems such as Persona, Aubade, Pantoum, and Villanelle.  Poets include classic poets such as Ogden Nash and Shakespeare as well as contemporary children’s poets such as Kristine O’Connell, X. J. Kennedy, J. Patrick Lewis, Gary Soto and Alice Schertle.

So readers will find pages that name the poetic form in the corner, the poem in the middle of the page, and the definition at the bottom in smaller print similar to this:

Senryu

         First day, new school year,

         backpack harbors a fossil . . .

         last June’s cheese sandwich.

         Kristine O’Connell George

           

                       A senryu follows the same pattern as a haiku –

                               three lines of 5-7-5 syllables – but it is about

                               human nature rather than about the natural world

                               around us.

Gathered by anthologist and poet Paul Janeczko, the poems are follow the rules of the form, but are accessible to young readers who will enjoy the topics and the watercolor, ink and torn paper illustrations.  Older readers will enjoy the clear definitions of the poetic form on each page which will encourage them to analyze the poems for their adherence to (or departure from) the form’s rules.  The older readers will also appreciate the small drawings accompanying the name of each form which cleverly illustrates something about the definition.  Creating their own poetry book of forms will be a natural next step for many writers.  This would be a fun project in a writing workshop environment. 

There is a “Notes on the Forms”  section at the back with further information about each form.  This book has become part of my high school classroom library and joins the collection for my poetry-sharing with my creative writing students.  Language Arts teachers of all ages of students will find this volume to be a wonderful addition to their poetry collection.  

E-Book Poetry

Vardell, S. and Wong, J.  (2011).  Poetry Tag.  Ill. R. Arnold.  E-book by PoetryTagTime.com.  ASIN B004ULVK1I.

It’s recess, or after school (or in the store or in church – any place with a long expanse of hallway or large, open space seems to suffice), and Corbyn, my six-year-old is instantly trying to start a game of Tag.  He steals up on one of his friends and with a (hopefully) gentle jab says, “Tag.  You’re It!” and off he runs.  Tag seems to be an irresistible game for younger children. 

Capitalizing on this perennially favorite game, Poetry Tag plays tag with famous children’s poets, making the poetry a game which is fast-paced and fun.  One at a time, the poets write a poem and then tag the next poet who is then IT.  The poem from the newly tagged poet had to connect in some way to the poem from the poet who tagged him or her.  The rules for the participating poets were simple:

1. share an unpublished poem within one day of being tagged
2. make the poems accessible to children ages 0-8
3. keep the lines of their poems short so that e-readers would not break the lines where unintended
4. explain how their poem connects to the previous poem

This e-book of poetry is so inventive, clever, and fun to read.  While the audience is technically 0-8, this book of poetry is fun for all ages, from young children to teens to adults.  The poetry is all excellent – 30 simple yet amazing poem.  However, reading each poem and seeing how each poet connects to the previous poems is in itself an amazing treat.  Some of the tags are poetry themselves for a delightful double-dose of poetry that day.

For example, Alice Schertle writes a Cinquain about wanting shade from the summer sun called “Sunquain” and then tags the next poet:

            Message to Lee Bennett Hopkins:

            Hi, Lee, you’re recruited,

            You’re summoned, caught, bagged.

            Greetings from Alice,

            Start writing.  You’re tagged.

Then Hopkins connects to Schertle’s poem by wondering what flowers might feel in a thunder storm as opposed to the sun.

            Summer Fear

            by Lee Bennett Hopkins

            Roses cower

            behind

            fence posts–

            Pansies

            crouch

            in a window box–

            Sunflowers cling

to the

back of a yew–

            The are

            afraid

            of

            thunder,

            too.

The Hopkins goes on to tag Betsy Franco, because “Franco-ly you’re so much fun.” 

My grandson enjoyed sitting with my iPad, which has the Kindle app, and reading through the poems.  The artwork is simple, yet wonderful.  Rich Arnold has captured the essence of each poem in colorful, graphic art.  But I would love to use this format to challenge my high school students to use other’s poetry as inspiration for their own poems.  The idea is to start the game with a discussion of the rules and then give them time in our writing workshop to draft poems.  Taking volunteers who are willing to turn in their drafts for possible use the next day, I can randomly select a poem, make sure it follows the rules, and use it the next day at the opening of the workshop.  Students then go to their writing with the challenge to write a poem that connects to the previous poem, turn in their drafts if they are willing to share one, and the game proceeds.  While it would not be a true “tag” since the previous poet does not select the next poet, the students nevertheless are able to try using others’ writing as inspiration for simple, short poems. And the pressure is non-existent as the poets are able to choose whether they want to turn in a poem each day or not.

The idea for the e-book came from Vardell’s blog from the year before in which she started the game.  The poets played tag through the month of April which is National Poetry Month.  She repeated the game the next year, and three e-books have been the result of the game.  Extremely affordable to download at $2.99 each, the three volumes contain poetry by the biggest names in children’s and young adult poetry.  If I could recommend a single Kindle download, it would be any (all!) of these three volumes.  Poems in your pocket are a wonderful thing to have! 

And remember, if you don’t have an actual Kindle, you don’t need one.  Download the Kindle app onto your smart phone, tablet, and/or computer.  I have access to my Kindle library on all three of my devices without owning a Kindle.

