Poetry Break!: Poems by Children - Young Voices collected by Charles E. Schaefer and Kathleen C. Mellor

Introduction:
Reveal that the poem was written by a student their age over thirty years ago. Ask the students to think about the student's poem while you read the selection.
The World Has Changed

By Charlotte Liberty Walker
The Spence School, Manhattan, New York

A whirlwind: not of leaves that
grasp the sand and whirl it with them,
on a prairie;
but, of,
paper and cigarette butts,
on a sidewalk.

Extension:
Begin a discussion about time affecting the feeling of the poem. Does it matter when it was written? Ask students to submit their best work. Collect and print the class’s collection of poetry. Submit poems for publication with student and parent permission.

Reference:
Schaefer, C.E, & Mellor, K.C (eds). 1971. YOUNG VOICES. New York, NY: The Bruce Publishing Company.

Poetry Review: A Collection by Paul B. Janeczko - Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems In Different Voices

Bibliography:
Janeczko, P.B. 2001. DIRTY LAUNDRY PILE: POEMS IN DIFFERENT VOICES. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0688162525.

Plot Summary:
In this collection of poetry, Paul B. Janeczko gathers 27 poems written from the perspective of inanimate objects like vacuums and curtains, and the point-of-view of animals such as a hippopotamus and a cat. Kristine O’Connell George, Bobbi Katz, Karla Kuskin, and Marilyn Singer are among the included poets in this collection. The poems are paired with Melissa Sweet’s illustrations.

Critical Analysis:
Written from the perspective of objects and animals, this collection presents a new point-of-view for poetry readers. Paul B. Janezcko’s selections provide a variety of viewpoints from items that children know like kites, gloves, crayons, and snowflakes altering the way the reader looks at these objects. In the poem, Prayer of a Snowflake by Cynthia Pederson, she writes “or better yet, I hope/ for my swirling journey to end instantly/on the hot tongue/of some shivering child/ out reveling in the return/ of my tribe.” Pederson creates a connection between the journey of the snowflake with the activities of children outside enjoying the snow.

The altered viewpoints create a glimpse into worlds that readers may not have considered allowing a fresh perspective on their surroundings. The selected artists use a variety of poetry formats from couplets and free verse while employing the use of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia to create a playful and somber selection of poems. The poems are paired with the watercolor illustrations of Melissa Sweet. The illustrations reflect the mood of the poems. In The Vacuum Cleaner’s Revenge by Patricia Hubbell, Sweet’s painting shows the vacuum moving towards the reader with the brushes whirling furiously to swallow everything in its path. She gives the objects and animals vitality that complements the accompanying poems.

This is an excellent book for any poetry collection and includes great pieces for reading aloud.

Poem Excerpt:

Broom
by Tony Johnston

I am the trusted consort
of floors, accomplice
of water and swash,
confidant of corners
where skulks shifty, fugitive
trash.
I am blunt whisker,
ghost-voiced shadow-sweeper
(suspicious of the dark),
collector of exquisite
scraps,
confessor to expiring
flies,
seeker-of-the-lost,
keeper-of-the-uncherished,
the crushed,
I share the deepest secrets
of the dust.

Review Excerpts:

BOOKLIST
“[It will] draw children into words that resonate with joy and, sometimes, deeper meaning, words that will remind them that there's more than one way to experience the world.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Younger children will enjoy the poems simply as funny or touching poetry, but older students will begin to see the poetic possibilities in the unexplored voices of the inanimate.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“This collection contains well-crafted poetry that surprises with its deft wordplay and original points of view.”

Connections:
Invited students to write poetry from a different point of view like the poems in this collection. Share finished selections.

Poetry Break!: A Serious Poem - Playing With Fire by Ralph Fletcher

Introduction:
Keep the intro brief - it is about love and loss. Ask students to define love.

Playing With Fire
By Ralph Fletcher

You said you
loved me
that afternoon
behind the woodpile
but when your father
collapsed at work
and died
without a hint
without a goodbye
your face
got all blurry gray
and I knew enough
to stay away.

