Requiem

Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

By Paul B. Janeczko

Janeczko, Paul B. Requiem : Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2011.

ISBN 9780763647278

This powerful and heartbreaking novel in poems tells stories of life in Terezin, a Czech concentration camp. The poems are the voices of fictitious prisoners and their oppressors in a time of death, despair, and injustice. With disquieting imagery this book is better suited for a more mature age group of students. Readers will experience a wealth of anger and sadness throughout this book, but they will also hear about bravery and strength. This novel would be a great companion for the eighth grade English curriculum. 

This novel is written by one single poet, Paul B. Janeczko. Janeczko is a well-known poet and anthologist, and he has published over 40 books in the last 30 years. In this book Janeczko explains how the Nazi's used Terezin as a false realty of how they treated Jews. Readers will admire his ability to create such a true representation of the degraded in a fictitious story.

The illustrations in the novel do not seem like anything special until you learn that they are historic illustrations drawn my inmates and found after the war ended. This information changes the readers focus when examining the illustrations. You will now find yourself staring at the details of the drawings and imagine what the person was feeling at the time. The book has a table of contents, an afterword, an author's note, and information on further study of the Holocaust and Terezin. Janeczko provides selected sources of books, websites, DVDs, foreign words and phrases, and art credits to aide in extending the learning of this time and place. 

A poem I would highlight from this novel is titled "Trude Reimer / 33456". For the poetry break, the teacher will ask for a volunteer to read the poem aloud to the class. Before any discussion the teacher will then ask the students to close their eyes and find out what they envision when the teacher reads the poem again aloud. Have a discussion on how the poem made the students feel, smell, hear, and what they think the prisoner felt.

Trude Reimer / 33456

I was a cat

with cat freedom

even if for only thirty minutes

even if I spoke but two lines

before it was back to the barracks

overcrowded with

the stink of bodies

the stink of fear

the stink of death.

But for those few minutes

I was free as any cat.

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky

Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth at Red Cloud Indian School
Edited by Timothy P. McLaughlin

McLaughlin, Timothy P., ed. Walking on Earth and Touching the Sky : Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth 

     at Red Cloud Indian School. Illustrated by S. D. Nelson. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young 

     Readers, 2012.   ISBN 9781419701795

This powerful collection edited by Timothy P. McLaughlin allows the Lakota youth at Red Cloud Indian School to express themselves through poetry and prose. All the poems are written by students grades five through eight and grants readers a chance to experience what it means to be Lakota and a kid in this century. It is important to read the introduction to understand the severe conditions of poverty, disease, drug and alcohol abuse, and unemployment these children live in and their cultural legacy.With the creative writing prompts of "Natural World", "Misery", "Native Thoughts", "Silence", "Spirit", "Family, Youth, and Dreams", and "Language" readers should expect to encounter a multitude of emotions including anger, sadness, appreciation, and love. 

All the poets in this book are students in grades five through eight. Some students are only present once while other students have more than one poem in one or more of the different sections. These students show their strength in allowing the world to read their deep feelings and emotions of life and their culture.

This original work is separated into seven different sections. The table of contents directs readers to the seven sections and not individual poems. This book also contains a foreword by Joseph M. Marshall III, an introduction, acknowledgments, an author's note, an index of titles, and an index of poets. Readers will have a plethora of information even through the illustrations. Each illustration is a never-before-published painting by author/illustrator, S.D. Nelson come with their own description and note from Nelson. The colors even in the layout are appealing with black backgrounds and bright text of predominately turquoise and orange. This book is an excellent introduction into a native american culture and poetry written by children. It would make a positive contribution to any public or school library.

A poem that I would highlight from this book is "Who Am I?" written by Dusty Black Elk. This poem would be a great introduction to having the students free write about who they are. This poem allows listeners and readers to reflect on the parts of their life that makes them who they truly are. The teacher will read the poem aloud to the class and discuss the symbolism and what the poet means in each line. The teacher will then read the poem aloud again and prompt the students to write a few lines about themselves in the same format.

Who Am I? 

by Dusty Black Elk

I am a rose in a patch of weeds.

I am a storybook mixed in with some dictionaries.

I am a chokecherry bush surrounded by oak trees.

I am a window that is broken.

I am a boy with lots of sisters.

I am an Indian surrounded by white people.

I am a football player at a basketball game.

I am a cat with a bunch of dogs.

I am an angel around a lot of devils.

I am a Walkman at a rock concert.