I not only suggest you purchase all three collections by Vardell and Wong, but that you check out Vardell’s blog, especially April of 2010 and 2011 when she played tag both of those years during National Poetry Month. 

A link to April 1, 2010 to get the ball rolling.

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2010/03/poetry-tag-j-patrick-lewis-is-it.html

The home page for Poetry Tag Time

http://poetrytagtime.com/Poetry_Tag_Time/Welcome.html

Let’s play tag!  Some of the most fun I've had with poetry!  

Lee Bennett Hopkins Award - Button Up!

Schertle, A.  (2009).  Button up! Wrinkled rhymes..  Ill. P. Mathers.  New York, NY:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  ISBN 978-0-15-205050-4.

What would your clothes say if they could talk?  In Alice Schertle’s Button Up: Wrinkled Rhymes, we find out what the clothes of young children would say.  Winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Poetry in 2010, Button Up personifies pieces of clothing from hats and shoes and bicycle helmets to swimsuits, jammies, and costumes.  Perfect for preschoolers and early elementary children, the sentiments of these pieces of clothing will be understandable and meaningful.  And don’t be surprised if after reading these poems, the young ones ask you what their undies are saying.

            Emily’s Undies

            We’re Emily’s undies

            with laces and bows.

Emily shows us

wherever she goes.

She doesn’t wear diapers,

not even to bed.

Now she wears undies

with ruffles instead.

We’re Emily’s undies,

fit for a queen,

the prettiest undies

that anyone’s seen,

and everyone’s seen

our laces and bows

because Emily shows us

wherever she goes.

The poems in this volume made me think about my own little girls – who are 28 and 29 now – and how excited and proud of their ruffly undies they were to the point of needing to show them to everyone.  So while the little ones will enjoy the rhyming, rhythmic poems, so will the moms and grandmothers who might read the poems to their children and grandchildren. 

Vocabulary in the poems will also provide some new experiences for young children.  Joshua’s jammies don’t fit penguins, bears, or tigers, but neither do they fit iguanas, gnus, or llamas.  The rhymes and rhythms are exceptionally pleasing to the ear, and the repetition of words and phrases provide predictable patterns for young readers.  Many of the poems, as illustrated above in Emily’s Undies begin and end with the same phrases.  After reviewing this book, I’m anxious to read it with Corbyn who is beginning to read fairly well now.  I believe he will find some success in decoding and comprehending the words on these pages by using the word patterns and the context of familiar objects and situations. 

The cover of this book also caught my attention.  From the cutest buttoned-up ostrich on the front to the butterflies that flitter from the front to the back cover, Petra Mathers’s illustrations complete the poems to perfection.  Button Up!  is a wonderful addition to any young children’s class or the collection of books parents have at home.  

Joyce Sidman - NCTE Award for Poetry for Children

Sidman, J.  (2007).  This is just to say:  Poems of apology and forgiveness.  Ill. P. Zagarensky.  New York, NY:  Houghton Mifflin.  ISBN 0-618-61680-2.

One of my favorite books of poetry this semester, This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness is so realistic in its fictional setting and characters that I almost needed to reread the introduction to make sure that it is the work of one author.  Sidman is the newest recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Poetry for Children.  This book demonstrates her creativity and a writing style that is engaging and entertaining while still using poetic language and introducing different poetic styles. 

Broken into two parts, the fictional students from Mrs. Merz’s sixth grade class write poems apologizing and asking for forgiveness in “Part 1 Apologies.”  Then as an afterthought, the students decided to seek responses to the original poems, and “Part 2 Responses” was created.  The poems in both parts pair with each other.  Students reading the book will find themselves flipping back to Part 1 while they read Part 2 in order to remind themselves of the content of the first poems as they read the responses.  The poems cover a variety of topics from apologizing to classmates, siblings, and parents; to feeling sad over the loss of pets and parents; to confessions of stealing the class lizard (which died) and rubbing the school’s namesake statue’s nose. 

Supposedly inspired by William Carlos Williams’s poem “This is Just to Say,” the students in Mrs. Merz’s class bare all, sometimes in a serious way, sometimes silly.  Sometimes sincere in their apologies, sometimes not so much.

Take the first and last stanzas of Thomas’s poem of apology to Mrs. Garcia in the office:

            This is Just to Say

            I have stolen

the jelly doughnuts

            that were in

            the teachers’ lounge

            . . . .

            too bad

            the powdered sugar

            spilled all over my shirt

            and gave me

            away

and Mrs. Garcia’s response back which ends:

            Dear Thomas

            Of course I forgive you.

            But I still have to call your mother.

The format of this book offers students who read it some great inspiration of their own in writing poetry.  Some different types of poems, such as haiku and pantoum are defined and demonstrated.  Students who owe someone an apology might be inspired to write that person a poem while being relieved to find in the book that the transgressions were long ago forgiven and forgotten by parents and teachers. 

Although this book of poetry is by a group of fictional sixth graders, the poems are fun, funny, serious, and sensitive, and students of all ages will be able to relate to the topics of the poems.  Who among us has not needed to apologize or respond to an apology?  This book is on my recommended list for my high school students who want to read poetry that is easily accessible, relevant, and enjoyable. 