All winter your ma
burned the wood
he had stacked
in the garage
to keep you warm
the wood so dry it
burned without smoke
until all the wood
was gone.

You said you
loved me
but when
I saw your face
I understood
we were just
playing
with that word.

(from Room Enough For Love)

Extension:
Ask follow up questions from Patrick Groff’s poetry talk questions (Vardell 2006, 144) such as: “Did the things in this poem ever happen to you? Where or when?”, and “Is this poem honest or true? Do you believe what it says? Why or why not?”. Re-read the poem. If students do not want to speak aloud, allow them to journal instead.

Reference:
Fletcher, R. 1998. ROOM ENOUGH FOR LOVE: THE COMPLETE POEMS OF I AM WINGS AND BURIED ALIVE. . New York, NY: Aladdin. ISBN 0689819765.

Poetry Break!: Newer Book - Steady Hands: Poems about Work by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Bibliography:
Zimmer, T.V. 2009. STEADY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT WORK. Ill. by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618903511.

Plot Summary:
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer writes a collection of 36 poems dedicated to the multiple types of jobs that are possible such as welder, artist, lifeguard, flight attendant, florist, and programmer. The poems provide insight into the job as the multi-media collages by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy frame each poem.

Critical Analysis:
Zimmer’s collection of free verse poems presents the possibilities of what type of jobs a student might consider. The professions she writes about run the gamut from creative, business, and technical work. She also avoids assigning stereotypical gender roles on the jobs by making the electrician female and the flight attendant is male.

The poems are mixed in subject matter where some poems are about the actual work such as in Baker (see below), while others like Flight Attendant discuss why the person selected that job. In this case it “was his ticket/ (free ticket anywhere)/ out of a claustrophobic/ town of two thousand.” Considering the emotional variations it may be more appropriate for older students.

The multi-media collages by Halsey and Addy fill each page with texture, depth, and humor while still presenting a visual glimpse into a facet of each job. On the image for the Administrative Assistant the illustrators show a man sitting at a desk as his six arms hold a coffee mug, phone, pens, folders, and tickets. The images include actual faces on each illustration along with the cutouts that provide a sense that these jobs are done by people they know.

This collection allows readers to imagine what a career would be like allowing them to explore the possibilities.

Poem Excerpt:

Baker
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Snowy flour dusts the early
lavender light
in the backroom of the bakery.
With each
flap
roll
flap
the baker’s hands
disappear
and reappear
in the folds
of the dough.

Review Excerpts:

BOOKLIST
“The hands-on details blend dreams and realism in the upbeat, contemporary poems that will find a place across the curriculum.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Inventive, complicated collages and well-crafted poems focus on the activities of working people in this eye-catching book. With an observant eye, Zimmer captures different individuals performing work with "steady hands."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Teachers could use this collection as a literary component for a unit on careers, but children aren't likely to pick it up on their own because of the subject matter and dully colored illustrations.”

Connections:
This collection of poetry could be the basis for a beginning discussion about future careers for older students or for younger students studying what their parent’s do. You could also pair a poem with further study into a particular career. For example, Artist could be used in conjunction with a study of different types of artists.

Poetry Break!: New Book - Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! by Pat Mora

Introduction:
Introduce the poem by reading the short introduction the poet includes with each haiku relating to the poems topic.

Vanilla
by Pat Mora

Quick! Lick white river
running down the cone cooling
your warm summer laugh.

(from Yum! MmMm! Que rico!)

Extension:
Pick a favorite food. Write a haiku together or divide the classroom into small groups to write a group haiku. Share with the class.

Reference:
Mora, P. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781584302711.

Poetry Break! A Refrain

Introduction:
Have a big stack of books piled near you. Pull books that match the descriptions in the poem. Read the poem aloud.

The Library Cheer

Books are good!
Books are great!
I want books!
I WILL NOT WAIT! (refrain)
Bird books,
Bug books,
Bear books too,
Words and pictures
Through and through.