I am a block that tries to fit into a circle.

One Big Rain

Poems for Rainy Days

Compiled by Rita Gray

Gray, Rita, comp. One Big Rain : Poems for Rainy Days. Illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2010.   ISBN 9781570917165

This book presents a collection of twenty rain-themed poems. The book starts off with a table of contents followed by an introduction and a note about haiku translations, and concludes with acknowledgments organized by seasons. The poems in this book are arranged by seasons starting with Autumn and finishing with Summer. Each season contains five poems with two of them being translated Japanese haiku's. Ryan O'Rourke's oil illustrations are delicate and pleasant while capturing the essence of rain with blues, grays, and olive greens.

This collection offers twenty different poems and twenty different poets including the compiler, Rita Gray. Other poets presented in this book are Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Lilian Moore, R. Olivares Figueroa (translated from Spanish), and Sigbjrn Obsfelder (translated from Norwegian). The illustrator, Ryan O'Rourke's work has been admired in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.

Gray has selected an appropriate variety of poems presenting different poetic styles with  the common theme of rain. This book will provide a great introduction to the different sounds and figurative language poets use. Elementary teachers will appreciate the easy link between science and English because this compilation of poems provides a connection in curriculum with poetry and weather. The poems do not contain too much sentiment, but readers will recall their own experiences in the rain from the mood expressed through the poems.

One poem I would highlight from this collection is "Rain" which is translated from the Norwegian by Sarah J. Hails. The would be a fun poem to start with the teacher reading the poem out loud and then progress by adding the students in at different times, and then finally reading the poem in cannon. This may be difficult at first attempt because the students might get tongue tied. Everyone is sure to enjoy this poetry break.

Rain
(Translated from the Norwegian by Sarah J. Hails)
-Sigbjorn Obstfelder

One is one, and two is two-
we sing in huddles,
we hop in puddles.
Plip, plop,
we drip on roof top,
trip, trop,
the rain will not stop.
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
bucketing rain,
chucketing rain,
rain, rain, rain, rain,
wonderfully raw,
wet to the core!
One is one, and two is two-
we sing in huddles,
we hop in puddles.

Plip, plop,
we drip on roof top,
trip, trop,
the rain will not stop.

Water Sings Blue

Ocean Poems
by Kate Coombs
Illustrated by Meilo So

Coombs, Kate. Water Sings Blue : Ocean Poems. Illustrated by Meilo So. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Book, 2012.

ISBN 9780811872843

Just like the title says, all of the poems in this book are about anything involving the ocean. Poems include fish and creatures who live in the ocean, birds who flock to the ocean, waves, boats, and sand. Each poem provides a positive contribution to the overall theme. Readers will experience more than they might expect to find related to the ocean. The connection of beagles to seagulls in "Seagulls" is a little strange, but the rhyming has a nice flow. Two poems that stand out are "Blue Whale" and "Shipwreck". They are combined on two pages and displayed vertically to show the length of the whale and the shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. Readers may not experience emotions from this book, but they will be able to visualize the waves, a tide pool, colorful fish, and much more. The poet, Kate Coombs uses gentle sound and figurative language for her poetic elements in this book. 

This collection of twenty-three poems is written by one author, Kate Coombs. This is her first collection of poetry, but she has written one picture book and two middle grade novels. This collection was inspired by her childhood living in Southern California writing poems and collection shells on the beach. Coombs has created a great way for children to experience the enjoyment of the ocean without the travel or getting their feet wet.

The layout of this collection of poems is centered around the ocean. The book's watercolor illustrations are delicate and playful. Each illustration emphasizes the wonders of the ocean world. This book begins with a poem and ends with a poem. There is not a table of contents, page numbers, or an index to help find individual poems. 

A poem I would highlight from this book is "Ocean Realty". This is a great poem to have the students present to the class by acting, drawing, a puppet show, or another creative way. The teacher will read aloud the poem to the class a few times before the students split up into groups to start to plan their presentation. 

Ocean Realty

by Kate Coombs

My name's Frank Hermit.

Here-take my card.

So you want a house 

with a porch and yard?

I have listings for periwinkles,

whelks, and wentletraps;

turbans, tops, and moon shells;

a palatial conch, perhaps?

That one's not available-

I'm waiting for the snail

to vacate his townhouse

and put it up for sale.

But this place has a deck

and a nice view of the land-

beachfront property

is always in demand!