Performance Poetry - Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Fleischman, P.  (1988).  Joyful noise:  Poems for two voices.  Ill. E. Beddows.  New York, NY:  Harper Trophy.  ISBN 0-06-021852-5.

This is the perfect volume of poetry for children who like to perform.  Filled with poems meant to be read aloud by two readers, Joyful Noise:  Poems for Two Voices offers a format that makes reading by two readers, or two groups of readers, easy and fun.  In a Note at the beginning of the book, Fleischman explains, “The following poems were written to be read aloud by two readers at once, one taking the left-hand part, the other taking the right-hand part.  The poems should be read from top to bottom, the two parts meshing as in a musical duet.  When both readers have lines at the same horizontal level, those lines are to be spoken simultaneously.” 

Some practice might be needed by the readers to get used to doing solo reading as well as simultaneous reading on the various lines.  These poems were definitely meant to be heard.  They have various rhyme schemes and rhythm patterns, and they have a delightful flow to them that makes them amazing to hear.  Students’ oral reading will benefit through the practice necessary to read them aloud so that those rhythm and rhyme patterns are evident.  But once they have it, they should feel a great sense of accomplishment in a performance well done.

The poems are told in first person by insect narrators.  Grasshoppers, Mayflies, Cicadas, Honeybees and others tell their stories through poetry that highlights a characteristic they are known for.  My favorite is “Book Lice” which starts like this:

            I was born in a

            fine old edition of Schiller

                                                            While I started life

                                                            In a private eye thriller

            We’re book lice                         We’re book lice

            who dwell                                  who dwell

in these dusty bookshelves.       In these dusty bookshelves.

Later I lodged in

Scott’s works – volume 50

                                                 While I passed my youth

                                                 in an Agatha Christie

We’re book lice                          We’re book lice

attached                                    attached

despite contrasting pasts.           despite contrasting pasts.

This pair continues to explain how they met and came to be mates – Mr. Book Lice on the left and Mrs. Book Lice on the right. 

Students might enjoy writing their own poems for two voices after reading these.  Along with being perfect for use in the English classroom, this volume of poetry would be a great addition to a speech or drama class for elementary students.  Costumes would enhance the fun.  Be sure to give students plenty of time to rehearse their lines separately and then together with their partners before performing the poems, then let the performances begin!  Science classes would also benefit from a creative presentation of information from the insect world.  Fleischman’s observations of the various characteristics of the insects in his poems create a great springboard for observing small creatures in the world around us. 

Although Joyful Noise:  Poems for Two Voices has been around for a while, the poems are not dated.  It won the 1989 Newbery Award for best children’s book and rightly so.  The writing is creative and truly poetic (not just rhyming word play), and the reading and performing is a good experience for upper elementary readers.

Poetry Across the Curriculum - Biographical

Bernier-Grand, C. T. (2007).  Frida:  Viva la vida!  Long live life!  Tarrytown, NY:  Marshall Cavendish.  ISBN 978-0-7614-5336-9.

I love art museums.  One of my ideas of a perfect day off is to head to any one of a dozen art museums in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and roam the rooms and rooms of paintings.  While not my favorite artist, one of the painters that fascinates me is Frida Kahlo.   Her work is known to almost everyone due to her numerous self-portraits.  However, I realized that I didn't know anything about her when I picked up this volume of poetry about her life and her work.  The book is a goldmine of information about Frida.  The poems, many accompanied by photos of her paintings, reflect the pain and turbulence Frida experienced throughout her life. 

Bernier-Grand writes the narrative poems describing Frida’s life from birth to death with such vividness in Frida’s first person voice that I had to double-check to make sure these poems were not written by Frida herself. 

            Hummingbird Wings

            I am a wounded hummingbird

            caged in my room for nine months

            with polio, crippling polio.

Her entire life was a tug-of-war between the pain and health issues she felt following polio and a crippling bus accident, and the joy she felt in life when married to her love, Diego Rivera.  Even when her marriage disintegrated after Diego’s affair with Frida’s younger sister, and through the 31 surgeries she endured due to her accident, Frida continued believing that life was worth living.  These poems and the accompanying paintings demonstrate the sadness and joys of her forty-seven years of life. 

The book also includes two photographs of Frida, a brief prose biography; a chronological list of events from her birth to her death, Diego’s death, and the opening of her Blue House as a museum; a glossary of the Spanish words used throughout the poetry; sources of information including books, movies, and web sites; notes; and acknowledgements.  Readers who already know something about the life of Frida Kahlo, as well as those who do not, will come away from reading this biographical book of poetry with rich insight into Frida’s life. 

A Pura Belpre Honor Book and an ALA Notable book, this volume would be an excellent addition to an art class, a history class, or an English class.  

Poetry Across the Curriculum - Science

Yolen, J. (2010).  An Egret’s Day.  Ill. J. Stemple.  Honesdale, PA:  Wordsong.  ISBN 978-1-59078-650-5.

I chose this book of poetry when I found it on our public library shelf because our community has an interesting history with egrets.  Some of it not very nice – roosting areas wiped out and then ordered to be restored, neighborhoods unhappy with egrets roosting near their houses and the city taking steps to run them out.  But my family enjoys watching one Great Egret that stands in a small neighborhood lake just up our street.  Beautiful and majestic, he stands to the side of the pond, seeming to survey the ducks and turtles and fish before him.  I thought my six-year-old grandson Corbyn would enjoy reading poetry about a bird we see regularly.  And this book of poetry provided exactly what we needed to learn about this stately inhabitant. 