Books are good!
Books are great!
I want books!
I WILL NOT WAIT!
Books in color
Black and white,
Skinny books,
Fat books,
Day and night.

Books are good!
Books are great!
I want books!
I WILL NOT WAIT!
Sad books,
Glad books,
Funny books too,
Books for me
And books for you.

Books are good!
Books are great!
I want books!
I WILL NOT WAIT!

(from Shout! Little Poems That Roar)

Extension:
Divide the students into four groups. Assign each group a line of the repeated chant. Practice the chant. When ready, re-read the poem with the students’ participation.

Reference:
Bagert, B. 2007. SHOUT! LITTLE POEMS THAT ROAR. Ill. Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780803729728.

Poetry Review: Social Studies - Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Westberg Peters

Bibliography:
Peters, L.W. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0060292660.

Plot Summary:
Earthshake presents 22 poems about various aspects of the earth from rocks and rivers to meteors and whales. Lisa Westberg Peters’ poems are playful while still including factual information about each topic, and Cathie Felstead’s collages provide intriguing visual clues. The book contains a table of contents and endnotes that explains the scientific basis for each poem.

Critical Analysis:
Peters’ collection of poems explores our planet through fun writing that contrasts the facts of science with everyday items. In the poem Instructions for the Earth’s Dishwasher, the author compares tectonic plates to a dishwasher because every plate needs to be in its place to prevent damage. Her comparison allow students to see the lesson from a different viewpoint that have meaning in their life such as the levels of earth represent a layer cake. Not only does she do this, but she also provides endnotes that provide technical information.

Felstead’s collages fill each page framing each poem which creates a unified appearance throughout the picture book. Her illustrations are playful such as the ones for Recipe for Granite where she places Africa on a measuring scale and drains the Earth in a colander. The poems in this collection would be a welcome addition to any science lesson due to its ability to transform fact into a visceral experience while also creating new associations.

Poem Excerpt:

Don’t Eat It

The earth:
a spinning roll
in the cosmic bakery
lumpy and crumbly crust
warm, green filling
iron-hard jawbreaker center

(from Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Westberg Peters)

Review Excerpts:
BOOKLIST
“… a book of light poetry with a unifying theme rather than a series of lessons set to verse. A creative addition to earth science units.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Nuggets of information and mounds of playful images can be unearthed in this mother lode of poems about all things geological. The bold graphic artwork adds just the right element to make the selections shine.”

Connections:
Earthshake can be incorporated into lessons about the earth or geography because the poems provide an alternate way of understanding the lessons. Use the poems to introduce a topic such as glaciers, lava, deserts, or wind.

Poetry Break! Biographical Poetry

Introduction:
Use in context with a study of Egypt and its history. Begin by looking at a map of the important features such as the Valley of the Kings while also discussing the purpose of the pyramids. Read this book, with its connected poems, over a week while continuing the lessons on Egypt.


The Tomb of the Boy King (1)
by John Frank

Some thirty centuries later, a
determined archaeologist
named Howard Carter clutched a worn-
out map of Egypt in his fist.

Since nineteen hundred seventeen
he'd combed the Valley of the Kings,
pursuing treasures that he hoped
stayed hid from robbers' ravagings-

the fortune Tutankhamen, king,
was buried with inside a tomb,
to savor in the afterlife
when born again from death's dark womb.

A rich friend, Lord Carnarvon, paid
the bills for Carter's costly quest,
but then, in nineteen twenty two,
decided he should not invest

a penny more upon a search
that had, for years, borne no great find.
The stubborn archaeologist
resolved to change Carnarvon's mind,

and, seated in Carnarvon's home
(an English caste-stately,old),
he spoke his most convincing words,
the map of Egypt now unrolled.

"To hire a crew of me," he said,
"to labor in the desert sun
where nests of poisonous snakes abound
is not a task that's cheaply done.

"And there's one place we've not yet searched
along this portion of the Nile.
I'm certain that's where treasure awaits.
No scorpion, snake, or crocodile

"will keep me from this one last dig.
And if we locate riches, fame
will follow you throughout the world:
the fine will honor your good name!"