Dark Emperor

& Other Poems of the Night
Written by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Rick Allen

Sidman, Joyce. Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. Illustrated by Rick Allen. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010.

ISBN 9780547152288

This book is a collection of twelve poems about nocturnal life in a forest written by Joyce Sidman. All the poems involve creatures, plants, and trees that come alive at night in a forest. While all the poems have a consistent theme, there doesn't seem to be a special sequence to the poems. This makes it easier to use a single poem without changing the integrity of the story. Readers will not experience too many emotions from this book. What they will receive is entertainment and knowledge through Sidman's poems and factual descriptions. There are a variety of poetic elements including figurative language, sounds, and shape. The last poem in the book, "Moon's Lament" is a medieval style of poetry called ubi sunt. This book will be good to use as a way to connect poetry and the science curriculum. This book has several honors and awards attached to it like being a Newberry Honor Book, a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Honor book, and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor, to name a few.

The layout of this book combined with the illustrations is amazingly unique and detailed. The book starts with a two page illustration of a forest at sunset with an owl flying and leaves blowing, and is wrapped up at the end with the same forest at sun rise. Rick Allen's illustrations were created by a special process called relief printing. This process is very intricate and timely using linoleum and/or wood, many carving tools, and for this book hand colored with gouache. Sidman provides the readers with a table of contents and a glossary of unfamiliar terms. Throughout the book, each poem has been given two pages. One page displays the poem and a small illustration, and the other page contains the large illustration for the poem and a note on the science facts that the illustrations and poems represent.

The poet, Joyce Sidman is a well-known poet in the writing world and this book definitely shows her writing style. This is the debut for Rick Allen, the illustrator, in the picture book genre. These two have really shown their talents together in this beautiful book.

One poem I would highlight from this book to use in a poetry break is "Oak After Dark". Without showing the students the title of the poem or the illustration in the book, give volunteer students each a stanza to read aloud to the class. The teacher will then read the poem again aloud as the students close their eyes and visualize the poem in their thoughts. This will lead to a class discussion about what the students were imagining from hearing the poem. Then tell the students the title and picture, and see how the students react. Did anyone guess or imagine an oak tree?

Oak After Dark

by Joyce Sidman

As nighttime rustles at my knee,

I stand in silent gravity

and quietly continue chores

of feeding leaves and sealing pores.

While beetles whisper in my bark,

while warblers roost in branches dark,

I stretch my roots into the hill

and slowly, slowly, drink my fill.

A thousand crickets scream my name,

yet I remain the same, the same.

I do not rest, I do not sleep,

and all my promises I keep:

to stand while all the seasons fly,

to anchor earth,

                      to touch the sky.

Joyful Noise

Poems for Two Voices
by Paul Fleischman
illustrated by Eric Beddows

Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise : Poems for Two Voices. Illustrated by Eric Beddows. N.p.: Harper and Row, 1988.

ISBN 0060218533

This amazing collection of poems is meant to be read out loud by two people. Paul Fleischman writes the poems in side-by-side parts that two people will read individually and simultaneously. Each poem features characteristics and habits of 14 insects. Some insects included in the book are mayflies, book lice, cicadas, and honeybees. Readers will enjoy the figurative language and detailed illustrations that Fleischman and Beddows have created for these musical duets. Some poems have a touch of humor while others have a more solemn tone. Readers of all ages will adore this fascinating guide to the insect world.

Fleischman, the poet and Beddows, the illustrator come together again in this collection of insects. Before this compilation they worked together on I am Phoenix which Joyful Noise is a companion book to. These two artists definitely compliment each other's talents.

This book provides readers with a table of contents and a note from the author, all before the poems begin. The note is extremely helpful in explaining how the poems are to be read. Joyful Noise is a collection of poems about insect and does not represent an overall story, so it has a distinct theme but no concrete sequence. Beddows' black and white pencil drawings can be described as soft, delicate, strong, and detailed. Each poem is excellently matched with one to two illustrations of the insects represented in the poem.

One poem I would highlight from this book is "Book Lice". I imagine this poem being used in a poetry break for enjoyment and a good representation of performance poetry with two voices. With the content being about book lice, it would be good for the librarian to join the classroom teacher in performing this poem to a class. The presenters need to make sure and have fun with this using props and even costumes to enhance the students enjoyment.

Book Lice
by Paul Fleischman
(excerpt from beginning)

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

Remember the Bridge

Poems of a People
by Carole Boston Weatherford

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Remember the Bridge : Poems of a People. New York, NY: Philomel Books, 2002.