Each two-page spread includes a poem, a paragraph that gives facts and information, and one or more photos demonstrating a particular characteristic of egrets .  The rhythm and rhyme of Yolen’s poems are great for younger students (like Corbyn), but are varied.  She includes a haiku, a limerick, and poems with multiple formats of stanzas and rhyme schemes.  The prose is informative and interesting and paired with the poetry covers topics such as hunting, preening, plumes, legs and feet, size, nesting, and roosting.  The vocabulary is easy to understand in context, but introduces many words specific to the egret such as “preening” and “roost” (different from “nests”) and “splayed feet.” 

Since my high school students also live in this same community where there has been some angst with the Great Egret, this book could help some of these Young Adult community members understand egrets better, perhaps helping them be part of a solution to the problem as they become part of the decision-making process in the near future.  Poems such as “Plumes” can help illustrate some of the problems egrets have sustained.

            Plumes

            Its plumes resemble Belgian lace

            That ladies wear most any place.

            However, plumes like these should stay –

            No matter what hat makers pay –

            Upon the shoulders of the egret.

            My take on this is hardly secret.

Yolen’s son, Jason Stemple, has captured the Great Egret in fascinating photographs showing the egret in many settings and poses.  Close-ups of tracks and feathers and beaks allow the reader to get a good look at this beauty who is usually only seen from a distance.

While I’ll be introducing this volume to high school students and talking about the current events surrounding the Great Egret in our community, this book would be a wonderful addition to elementary and middle school science libraries.  

Poetry Across the Curriculum - Social Studies

Myers, W. D. (2011).  We are America:  A tribute from the heart.  Ill. C. Myers.  New York, NY:  HarperCollins.  ISBN 978-0-06-052308-4.

"We Are America is one way I have of answering [my grandparents’] questions, my dreams of what this rich country is, was, and will continue to be . . . . in some way the beauty of this country is its open-endedness, the question mark of it.  Where other places in the world end in periods, neat packets of sealed identities, we end in possibilities. "

Thus begins the book We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart in the “Artist’s Note” on the front pages of the book.

Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher have crafted a book of poetry and illustrations that reflects the story of America – its bright hope for freedom, and a place where some dreams are realized while some are not.  In his “Author’s Note,” Walter Dean Myers states that after 9/11, his thoughts went to how he had taken his liberties and opportunities for granted.  “It was no longer enough just to exercise my right to criticize both our history and our present state.  I needed to take responsibility for that history, our present, and our future.”   The poems in this volume are his tribute to America.

This is a wonderful book of poetry by an African American author who is already well known by so many young adult readers.  Walter Dean Myers is perhaps most often known for his gritty young adult novels such as Monster and Slam.  But this volume of poetry, with illustrations by his son Christopher, is a beautiful book that reflects the history of America and the dreams that so many have had before and/or after coming to this country.  Africans and Native Americans are given voice in some of the poems as are immigrants who came to this land looking for the opportunities they had heard were abundant, and looking for a fulfillment of dreams that often were not realized.  However, all poems are respectful in their portrayal of America’s strengths and shortcomings. 

Myers’s poems are summarized in this poem found near the end of the book:

           

            We are America

            The land of the free

            Wealthy beyond belief

                        and not wealthy

            The land of equal opportunity

                        and not equal

            The land of justice

                        and injustice

Social Studies teachers from middle grades through high school could use the simple yet eloquent poems penned by the elder Myers in this book to explore how America has been seen as the land of opportunity, and how those dreams have come true for some, and not for others.  The diversity of the people who have called America home is beautifully illustrated in the younger Myers’s rich, colorful paintings that span America’s history from “Before there was America” to the present sky scrapers of our modern cities. 

Other features of this book of poetry include quotations from sources such as the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence as well as historical figures from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to Barbara Jordan at the Democratic National Convention in 1976.  Those quotes are elaborated upon at the end of the book.  “Art Notes” explain the illustrations and name the famous figures included in them such as Amelia Earhart, the John Hancock Building, and Greg Louganis.  The only criticism I have of the book would be that the “Art Notes” reference page numbers, but the pages aren’t actually  numbered.  So matching up the notes to the correct pages is a little frustrating. 

This book would be an excellent addition to any Social Studies class and is a great resource for taking a look at the history of America.  The poems would be a wonderful jumping-off place for looking at “The American Dream” and how it has been realized or fallen short.  Most students, especially minority students, will find themselves in these poems and the art that accompanies them.  This volume was not in my personal collection until I found it in my public library; however, Amazon has one on the way to me as I type.  I’m anxious to add it to my classroom library where my high school English students will have access to it, and where I can use it for writing prompts that are meaningful, personal, and relevant.

Recently Published Poetry - 2012

Florian, D.  (2012).  unBEElievables.  New York, NY:  Beach Land Books.  ISBN 978-1-4424-2652-8.

Dr. Sylvia Vardell, in her book Poetry Aloud Here:  Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library (2006, American Library Association) says, "This seems to be a golden age for publishing poetry for children, with more variety of poets and poetry formats than ever."  This particular volume of poetry published last year by Douglas Florian falls into one of my favorite categories - trade books.