Carnarvon rubbed his chin, then said,
"I'll pay the bills one season more";
and Carter booked his passage back
by train and ship to Egypt's shore.


(from The Tomb of the Boy King by John Frank)

Extension:
Take students to see the Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of Pharaohs exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. If unable to see the exhibit, combine this with other books about Egypt and King Tut in particular. Ask them to pick an item of interest to write about.

Reference:
Frank, J. 2001. THE TOMB OF THE BOY KING. Ill. by Tom Pohrt. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 0374376743.

Poetry Book Review: Social Studies - Heart to Heart edited by Jan Greenberg

Bibliography:
Greenberg, J. (ed). 2001. HEART TO HEART: NEW POEMS INSPIRED BY TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN ART. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0810943867.

Plot Summary:
The anthology Heart to Heart was created when Editor Jan Greenberg invited forty-three American poets to select a 20th century American artwork to base a poem upon. Kristine O’Connell George, X. J. Kennedy, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Jane Yolen are among the selected poets while some of the selected artists are Thomas Hart Benton, Stuart Davis, Jim Dine, and Faith Ringgold. The collection is divided into four sections entitled stories, voices, impressions, and expressions that respectively represent poems that tell an anecdote, speak for the artwork, represent the poet’s viewpoint, and reflect the nature of the artist. Biographical notes and a list of on both the poets and artists are included in addition to an index.

Critical Analysis:
This Printz Award Honor book is an anthology of forty-three poems by prominent American poets who have written poems influenced by American artists. Each poem is presented with its companion artwork which is printed in color and large enough to see the details of the artwork. The selected artworks are paintings, photographs, prints, and sculptures that vary in theme from figurative, landscape, and abstract. Under each artwork the artist, title, year, and media used are listed.

The poems range in format from sonnets, free verse, and rhymed verse while also using poetic devices such as rhyme, pattern, simile, metaphor, and more. The poems are best suited for older students even though there are some exceptions such as Deborah Pope's On Lichtenstein's "Bananas & Grapefruit" which is an irreverent and fun exploration of the graphic artwork that simplifies the fruit into thick black lines filled with vibrant yellow. She uses rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration to create a visceral experience for the reader. Pope writes "sluice of juices/squeezy teases/swelling lemon/jujubeezes" in a poem that undulates across the page.

This book is beautifully presented filled with an array of art in both visual and written form. An excellent text to use for creative writing, poetry breaks, or within an art classroom because it enforces the connections between image and word. It presents a different interpretation that alters how the artwork and poem are understood. Each item can stand on its own, but when combined the two forms of artwork transform each other.

Poem Excerpt:

A Word
by Gary Gildner

Give me I said to those round
young faces a round word
and they looked at me
fully puzzled until finally
several cried What do you mean?

I mean I said round round
you know about round
and Oh yes they said but
give us examples!

Okay I said let’s have a
square word
square maybe
will lead us to round.

And they groaned
they groaned and they frowned
every one except one
little voice way in the back said
Toast.

(about the painting That Red One by Arthur Dove)

Review Excerpts:

KIRKUS REVIEWS
“A beautiful volume that brings words and pictures together in wonderful tributes from artist to artist.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“If a picture book is defined as a marriage of word and art, then Heart to Heart is not only a wonderful poetry collection, but also a picture book of the highest quality.”

VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES
“Anyone with an interest in art or poetry will be drawn to this delightful book that celebrates the connections between poet and artist and between reader and viewer. “

Connections:
The class can continue studying poets and/or artists.The class could also participate in a discussion about how different artworks are interpreted and if there is a correct interpretation. Students could also complete a similar assignment where they write a poem about a selected artwork.

Poetry Break! A Poem About Spring

Introduction:
Begin a discussion with the students about how they know the season is changing. Start with winter characteristics and then ask for signs that winter is ending. Ask students to keep those characteristics in mind as you read the poem.

waiting for music
by Ralph Fletcher

Tight buds loosen
and tiny fists bring
gifts: new leaves
pea green and shy.