 ISBN 9780399237263

This collection of twenty-nine poems was written by a single poet, Carole Boston Weatherford. She starts the book off with an African tree and the poem "Mother Africa Speaks to Civilization".There is not any mention of the poems in this book being included in any other poetry books. Weatherford is a renowned poet with poems in children's books, anthologies, and journals. 

For the layout of this book, there is no table of contents or index to aide readers in finding individual poems. The back of the book contains an author's notes page about her inspiration for writing these poems, and a page for photo and illustration credits. The illustrations throughout the book consist of real photographs, drawings, and sketches of the people and items talked about in the poems. All illustrations and photos in this book make excellent historical visuals for these poems written for and about African American heroes of the past. Weatherford shows her respect and admiration for these heroes through her poems.

Weatherford has an unique style by starting the poems off with "Remember the Bridge" and closes with "I am the Bridge". The symbolism of the people being the bridge is brilliant and inspiring. Every poem has a strong presence, and is a positive contribution to this collection and the theme of African American heroes in our history. There is a variety of poems written in free verse, rhyme, and meter. This book is written for people to learn and remember the sacrifices and challenges African Americans have made to get to where they are today. Weatherford wants her readers to remember the past and never forget. Remember the Bridge was written for children and young adults, but might be more suitable for the upper elementary through high school age. This book would be a treasure for any public or school library. Teachers will be draw to the symbolism, poetic elements, and the historical presence of this book. 

One poem I would highlight from this book is "I am the Bridge". For this poetry break the teacher will ask the students to close their eyes in visualize what the poem is saying as he/she reads the poem aloud. Then as a class have a discussion on what the students imagined from this poem. Then show the students the photograph associated with the poem. Now read the poem again. Do the students have a different view of the poem? Discuss the symbolism the poet represent in this poem.

Excerpt from I am the Bridge by Carole Boston Weatherford

The bridge is men and women,

famous and unknown,

leaving paths of memories,

timeless stepping stones.

I follow in the shadows

of heroes without names

and keep the faith of elders

who lean on hickory canes.

I hear the beat of Africa

drumming deep within,

bear the scar of slavery

beneath my ebony skin.

I stand with valiant soldiers 

who claim the victory

and jump in jubilation

with slaves at long last free.

Carver

A Life in Poems
by Marilyn Nelson

Nelson, Marilyn. Carver : a Life in Poems. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2001.

ISBN 9780439456739

This book is written by one poet, Marilyn Nelson. Marilyn is a renowned author and poet who has received numerous awards and recognition in her life.This book itself has received many acknowledgments including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, being a Newberry Honor Book, and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. A good amount of the poems in this collection have been included in other poetry books and publications.

Before the book starts, Nelson presents three quotes by George Washington Carver, one by Leo Tolstoy, and one by Albert Einstein. There is no table of contents but there is a list of poems in the back of the book that acts like an index. The book also contains a page with acknowledgments from the author and publisher. Credits for the photographs throughout the book are given in the back of the book along with a page containing notes on the first publication of poems. The photographs in this book represent real pictures of people and items that resemble pieces of Carver's life. They definitely enhance the historical theme of the story. The arrangement of the poems is important because they tell the story of George Washington Carver from birth to death. 

Carver : a life in poems is basically an eloquent biography written in poems about George Washington Carver. This representation of his life is done in fifty-nine poems. Readers will definitely have a better understanding of what life was like for an African American born slave who grew up to become a botanist, inventor, scholar, and incredible man. The poems are not too sentimental, but the reader will experience emotions as they read through this book. Readers will be amazed and enlightened by the challenges, obstacles, and accomplishments Carver goes through in his lifetime. He achieved a great deal for an African American in the 19th and 20th centuries. The poetic elements for this book focus on emotional impact and sense imagery. 

One poem that I would choose to highlight from this book is "1905". A good place to use this poem is in a history class to show how Carver initiates the Jesup wagon which includes taking his agricultural teachings to the poor who live in rural areas. The teacher will ask for volunteers to read aloud the five different stanzas of the poem, and have a class discussion after reading aloud. 

Excerpt from 1905 by Marilyn Nelson

(first two stanzas)

Looking out of the front page, a wild-haired,

gentle-eyed young German man stands

before a blackboard of incomprehensible equations.

Meanwhile, back in the quotidian,

Carver takes the school to the poor.