Trade books are books written for children that can be used in their content classes – math, science, social studies, art, etc.  The books help present information in interesting, eye-catching ways.  I’ve been using trade books with my students for years.  However, a new genre for me in trade books is poetry.

Douglas Florian has written an amazing book that is all about honeybees in his book unBEElievables.  The poems are short, they rhyme, and they have easy-to-follow rhythms which makes them fun to read.  The topics of the poems cover everything students might find interesting about bees, and the paintings by Florian provide eye-catching, complex images for exploring.  But what a unique feature of this book that I personally love is the fact that each poem is paired with a prose paragraph that gives additional facts and information about the topic covered in the poem. 

I can see using Florian’s book with a wide range of ages.  While the poems and text are easy enough to be understood by my six-year-old (who loves Bee Movie and would already have some background in what bees are like and what they do), I can envision using it with my middle or high school students when we use a multi-page piece from a science article about bees that covers all the same topics as the poems.  The poetry would be great for helping the older reader visualize what is being talked about in the article.

I would introduce the book by using the poem “Bee Anatomy”:

            Lovely legs,

            Lovely hue.

            Lovely long

            Antennae, too.

            Lovely eyes,

            Lovely wings.

            But ouch!

            How in the end

            It stings!

This poem is accompanied by a paragraph describing bee anatomy as well as a painting that has bee parts labeled.  Other poems could be used to help students understand important aspects of bees and what they do.  Poems include many topics such as:

            “Queen Bee”

            “Drone”

            “Worker Bees”

            “Honey”

            “Pollen”

            “Waggle Dance”

Altogether there are 14 poems, a “BEEbliography,” and web addresses for further reading.  Bright, colorful, and informational, this book should be able to find many uses in the science classrooms of elementary schools, and even those of secondary students.  Even though it has been labeled as being for ages 5-8, it will find a much wider appeal.

Verse Novels

Koertge, R.  (2003).  Shakespeare Bats Cleanup.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.  ISBN 0-7636-2116-1.

Koertge, R.  (2010).  Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.  ISBN 978-0-7636-4435-2.

Verse Novels – an interesting mix of poetry and story.  Verse novels tell one cohesive story through a series of poems, often free verse, which

I love verse novels.  In my October 8, 2012 post, I reviewed several verse novels that I had recently read and loved.   http://corbynscorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-verse-novel.html   Now I have the pleasure to visit this form of writing again.

Ron Koertge as written a pair of novels in verse that are about Kevin Boland, a high school boy known affectionately as Shakespeare by his high school baseball team where he is an MVP first baseman.  When Kevin isn’t busy winning baseball games for his team, he’s writing in his notebook which he began when he spent an extended time at home recuperating from mono and read his dad’s poetry books.   Kevin enjoys experimenting with different types of poems, and he’s an expert (he knows more about poetry than I do, and I teach high school English!)  Reading his story through Koertge’s free verse, and then getting to read Kevin’s sonnets, and Sestinas, haikus and pastorals is a real treat.  The second book in particular plays up the expertise that Kevin is gaining from meeting hanging out with Amy, another budding poet who shares his interest in writing.  As they share work back and forth, Kevin realizes much about life and love.  And his poems are great reads.

I have to wonder if I love these books BECAUSE I am an English teacher who loves poetry.  Would students enjoy them as much?  My next book talk with my classes is about poetry, and I will be seeing if I can get students to read one of these books.  I believe that my secondary students will enjoy these books as well.  I will introduce Kevin by reading the second poem in Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, which tells about Kevin being sick.

                                    In Bed

            Being sick is like taking a trip, isn’t it?

            Going to another country, sort of.

            A country nobody wants to visit.

            A country names Fevertown.

            Or Virusburg.  Or Germ Corners.

            The border guards are blum-looking,

            with runny noses and pasty skin.  Their

            uniforms don’t fit and flap open in the

            back so you can see their big, ugly butts.

            Nobody wants to go there, but everybody

            Does, sooner or later.

            And some stay.

And then one that comes later when his friends Mark and Greg come by to visit.  At this point, Kevin and his girlfriend Goldie have broken up, and Kevin writes this haiku for her.  This is an excerpt from the poem "Haiku for Goldie":

            I know we broke up,

            but what’s that sweater doing

            in Mark’s blue book bag? 

Kevin’s story should appeal to many teenagers.  His mom has died, and his father is struggling to find his footing without her.  Kevin experiences girlfriends and breakups and sadness over losing his mother.  His life isn't perfect, but neither is it horrible.  He’s funny, and somewhat popular, and he’s a jock who likes poetry, which in his circle is perfectly okay. 

I read the second book first, and did not have any trouble keeping up with the storyline.  Then I went back and read the first one.  The stories were equally well-done.  However, as I mentioned earlier, Kevin’s poems are a step up in the second volume. 

Many of my students are familiar with verse novels because they have read Ellen Hopkins’s books.  They know that verse novels are “easy” because the text is less dense.  They enjoy feeling the sense of accomplishment when they finish one quickly.  I am hoping these two works by Koertge will be a welcome addition to their reading list.