The leaves will become
unaccountable chimes
played and replayed
by the rustling wind.

Listen to the earth’s first
music, lovely and common
like the beating of the rain
or the beating of hearts.

(from Ordinary Things: Poems from a Walk in the Early Spring by Ralph Fletcher)

Extension:
Challenge students to take a walk when they get home (with a family member) and write a poem about the experience for the next class. If feasible, allow class time to work on the poems. Share the poems when completed. Collect them into a booklet for the students.

Reference:
Fletcher, R. 1997. ORDINARY THINGS: POEMS FROM A WALK IN EARLY SPRING. Ill. by Walter Lyon Krudop. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689810350.

Poetry Break! Poetry That Does Not Rhyme

Introduction:
Begin by talking about insects - ask students what they like/dislike about bugs. If you feel like acting, pretend to see a bug and then begin the poem (be careful of scaring students).

Cockroach
by Valerie Worth

Of the may creatures
That wriggle and creep
And make some people
Shudder, I don’t mind
Snakes or mice or
Caterpillars or worms-

Though I don’t quite
Care for ants-but
One that I can’t
In the least abide
Is the cockroach: not
So much that it scuttles

And bristles, and glues
Its slippery eggs in
The cracks of books, but
That it looks so clever:
As though it knows
My particular horror,

And plots to stalk
And startle me better-
Today I dart from
Behind the sugar, tomorrow
I skulk in her sneaker
And twiddle her toes...

(from Animal Poems by Valerie Worth)

Extension:
Bring a cockroach for the students to observe. Discuss the poem with the students - do they see similar characteristics from their own observations?

Reference:
Worth, V. 2007. ANIMAL POEMS. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0374380570.

Poetry Book Review: Verse Novel - Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier

Bibliography:
Cormier, R. 1999. FRENCHTOWN SUMMER. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385327048.

Plot Summary:
During the summer of his twelfth birthday, Eugene explores what it means to grow up in Massachusetts after World War I as he experiences his first job, first love, and first loss. Throughout the thirty poems Eugene interacts with family, friends, and enemies as he attempts to understand their lives and motivations.

Critical Analysis:
Through his experiences as a paper delivery boy, his first love, the death of a family member, and the ever evolving relationship with his father Eugene’s story recreates a distant past while still maintaining emotional relevance for teen readers. The relationships created in the novel convey the love, fear, hate, power, confusion, and joy that a young boy experiences while trying to understand his surrounding world.

The book is filled with vivid descriptions of life in Eugene’s tenement. The banal details of daily life come alive when Cormier provides glimpses into the secret world of an individual. One example is when he watches Mrs. Cartin yearn to follow the blue shirt she has dropped from her third-floor window. Another is when he is experiencing his first love with Sister Angela. Cormier describes the “delirious” joy which he contrasts with the terrible lows through the following lines, saying Eugene was “...Mute in her presence,/tripping on the carpet’s edge./I was a pathetic lover” (pg. 52).

The author uses precise wording and placement to create the most impact. The novel is not driven by plot, but as a remembrance of a long ago summer made up of moments. Robert Cormier creates an affecting novel that explores a past time period without losing the emotional intensity to connect with today’s readers.

Poem Excerpt:

23: The Bald Spot

“I saw that spot of baldness,
whiter, wider now,
his hair thinner,
revealing his pale scalp,
and I fled the tenement,
clattered down the stairs,
to sudden rushing panic
running to-
where?-
I was blinded
by the knowledge
that there was
no safe place
to run to.”

Review Excerpts:

BOOKLIST
“Cormier finds the universal in the small, sometimes mysterious moments of unsung lives. Heartbreak becomes heart ease, as Cormier continues to demonstrate his unrivaled power to dazzle and delight his readers.”

LIBRARY JOURNAL
“In taut verse, Eugene provides verbal snapshots of his town, the enigmatic adults around him, and his own growing sense of self. A lyrical tour de force that packs an emotional wallop.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“It is a sensitive, superbly crafted story of a boy's journey into self-awareness.”