He outfits an open truck

with shelves for his jars

of canned fruit and compost,

bins for his croker sacks of seeds.

He travels roads barely discernible 

on the county map,

teaching former field-slaves

how to weave ditch weeds

into pretty table place mats,

how to keep their sweet potatoes form rotting

before winter hunger sets in,

how to make preacher-pleasing

mock fried chicken

without slaughtering a laying hen.

He notes patches of wild chicory

the farmers could collect

to free themselves form their taste

for high-priced imported caffeine.

Poems about Earth

The Elements in Poetry
Compiled by Andrew Fusek Peters

Peters, Andrew Fusek, comp. Poems about Earth. Mankato, MN: Cherrytree Books, 2008.

This collection of earth poems represents twenty-one different poets. There are some well known and prestigious poets such as John Keats, J. Patrick Lewis, and William Wordsworth. Poems from this book have been represented in other publications, but there is no mention of it in this book. 

The majority of the poems in the book have a consistent quality and are positive contributions to this collections. Young readers may not recognize the poets, but adults, teachers, and people in the writing community will know a few of the well named poets represented in this collection. All of the poems tie into the theme of earth. Some poems definitely stand out more than others, but they all speak of wonders in our natural world. Readers may experience a few emotions from certain poems. One poem, "After the Earthquake" will stimulate sympathy and sadness. The tone of the book is more educational than emotional. The selected poems will teach readers how to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, plate tectonics, elements, and other earth related concepts. This book is full of poems containing many poetic elements. The most prominent element is personification. Almost every poem gives human characteristics to plants, bugs, elements, gravity, and other non-human items. There is also a lot of sound, figurative language, and sense imagery. This collection also has two concrete/shape poems, "Web of Life" and "Nature's Jewel".

The book's layout starts with a table of contents and concludes with an author index, acknowledgments, picture credits, a short note about the anthologist, and information on the three other books in The Elements of Poetry series. There does not seem to be a specific arrangement of the poems. They can be used in any order, by themselves, or together. The commonality that all the poems have is Earth. As a collection these poems represent our natural world. All of the pictures and illustrations are distinctive to each poem. Some pages have a picture background representing the poem, while others have a single picture on a solid background. The illustrations do not overpower the poems, and they are not a main attraction for this book. They complement the poems, but they are not extraordinary. This book can provide an easy connection to science in the English classroom.

A poem I would highlight from the book is "The Sunflower" by Polly Peters. A good way to include this in the classroom would be to have some students act out the different stanzas while other students read aloud. This would be a fun poetry break that the students can fully get involved. Student participation is require for this poetry break.

Excerpt from The Sunflower by Polly Peters

(last 3 stanzas)

now I am uncurling

young leaves on either side

then whoosh! I'm stretching upwards

first straight and tall, then wide.

my leaves are arched like bird's wings,

they flutter in the air.

my petals are unfurling

like a plate with yellow hair.

look at me! I'm swaying

a leaning, smiling tower.

I turn my face to catch the sun,

a tall and proud sunflower.

A Poke in the I

A Collection of Concrete Poems
Selected by Paul B. Janeczko

Janeczko, Paul B., comp. A Poke in the I. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2001. ISBN 0763606618

This book is a collection of 30 concrete poems written by visual poets and selected by Paul B. Janeczko. Each poem has been used in another published text, but was selected because of its style and concrete nature to be part of this book. When Janeczko puts together a book focusing on concrete poems he does not disappoint. Every piece of text in this book is written in concrete form, including the title page verso and notes from the editor. The notes from the editor content is arranged like the sounds coming out of a saxophone, and teach the reader about the form of concrete poetry. Janeczko goes all out and even writes his table of contents in the shape of a table. Each item in the table of contents is listed by the poem title, poet, and page number. There does not seem to be a particular reason for the arrangement of the poems. Readers will easily be able to locate certain poems through the table of contents, and they will be able to find their original sources with the acknowledgement pages in the back of the book.

Chris Raschka's illustrations are original and imaginative. His artistic style includes a mixture of watercolors and torn paper collages. The illustrations are extremely important to this book because they play a major role in the poem's structure. Some of the poems only contain one word, so the illustration helps the reader connect to the poem. Raschka does a great job in not overwhelming the reader with illustrations by having a white background so the text and art can stand out. While the focus of this book is concrete poems, readers will still experience all sorts of sounds and figurative language, particularly will alliteration consonance, assonance. Readers will have fun reading this book in class or for entertainment. They will also enjoy the multiple ways to display and read poems. The intended audience for this book is children ages eight to fourteen years old. This book will make a positive addition to a classroom or library collection. 