Poetic Form - Concrete Poetry

Grandits, J.  (2007).  Blue lipstick.  New York, NY:  Clarion Books.  ISBN 0-618-56860-3

Jessie is in high school, and she thinks a lot about everything.  She is opinionated, and she loves to share those opinions.  She has a wide range of interests, talents, friends, and family members.  And she loves to write poems about it all. 

Blue Lipstick is a book of poetry containing concrete poes as told by the fictional character Jessie.    Concrete poems have a shape that illustrates what is being said in the poem.  For example, this is an excerpt of one of Jessie’s poems.

This small volume has great visual appeal, and once the reader is drawn into the graphic nature of the poems, the words beg to be read.  Jessie’s words are humorous, and Grandits does a great job of getting into the head of a teenage girl and expressing her common, and sometimes not-so-common, outlook on life.  Concrete poems are a combination of words and visuals combined to bring the poems to life.  The poems are free verse, and they are sometimes challenging to read (think maze – where do I start and which way do I go next?)  But that just adds to the fun.

Jessie is honest to the point of casting herself in a not-so-positive light.  She shares feelings and experiences that high school boys and girls can both relate to.  As a high school teacher, I’m constantly on the lookout for intriguing materials for my students to read, hoping to entice some of the reluctant readers out of their defensive shells and into the world of words.  This book should certainly be the ticket for some of them. 

Introducing Jessie to a class of students should be a fairly easy task.  Use “The Wall” to introduce her to the students.  In this poem, Jessie relays a frustrating experience with an acquaintance and describes its outcome in her life. 

This poem could be followed up nicely with her poem “A Chart of My Emotional Day” which looks like a tape from a heart monitor as the words go above and below a horizontal line across the middle of the page labeled "Just Okay" and reaching up toward the highest level of "Ridiculously Happy" and down to the lowest level of "Shaving My Head and Running Away."   

After sharing these poems, encourage students to create their own concrete poems about a day or an incident in their lives that has had an impact on them.  I can’t imagine students not wanting to read more of Jessie’s poems after experiencing one or two of them.  A quick flip through the book on the document camera so students get a glimpse of the pages should provide the remaining impetus needed to get them asking to borrow this book. 

Blue Lipstick is one of my favorite finds (and actually, a Reading Specialist friend of mine found it and passed it on when she was doing a project.  Thanks, Lindsey!)  This is a book of poetry that should be in every collection and should inspire lots of writing.

Florian, D.  (2005).  Zoo’s who.  New York, NY:  Harcourt.  ISBN 0-15-204639-9

Douglas Florian began writing poetry in 1994 and has since received the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for his book Beast Feast and the Claudia Lewis Award for Mammalabilia.  His poetry often focuses on animals as do the pieces in Zoo’s Who.  These poems, while extremely short (most are no longer than 4 lines each), have wonderful rhythm and rhyme, and children who are a little older will love the word plays and puns, such as the one found in this clever little poem:

            The Eagle

            I’m not a seagull.

            I’m royal.

            I’m regal.

            All birds are not

            Created eagle.

There are poems that challenge and stretch the language of the reader, even big readers like me.  See if you can decipher the words in this poem:

            The Penguin

            A penguin isn’t thin – it’s fat.

            It has penguinsulation.

            And it toboggans through the snow

            On Penguinter vacation.

            The penguin’s a penguinsome bird

            Of black-and-white fine feather.

            And it will huddle with its friends

            In cold, penguindy weather.

Some of the poems in this book are almost concrete poems – taking the shape of the topic.  Read “The Terns” to students.  The four lines are written in the shape of a square, starting at the top left.  Discuss the word play of the word “tern.”  Then have students try their hand at writing a poem with a shape that illustrates the topic.  

"The Terns.  Terns turn left, and terns turn right. / Terns take turns at learning flight. / Terns, in turn, learn from each other. / One good tern deserves another." 

Florian did the art for the poems as well, using a variety of materials.  The pictures are full-page pictures on the facing page of the poem and are very intriguing, inviting a second or even third look.  While the main illustration for each poem is a watercolor painting of the featured animal, other shapes and letters are stamped onto the page.  Bits of shredded paper with words and letters on them are glued onto many of the pages along with other bits of paper, tin foil, and candy wrappers.  Exploring the content of the pictures is as much fun as reading the poetry. 

Florian is a new poet for me.  I haven’t ever read any of his work before; however, the content of this book has both my grandson and me interested in finding more of his work.  Animals are a universally interesting topic for young children, and this volume is no exception.  

NCTE Award Winner - Valerie Worth

Worth, V.  (1994).  “All the small poems and fourteen others.  Ill. N. Babbitt.  New York, NY:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux.  ISBN: 9780374403454

The National Council of Teachers of English selects a poet every three years to receive their Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children which honors a living poet’s lifetime achievement  in poetry for children ages 3 through 13.  In 1991, Valerie Worth was the recipient of this prestigious award.

Her volume of poetry titled “all the small poems and fourteen more” is 194 pages of one-page poems about topics ranging from frogs to Christmas lights, from doors to garbage, from frost to potatoes.  This volume encompasses 99 poems that were previously published as four separate volumes, plus 14 additional poems.  Each poem is spare, yet full of imagery that will tickle all five senses such as this one: 

            garbage

            The stained,

            Sour-scented

            Bucket tips out

            Hammered-gold

            Orange rind,

            Eggshell ivory,

            Garnet coffee-

            Grounds, pearl

            Wand of bared

            Chicken bone:

            Worked back soon

            To still more

            Curious jewelry

            Of chemical

            And molecule.

