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.