The poem I have selected to highlight for a poetry break is "Tennis Anyone?". In the book, this poem is written on two pages and a line is drawn between the two to represent a tennis ball going back and forth in a tennis game. A fun way to present this poem would be to have two students on opposite sides of the room toss a tennis ball back and forth. The students will recite their lines of the poem when they have the ball. Students will be engaged by the movement and actual interaction in the presentation of the poem. Below is the poem, but keep in mind that it has more power when accompanied by illustrations or an appropriate presentation.

Tennis Anyone? 
by Monica Kulling

Tennis                                                   is a
game I                                                  could watch
for hours                                               but my
neck won't                                            let me

Forest Has a Song

Poems by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

VanDerwater, Amy Ludwig. Forest Has a Song. Illustrated by Robbin Gourley. New York, NY: Clarion Book, 2013. ISBN 9780618843497

This book is a colorful collection of 26 poems written by one poet, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. Each of the 26 poems is strong enough to be used independent of this book, but when they are kept together they tell a beautiful story. The theme of this book is a forest. Every poem either has a connection to the forest or is the forest whispering. The poems will give readers a chance to listen to what the forest has to say as it invites a little girl and her dog to visit. Along the journey through the forest, readers will experience all sounds, rhythms, and uses of figurative language. Readers will easily make a connection to the forest. VanDerwater provides just enough emotional impact with this feel good book of poems. To allow readers to easily identify when a poem has different voices, VanDerwater uses italic lettering to distinguish who is speaking. This book is geared toward elementary and middle grade children as the intended audience.


The illustrations done by Robbin Gourley are beautiful. Gourley is represented on every single page of the book, from patterns of different colored leaves on the inside front and back covers, to an illustration for every poem, to a solid color painted blank page. Gourley's artistic style and use of watercolors is delicate and realistic. The illustrations and poems are perfectly matched, and each illustration definitely enhances the power of the poem. The layout of this book is simple and only contains illustrations and poetry. There is no table of contents, index, or reference page to find individual poems by. I would definitely recommended this book for libraries who serve children and young adults.


One poem I would highlight from this book to use in a poetry break is "April Walking". I chose this short poem because it packs a punch with alliteration and a touch of end rhyme. One way to integrate this poem into a lesson is in a speech or theater class. To assist with public speaking students recite sayings to help them not to get tongue tied. As a warm up, students will read this poem aloud several times. This poem is fun to read because it can twist the tongue. This could also be used in a reading classroom to take a mental break from serious work. 

April Waking
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater


Ferny frondy fiddleheads
unfurl curls from dirty beds.
Stretching stems they sweetly sing
greenest greetings sent to Spring.

Stop Pretending

What happened when my big sister went crazy
by Sonya Sones

Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending : What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1999. ISBN 0439250706

This novel is a collection of free-verse poems all written by one poet, Sonya Sones. This novel is an exploration through a young girl's life as she deals with the hospitalization of her older sister for mental health reasons. Each poem is a stepping stone through her emotional roller coaster during a difficult time in her life. Some of the poems are simple transitions between events, while others have deep meaning and presence in the story. The poems in this book were meant to be used together to explain the story Sones has to tell. This novel is not overly sentimental, but it does contain serious and emotional subject matter. Readers may empathize or sympathize, but they will definitely have some kind of emotional connection to this story. There are happy, serious, and depressing moods that are exhibited through the poems. In Sones' free-verse poems there is not a prominent sound or rhythm. She mainly writes with emotional impact and a touch of figurative language and sense imagery. The intended audience for this novel is females grades six through nine.

The layout of the book is important to the story that is being told. The only illustration for this book are the three pictures on the dust jacket. The pictures display blurry images of a female with a camera. Two of the pictures are the same image. Before the story beings, the author provides an acknowledgements page where she gives thanks to the people who guided and supported her in the journey of writing this novel. There is not a table of contents or index to help readers find individual poems. However, there is an author's note in the back of the book that gives the readers an insight into Sones' motivation in writing this novel. In this note, Sones writes about the preceding and resulting events of the story. In her conclusion, Sones offers resources on seeking help for mental health problems for yourself or someone you may know by listing helpful company names and phone numbers. This is a great novel to open people's awareness to mental health disorders, and how a whole family is affected by this disease. I would recommended this book for school and public libraries.