Connections:
Continue reading other verse novels. Listed are some recommended read-alikes:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, Foreign Exchange by Mel Glenn, Stop Pretending by Sonya Sones, and The Braid by Helen Frost.

Poetry Break! A Poem Unusually Formed

Introduction: Begin by introducing the idea of concrete poems and using the description by P.B. Janeczko who says that “the arrangement of letters or words on the page, the typefaces chosen, and the way space is used, add meaning to the poem beyond that contained in actual words” (pg. 1). Read the poem. Ask students what shape they would make the poem - show the illustration.

Popsicle
by Joan Bransfield Graham

Popsicle
Popsicle
tickle
tongue fun
licksicle
sticksicle
please
don’t run
dripsicle
slipsicle
melt, melt
tricky
stopsicle
plopsicle
hand all
s
t
i
c
k
y

(shaped like a popsicle on a stick - from A Poke in the I by P.B. Janeczko)

Extension:
Provide students with a selection of books containing concrete poems. Give students time to browse and add new poems to their personal collection. Allow interested students to share out loud. Another alternative is to give students time to write and illustrate a concrete poem about a favorite activity, toy, or person.

Reference:
Janeczko, P.B. 2005. A POKE IN THE I: A COLLECTION OF CONCRETE POEMS. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763606618.

Poetry Book Review: Douglas Florian

Bibliography:
Florian, D. 1996. ON THE WING. Ill. by Douglas Florian. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0152004971

Summary:
In On the Wing, Douglas Florian authors and illustrates a collection of 21 poems dedicated to birds. Among the birds he writes about are the egret, vulture, roadrunner, stork, and nightjar. Each poem explores the characteristics of the title bird while the authors’ illustrations complement the writing through whimsical watercolor paintings.

Critical Analysis:
This collection of poems focus on the variety of birds and the unique characteristics of each bird. Florian uses rhyme and rhythm to tell each part while giving personality to the birds. Most of the poems have a humorous twist such as the The Hawk where it ends saying that you are lucky not to be prey. Some of the poems have words that visually play with the reader. The poem The Quetzal curves in the same pattern as the bird’s tail which can be seen in the accompanying illustration.

Each poem is centered on a blank page in a large, clear font and on the opposing page Florian’s artwork fills the page. The illustrations are watercolors painted with loose, gestural strokes that feel casual as they visually convey the poems. In the painting for The Emperor Penguins, he fills two-thirds of the page with blue washes that become ice as as row of penguins follow the undulating curve across the page. The images become literal translations of the poems requiring very little imagination from the reader. Overall this book of poetry is an entertaining read that will help readers reconsider birds, but the greatest enjoyment may come from the illustrations.

Poem Excerpt:

The Nightjar
By day this bird
Will stay at rest,
For darkness seems
To suit it best,
To chase down insects
Near and far,
And capture night
Inside a jar.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist
“The imagery in these short poems finds visual expression in the full-page, watercolor paintings, illustrating verse with high spirits and ingenuous charm..., but the book's appeal lies in its fluent wordplay and generous use of humor in both the poetry and the paintings.”

Kirkus Reviews
“Nonfiction and humor don't always fit comfortably together, but in this book they become a delightful whole, a sturdy foundation from which to explore the playfulness of language.”

Connections:
Any of these poems are appropriate for a Poetry break or they can be integrated with science lessons about different types of birds. This book can also be a starting point for students to write poems about a favorite bird or begin a discussion on how the poems changed how the students look at birds. Students can also read more of Florian’s work such as Beast Feast or At the Zoo.

Poetry Book Review: Pat Mora

Bibliography:
Mora, P. 1998. THIS BIG SKY. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590371207

Plot Summary:
Pat Mora’s book, This Big Sky, explores life in the American Southwest through poems about horned lizards, mountains, coyotes, snakes, and people. Through the fourteen poems, Mora connects personal experience to desert life while Steve Jenkins’ cut and torn paper images harmonize with the poetry to create a complete package. The book includes a glossary to define the Spanish words into English.