Critics label this book of poetry as being appropriate for children ages four through nine.  However, I tried several of the poems – including “garbage” – on my six-year-old, and he had trouble staying engaged.  Many of the images were not ones that he had experience with, so they didn’t make sense to him.  There were a few that caught his attention, but we had to set this volume aside. 

However, I personally love these poems, so I think that using them with older students would be quite appropriate.  Figures of speech abound in these little treasures – personification, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and sensory images are generously used, but never overwhelm the poems.  These poems would be perfect for teaching older students about figures of speech and using language precisely and sparingly to evoke vivid pictures and sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings. 

Read a poem such as “fireworks” to the class, even asking them to close their eyes and imagine being in this place as they hear the words. 

           

            fireworks

            First

            A far thud,

            Then the rocket

            Climbs the air,

            A dull red flare,

            To hang, a moment,

            Invisible, before

            Its shut black shell cracks

            And claps against the ears,

            Breaks and billows into bloom,

            Spilling down clear green sparks, gold spears,

            Silent sliding silver waterfalls and stars.

Or read this poem full of tastes and ask the students to imagine the flavors on their tongues:

            sweets

            Here

            Is a list

            Of likely

            Words

            To taste:

            Peppermint,

            Cinnamon,

            Strawberry,

            Licorice,

            Lime:

            Strange

            How they manage

            To flavor

            The paper

            Page.

Then try mimicking the poem by writing one with smells or sounds or unusual colors.

Natalie Babbitt, known for her children’s novel Tuck Everlasting, illustrated each poem with beautiful, realistic, pen and ink drawings that perfectly capture the words of the poems while still being simple, just like the poems themselves. I love the art so much, that I love the book for the art as much as the poetry.

These small poems are perfect for novice readers of poems or those who have been scared off poems by over-zealous English teachers who have made poetry about analyzing rather than enjoying.  The topics of the poems that come from daily life will feel comfortable and familiar to most readers.

Multicultural Poetry

Wong, Janet.  (1999).  Behind the wheel:  Poems about driving.  New York, NY:  Margaret K. McElderry Books.  ISBN 0-689-82531-5.

What teenager hasn’t waited expectantly for that day when they hop behind the wheel of a car and get their drivers license?  The thrill of finally being able to go wherever you want, whenever you want (theoretically, of course!) is such an appealing thought.  So the title of Janet Wong’s volume of poems is the perfect eye-catcher for the teen reader. 

Once inside the slim volume, readers will discover poems centered around all kinds of aspects of cars and driving; however, the intriguing part is that these driving poems are actually metaphors for life. 

Generally, most poems have appeal.  In fact, I read the first one and instantly hopped onto my computer to send it to a friend who has been helping me through a rough time.  I’m not the type to ask for help much – I’m tough, stoic; I can handle this.  I have to remind myself that it’s okay to not be okay all the time, and even more importantly, it’s okay to let others know. 

          Ask a Friend

          You don’t always need

          to go it alone. 

          Ask a friend

          to give you a ride,

          to help you out,

          to get you home.

          When you’ve found some better times,

          you won’t forget, you’ll pay him back.

          Let your friends be good to you.

          Go along for the ride,

          face in the wind.

I then shared this poem with my high schoolers before asking them to write an essay that was a district-required timed writing.  I get to choose the topic of the essay, so I read this poem and asked them to write about a time they needed help and either asked for it or didn’t, including how it turned out and if they would make the same choices if they could do it again.  The poem made a great jumping-off place, a way to focus thoughts and enter into the prompt.

I found most of the poems to be entertaining as well as thought-provoking.  My favorite was probably the title poem.

          Behind the Wheel

          Forget kindergarten,

          sharing.

          Everything you need to know

          you learn right here

          behind the wheel.

          Watch out for the other guy.

          Keep your eye on your rear.

          Thank the old lady who lets you in.

          Don’t steal someone else’s spot.

          When you rush to park and end up hopeless, crooked –

          just start over.

An interesting way to introduce this volume of poetry to students is to read Robert Fulghum’s list of things he learned in Kindergarten, which is referenced in Wong’s first  three lines - share everything, play fair, don’t hit people – there are 16 of them.  Then read the poem and ask students what else they can learn from driving. 

The poems are free-verse and are consistently short and easy to understand.  The only poem I did not personally like was the poem “OK” – a didactic, obligatory nod to avoiding drinking and driving.  (Wong even uses “preachy” in the first line – “You hate to hear this preachy stuff again and again.”)  That particular poem didn’t seem to have the impact it needed for such a serious subject.  Otherwise, the poems are an appropriate mix of topics within the concept of driving, and the emotions they evoke cover a wide range - funny and serious, family and friends, happy and frustrated.  Sensory imagery will engage the minds of the teen readers and the layout is appealing because most poems are short enough to fit on one page, and if two pages are needed, then the poem is placed on facing pages so one never has to turn a page to finish a poem.   