When thinking about how I would integrate this book into a lesson I decided that I would like to do a unit on the book, but have little activities and extension with certain poems. One of those poems would be "Minus". I chose this poem mainly for the last stanza in the poem. After reading the poem aloud together and then silently on their own, the student will give their interpretation of "4-1=0". Students will write their thoughts on a post it before they leave class as an exit ticket. The next day the teacher will have arranged the common interpretations and present them to the class. 

Minus

by Sonya Sones

Last night

Sister wasn't there

to help me study for my math test.

Father tried to fill in

but he's never been as good at math

as her.

This morning

I'm sitting here

taking the test

but the numbers on the page

keep scrambling

in my head

and the only equation

I really understand is:

4 - 1 = 0.

Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars

Space Poems and Paintings

By Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars : Space Poems and Paintings. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007.

ISBN 9780152053727

This book is a wonderful collection of space poems and paintings all created by author Douglas Florian. This is a perfect book to help reinforce space concepts in the science classroom.

The illustrations in this book are creative and a little abstract. Florian uses a combination of artistic styles to create the backgrounds of each page and poem. Each poem has a specific illustration filling up two pages and the poem is presented on one of the pages. Florian's interesting techniques definitely aide in enriching the content of each poem, and providing a helpful visual for readers. The book's layout is fairly straight forward with a table of contents in the front, and a glossary, selected bibliography, further reading, and title page verso in the back. The "Galactic Glossary" is extremely important to have when trying to teach real life concepts to young people. The only time the reader will see page numbers is on a page that holds a poem, and the page numbers are placed on the sides of the pages. This is not a traditional method of numbering pages but it is unique.

The consistency of this book is in the connection to space, and every poem has some sort of rhyming pattern. Each poem teaches readers about a single planet or space vocabulary word. Readers will experience humor, enjoyment, and knowledge as they read or have the poems read to them. One poem that stands out from the rest is "A Galaxy" because it is written as concrete or shape poetry. The words of the poem are displayed in a spiral, similar to a spiral of a black hole. Students will find this poem very interesting to read. All poems are short and sweet. They entertain the reader with end rhyming patterns and figurative language.

This book would be a positive addition to any library that serves children and young adults. I would recommend this book to all elementary science teachers to use in conjunction with space lessons. For example, a science teacher could read this book to introduce all the planets in our solar system. It will definitely enrich the student's learning.

It is really hard to pick just one poem to highlight from this book because they all are fabulous. The poem I would highlight is "A Galaxy". I would have this used during a poetry break. During a stopping point in an English teacher's lesson, the poem can be blown up and presented on the board or projector. The teacher will ask the students to read the poem silently and give them a little time. Then they will have a discussion on if the students had a difficult time reading the poem because of it's shape. After a little discussion the teacher or a selected student will read the poem to the class. This can lead into a lesson on concrete poems, or just be a nice little break from the busy work in class. The following is a picture of the poem written out. It doesn't not have the same effect without it's shape.

A Galaxy

by Douglas Florian

A Maze Me

A Poem for Girls

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Nye, Naomi Shihab. A Maze Me : Poems for Girls. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2005.

ISBN 0060581891

This book is a delightful collection of over 70 poems written from observations and experiences of Naomi Shihab Nye. All of the poems in this book are free verse, and they talk about life experiences of girls in childhood and teenage years. This book was written for girls ages 12 to 17 years old. Nye writes these poems like they are her own thoughts and young readers will be able to connect with poems. There is a very strong personal connection to be had when reading this book. 

This collection is simply arranged and separated by five sections. Each section is beautifully introduced with pastel-colored illustrations by Terre Maher. The beginning of the book contains a table of contents and introduction where the author talks about childhood and reminisces about school days before adulthood. She even suggests young readers to start writing three lines everyday about anything they want. She believes the reader will be able to make connections and truly learn more about who they are. This introduction really helps add to the personal touch of this book. The back of the book has an index that is a little different than most. The poems are listed by alphabetized first lines. The back cover and the inside dust jacket information are not summaries but actual poems to represent the contents of the book.

Poems in this book are not too flashy or complicated to read and understand. Some have abstract content, but the majority are descriptive and full of sense imagery, emotional impact, and figurative language. Nye writes a few poems with some rhyming features, but there is no specific rhyming patterns in her writing. She does include many metaphors and examples of personification. This is an overall pleasant book that is definitely recommended to have in any library who serves middle to high school age females.