Critical Analysis:
Pat Mora presents a collection of poems that explore Southwestern life through its people, landscape, and creatures. The writing is strong and filled with details that leave a lasting impression on the reader. Mora uses a variety of writing devices such as alliteration, onomatopeaia, rhythm, and rhyme while also including Spanish words in the poems. Though the poetry is about the Southwest, the author relates the activities of the animals to human experience. In the poem, Old Snake, Mora describes the snake shedding her skin writing that “sometimes you feel/ you just can’t breath/ in your own tight skin.” With this description the author creates a connection to the snake and provides the reader with an opportunity to change. Each poem is layered with details and new connections making the writing relatable and relevant to all readers.

Steve Jenkins’ paper cut images fit seamlessly with the poetry. The illustrations fill each open two-page spread with vivid color and stark images that convey the layered emotion of the poetry. The poem Suspense is supported with an image of sprinting Roadrunner trying to escape the oncoming rain. Jenkins’ constructs a textured image full of contrast between prickly cactus, dry land, slashing rain, and billowing clouds. His artwork helps convey the emotional intensity of the poetry. This Big Sky is an exceptional book filled with affecting, powerful writing and expressive artwork that should be included in any poetry collection.

Poem Excerpt:
Twilight Choir

After the rain,
diamonds scattered
by some careless duende
glisten on willow leaves.

Butterflies and hummingbirds
flutter in the breeze,
Poppies fall in moist clusters
where they please,
and stars hum their poetry.

Kittens tease fat cats
dreaming tonguefuls of warm
honey. Trees, dark canopies,
sway melodies.

Their evening song
accompanies cicada whirs
and mockingbird’s sassy,
musical originality,
after the rain.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist
“A visually dynamic collection of distinctively regional verse.”

Publishers Weekly
"Mora celebrates America's vast, otherworldly Southwest in 14 poems that will delight readers with their playfully evocative images. Jenkins offers cut-paper art in tones that reflect the sun-baked region."

School Library Journal
“This gem is both a lovely poetry book and an evocative look at a magical place.”

Connections: Continue reading other books by Pat Mora or expand the reading to include other Latino authors.

Poetry Break! NCTE Award Poet - Lilian Moore

Introduction: Before reading the poem ask the students to call out what makes their neighborhood special. Read the poem.

Mural on Second Avenue
by Lilian Moore

Someone
stood here
tall on a ladder,
dreaming
to the slap of a
wet brush,

painting
on the blank
unwindowed wall of
this old house.

Now the wall is a
field of wild grass,
bending to a wind.

A unicorn's grazing there
beside a zebra.

A giraffe is nibbling a
tree top
and in a sky of
eye-blinking
blue

A horse is flying.
All
right at home in the
neighborhood.

Extension:
Continue talking with students about what makes their neighborhood memorable whether it be a park, a garden, or a house. Ask students to compose a poem about his or her favorite neighborhood feature. Another option would be a discussion about how an artwork or mural makes them feel and how it changes a neighborhood.

Reference:
Moore, L. 2004. MURAL ON SECOND AVENUE, AND OTHER CITY POEMS. Ill. by Roma Karas. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763619876

Poetry Break! African American Poetry

Introduction:
This poem is about how Langston Hughes wrote poetry, but also what it meant to him. Share a short anecdote about why you enjoy poetry.

Poetry Means the World to Me
by Tony Medina

Poetry means the world to me
it’s how I laugh and sing
how I cry and ask why

Poetry comforts me
when I use jazz or
the blues or the way
regular folks talk -
the language
they use

Word’s don’t always
have to be neat
and polished
like a statue

They should be
used used used
to say what you like
or don’t like
what you see think
or feel -

Words to fight against
hate and unnecessary
suffering

Poetry is what I use
to say
I love you

(from Love to Langston by Tony Medina)

Extension:
The book includes historical fact from Hughes’s life which can be used to lead a discussion on why a poet would decide to write about everyday people and the injustices that they face daily. Discuss how that affects the writing of the poem or how the reader understands the poem. Re-read the poem. Also you can ask the students to consider what means the world to them and if they would write about those topics.