Our school library has a copy of Behind the Wheel, and it is a volume I’ll be using again and again with my classes.  However, it is also a great little book for individual reading that many teens will find interesting and fun.

AFRICAN AMERICAN POETRY

Woodson, J.  (2003).  Locomotion.  New York, NY:  G. P. Putnam’s Sons.  0-399-23115-3

Locomotion is his name.  Lonnie Collins Motion – Lo Co Motion.  His mother named him that after the song she loved to dance to so much.  Lonnie, his little sister Lili, and his mother and father. 

“There used to be four of us

Mama, Daddy, Lili and me.  At night we went to sleep.

In the morning we woke up and ate breakfast.

That was four years ago.”  (p. 32)

Lonnie lost his parents in a tragedy, and he and his little sister were separated when they couldn’t find anyone to take them both in.  Now, through the encouragement of Lonnie’s teacher, Ms. Marcus, Lonnie attempts to write down what he is thinking before the ideas in his head “go out like a candle and all you see left is this / string of smoke that disappears real quick / before I even have a chance to find out / what it’s trying to say” (p. 1).  So Lonnie chooses poetry because it’s short and he can write it down before he loses the ideas.   “Writing makes me remember. / It’s like my whole family comes back again / when I write.  All of them right / here like somebody pushed the Rewind button” (p. 42). 

This book of poetry is quite a departure from what we often think of as “children’s poetry.”  Lonnie’s life has changed drastically, and the poems are often difficult to read.  As a teacher, I am inspired by the encouragement that Ms. Marcus gives to Lonnie.  As the custodial grandparent of a little boy who has been through more than any little boy should ever have to face, I find myself crying through many of Lonnie’s thoughts and remembrances.  Woodson gives Lonnie wonderful insight into his own life and the lives of those around him, like the “New Boy.”  Not every page is poetry.  Sometimes Lonnie writes in prose.  However, most pages are poems, and he often tries his hand at writing different types of poetry as they study them in school.  Poems like “Haiku Poem” and “Sonnet Poem” are found throughout; however, most poems are free verse poems that talk about whatever experience Lonnie is having at the time. 

  

Lonnie is African American, and his teacher is not.  African American writer Jacqueline Woodson portrays the characters with gentleness and warmth, while illustrating how children of color often feel in school when their teacher is white.  “Ms. Marcus don’t understand some things even though she’s my favorite teacher in the world.  Things like my brown, brown arm.  And the white lady and man with all that good food to throw away. . . . Maybe it’s that if you’re white you can’t see all the whiteness around you” (p. 13).  However, Woodson’s writing helps us see the world through this young African American boy’s eyes.  Her descriptions are well-crafted and flowing.  Although the poems don’t rhyme they are appealing as they stimulate the emotions and imaginations of the reader.  Lonnie’s experiences must certainly be experiences similar to those many children have faced, and thus the verses will feel familiar.  And if the reader doesn’t have the same kinds of experiences, chances are they know someone who has, and they can glean some further understanding of what it is like to be a child who has lived through difficult experiences. 

  

Although this book is labeled by the Library of Congress as “Juvenile Poetry,” this volume really reads more like a novel in verse.  (For those of you who have been following along with my posts, you may remember a discussion of verse novels from this past fall.  We’ll revisit verse novels again this semester a little later).  While the poems are separate and each one has its own title, we are able to follow Lonnie’s story as he loses his parents, lives in a group home, eventually moves in with Ms. Edna, and finally finds “home” again. 

A quick easy read, this volume by Woodson would be especially suitable for upper elementary and middle school readers.  Many children will relate to what Lonnie goes through, even if their hard times are different from his.  Rather than reading individual poems from it, readers need to read from beginning to end.  Without the continuity of the story, many of the poems won’t make sense.  However, a good way to introduce the book would be to start with the short story “Geraldine Moore, the Poet” by Toni Cade.  www.oaklandwrites.org/documents/administering/8GeraldineMoorePrompt.pdf

Geraldine’s English teacher asks the class to write a poem.  “Try expressing

what it is like to be…to be alive in this…this glorious world.” However, Geraldine is unable to do so because her family has just been evicted and Geraldine has just returned to school after a trip home for lunch at which time she found her family’s belongings out on the sidewalk.  Eventually, she tells her teacher: 

 "Nothing lovely’s been happening in my life.

 I haven’t seen a flower since Mother’s Day,

And the sun don’t even shine on my side of the street.

No robins come sing on my window sill.

Just the rain comes, and the bills come,

And the men to move out our furniture.

I’m sorry, but I can’t write no pretty poem."

After reading the short story, read part of Lonnie’s poem on p. 50.

“Me?  I’m just sitting here with nothing

to say wishing Ms. Marcus would vaporize

like the people do on Star Trek.
Lonnie, she says.  Are you writing about your family

or just daydreaming?

Me?  I an’t got nothing to say today.

Just feel like sitting here

Watching the rain come down

And down

                 and

                        down.”

Compare Lonnie's situation (he states earlier in this section that he can't write about families because he doesn't have one) to Geraldine's.  

Students may want to respond by trying to write their own poetry about their lives as they read Woodson’s book.  However, as teachers, we should be sensitive to the fact that they may not want to share.  As Lonnie says, “Ms. Marcus wants to / see all my poems.  No way. / Some things just your own” (p. 59).