A poem I would choose to highlight from this book would be Ellipse. As a Reading/English class warm-up, the teacher would read the poem aloud to the students. The students would then be asked to write down their impression of the poem. What came to mind as you were listening to the poem? Can you visually see punctuation marks on people? How do you feel about the poem? After a few minutes of reflection there would be a whole class discussion on the student's impression of the poem and the use of punctuation as physical markings on a person. This could also lead into a lesson on the mentioned punctuation marks and how they are normally used.

Ellipse
By Naomi Shihab Nye

My father has a parenthesis
on either side of his mouth.
His new words 
live inside his old words.
And there's a strange semicolon
birthmark on my neck-
what does it mean,
my sentence is incomplete?

Please,
live with me in the open slope
of a question mark.
Don't answer it!
Curl up in a comma
that says more, and more, and more...

Planet Middle School

By Nikki Grimes

Grimes, Nikki. Planet Middle School. New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2011.  

ISBN 9781599902845

Nikki Grimes creates humorous and heartfelt poems to tell the story of a twelve year old girl who is going through puberty. I can't say enough good things about this book. While reading, I found myself empathizing with the main character Joylin, and it brought me back to my experiences during such an "interesting" part of a girls' life. With that being said, the target audience for this book is definitely females around 12 years and older. Adult women will enjoy the humor Grimes uses to talk about a difficult part of girls lives. This book contains several laugh out loud moments that every women is sure to enjoy.

The layout of this book is specifically arranged to tell a story with poems of events in a sequential order. There are no illustrations in this book, and the only artwork is on the dust jacket. However, the cover art is important in how the reader visualizes the main character, Joylin. The cover displays an African American girl looking up at a sky of clouds and a basketball hoop. Young readers will visualize this girl when they read through the poems, but they may not if the picture on the front was a different girl. It can be hard for young readers to hear a subtle tone of a different race. Adult readers will be able to tell the culture of the characters by the poets' dialect. This book does not contain a table of contents, index, or reference to assist the reader in finding individual poems. Each poem is distinguishable by it's personal title. At the end of the book there is an acknowledges page from the author. 

The overall quality of this book is excellent. Every poem has individual meaning, but when they are used together they walk the reader through a funny and embarrassing journey. Nikki Grimes is the the sole author of the poems in this book. She provides a good mixture of emotions and moods throughout the book. The reader will be able to put themselves in the poems and experience the embarrassment, joy, and frustration as they take on this passage of life. Each poem in the book is written in verse. There are no rhyming patterns or distinctive sound, but the poems have a nice flow and are easy to read. The main focus of poetic elements are sense imagery and emotional impact with a touch of figurative language in personification and metaphors. The story of all the poems is the major player in this book, and Grimes knows how to capture an audiences attention with her humor and honesty. This is a must read for the middle and upper grades. 

Ultimately, I believe this book would be great to use with a female book club. With poems pertaining to personal female experiences, all genders may not feel comfortable talking aloud about the topic unless they were in a comfortable setting with the same gender. One poem that I found that could be used as a reflection on middle school is Planet Middle School. Not only is it the title of this book, but it can be used as a personal reflection piece. No matter how kids act, every one of them has awkward moments in middle school. I would use this poem to aide in a short writing prompt. The group will be asked to read and reflect on the specified poem silently first, and then the teacher/sponsor or a selected student will read the poem aloud to the group. The students will then be given the following prompt, "How can you relate to this poem? In your journal, write about a moment when you felt like you didn't belong?" Let the girls know that they do not have to share anything with the group that they do not want to. Make sure no one in the group feels pressured because this could be a sensitive subject. After the group has been given sometime to reflect, ask if anyone would like to discuss what they wrote. It could really turn out to be a wonderful and enlightening discussion.

Planet Middle School
by Nikki Grimes

"It was embarrassing,"
I told KeeLee.
"I'm trying on all these
strange contraptions,
and my mom's right outside
the dressing room,
dying for a peek!"
KeeLee shrugged.
"You're growing up," she said.
"That always weirds out parents."
"Still."
"I know."
Thank God for KeeLee.
She's the only familiar thing
about this crazy school year.
Bad enough my body's
turned against me.
On top of that
everything else is new:
new school, new teacher,
new classrooms
I need a map to find.
I swear, some days
I feel like an alien,
dropped off on
Planet Middle School
by mistake.
I keep scanning the skies,
searching for that spaceship
that's gonna take me home.