Reference:
Medina, T. 2002. LOVE TO LANGSTON. Ill. by R. Gregory Christie. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 1584300418.

Poetry Book Review: Lee Bennett Hopkins - Anthology

Bibliography:
Hopkins, L.B. (ed.) 2005. OH,NO! WHERE ARE MY PANTS? AND OTHER DISASTERS: POEMS. Ill. by Wolf Erlbruch. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0688178618.

Plot Summary: Lee Bennett Hopkins has collected 14 poems from a range of poets that speak about the traumas that occur in a child’s life. Some of the selected poets are Susan Hart Lindquist, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Madeleine Comora, and Hopkins himself. The issues that are addressed are both silly and serious ranging from forgetting one’s pants and regret about a bad haircut to the death of a pet and friend’s moving away. The anthology is illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch who uses simple drawings to convey the emotion of the poetry. This anthology contains a variety of issues that every reader can relate.

Critical Analysis:
The issues addressed in this anthology address the problems that children face. Hopkins collects a variety of poems that range in emotional intensity from light hearted to feelings of fear and loss. Readers will be able to relate to many of the poems. Though some of the poems are stronger than others each offering presents a unique viewpoint students can relate to. The writing on the poems are straightforward, literal offerings that approach the topics in a matter-of-fact way. Rhythm, rhyme, and onomatopoeia are some of the literary devices used in the poems. This anthology is best suited for young readers.

Each poem is presented on a its own page, either centered or in two columns, allowing plenty of space to surround the writing. Across from each poem is an illustration done by Erlbruch who uses simple line drawings filled with texture to visually create the poems. One of the strongest images depicts a young girl suspend from the outline of a ferris wheel with only the moon to cast any light. A line from the accompanying poem, At The State Fair by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, is "I'm trapped on top/of the world by mistake./Kidnapped by sky,/suspended in air,/I stay very still/in this chandelier chair." The imagery of the poems and the illustrations are complimentary. Overall this is a strong collection focused on the disasters that can and do occur which would benefit any reader.

Poem Excerpt:

First Day
by Susan Hart Lindquist

This isn't the way
it was supposed to be-
You
in
Room Two.

Me
in
Room Three.

Review Excerpts:

BOOKLIST
“In this anthology, selections by popular children's poets bring other people's dilemmas close to home, and full-page, uncluttered artwork, which appears to be in ink and chalk or pastels, shows preschoolers dealing with distress and annoyance, both sad and farcical. The scenarios in words and pictures show young children that books are about them.”


SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“These 14 short poems all depict little moments of being human. The disasters referred to in the subtitle range from big to small, from comic. Embarrassment, shame, fear, chagrin: all of these feelings are so common in childhood that a collection of poems about them seems natural.”

Connections:
Use these poems to begin a dialogue about issues that the students have faced. If they are not comfortable discussing them allow them an opportunity to write freely - either poem or prose to begin expressing those issues.

Poetry Break! A Poem about Reading

Introduction:
To introduce this poem ask the students start by asking if they have a favorite book. Re-read the poem and ask the students to consider their favorite books as they listen again.

Are You A Book Person?
by J. Patrick Lewis

A good book is a kind
Of person with a mind
Of her own,
Who lives alone,
Standing on a shelf
By herself.
She has a spine,
A heart, a soul,
And a goal -
To capture, to amuse,
To light a fire
(You’re the fuse),
Or else, joyfully,
Just to be.
From beginning
To end,
Need a friend?

Extension:
After listening to the poem, ask the students to consider the books that mean the most to them and to describe how it makes them feel. Maybe also discuss the use of personification - do books really have these characteristics? Discuss the answers.

Reference:
Lewis, J.P. 2005. PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY. Ill. by Kyle M. Stone. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc. ISBN 0152163875.

Transition to Poetry

This site will continue to be used in conjunction with a graduate course at Texas Woman's University about Poetry for Children. The previous entries will continue to stay posted, but all new posts will relate to the current course.
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