Bibliography of Poetry
Brenner, B., ed. (1994). The Earth is painted green: A garden of poems about our planet. Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. New York: Scholastic.
Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and mars: Space poems and paintings. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Hopkins, L. B. (1998). Climb into my lap: First poems to read together. Illustrated by Kathryn Brown. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Janeczko, P. B., compiler. (1994) Poetry from A to Z: A guide for young writers. Illustrated by Cathy Bobak. New York: MacMillan.
Livingston, M. C. (1996). “Arthur Thinks on Kennedy,” in A jar of tiny stars: Poems by NCTE award-wining poets, Bernice Cullinan, ed. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
McCord, D. (2007). “Bananas and Cream” in Here’s a little poem: A very first book of poetry; Yolen, J. and Peters, A. F., collectors. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
Mora, P. (2007). !Yum, mmmm, que rico!: America’s sproutings. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee and Low.
Nye, N. S. (2002). 19 varieties of gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. New York: Greenwillow.
Nye, N. S. (2008). "Cat Plate" from Honeybee. New York: HarperCollins.
Nye, N. S. and P. B. Janeczko, collectors. (1996). I feel a little jumpy around you: A book of her poems and his poems presented in pairs. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Park, Linda Sue. (2007). “Art class.” from Tap dancing on the roof: Sijo (poems). New York: Clarion.
Paul, A. W. (1999). All by herself: 14 girls who made a difference. Illustrated by Michael Steirnagle. San Diego: Harcourt.
Renz, M. J. and S. Van-Etten-Luaces, eds. (2008). de Veras? Young voices from the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
Rex, A. (2008). Frankenstein takes the cake. Orlando: Harcourt.
Sidman, J. (2005). Song of the Water Boatman: And other pond poems. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Smith, C. R. (2008). “Allow me to introduce myself,” from Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A celebration of poetry with a beat, Nikki Giovanni, ed. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Sones, S. (2001). What my mother doesn’t know. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Thomas, J. C. (2008). The blacker the berry. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. New York: HarperCollins.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You- Janeczko Poetry Book Review
Nye, N. S. and P. B. Janeczko, collectors. (1996). I feel a little jumpy around you: A book of her poems and his poems presented in pairs. New York: Simon and Schuster.
In this collection of 197 poems, collectors Nye and Janeczko pair poems in couplets, one by a male poet and one by a female poet, exploring the essences of men, women, their relationships, differences and similarities. The poems are linked by some common theme, like relationship with siblings or first kiss, or even eating an apple. Although no commentary is provided by the collectors, the pairing sets up a conversation between poems. The book is broken into four sections, which provides further scaffolding to the monumental intention- “to feel how many intriguing contrasts and connections there can be between the multitudes of hes [sic] and shes [sic].”
I found the poems to be stellar, giving glimpses of heartache, rage, time-weathered defeat, and youthful posturing, among a vast array of other experiences. The poets represented hail from a range of ethnicities, since many have been translated into English. Although often complex, older children and adolescents will gravitate to this collection.
Details that further improve the high quality of this already outstanding collection include contributors’ notes (160 of them!), excerpts from the often humorous collaboration process between Nye and Janeczko, and indices of poems by title, female poets and male poets.
Because of the odd number of poems, the final entry, by W. S. Merwin, brings resolution to a worthy exploration of the experiences of men and women:
Travelling Together
by W. S. Merwin
If we are separated I will
try to wait for you
on your side of things
your side of the wall and the water
and of the light moving at its own speed
even on leaves that we have seen
I will wait on one side
while a side is there
In this collection of 197 poems, collectors Nye and Janeczko pair poems in couplets, one by a male poet and one by a female poet, exploring the essences of men, women, their relationships, differences and similarities. The poems are linked by some common theme, like relationship with siblings or first kiss, or even eating an apple. Although no commentary is provided by the collectors, the pairing sets up a conversation between poems. The book is broken into four sections, which provides further scaffolding to the monumental intention- “to feel how many intriguing contrasts and connections there can be between the multitudes of hes [sic] and shes [sic].”
I found the poems to be stellar, giving glimpses of heartache, rage, time-weathered defeat, and youthful posturing, among a vast array of other experiences. The poets represented hail from a range of ethnicities, since many have been translated into English. Although often complex, older children and adolescents will gravitate to this collection.
Details that further improve the high quality of this already outstanding collection include contributors’ notes (160 of them!), excerpts from the often humorous collaboration process between Nye and Janeczko, and indices of poems by title, female poets and male poets.
Because of the odd number of poems, the final entry, by W. S. Merwin, brings resolution to a worthy exploration of the experiences of men and women:
Travelling Together
by W. S. Merwin
If we are separated I will
try to wait for you
on your side of things
your side of the wall and the water
and of the light moving at its own speed
even on leaves that we have seen
I will wait on one side
while a side is there
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Blacker the Berry- Serious Poetry Break
Thomas, J. C. (2008). The blacker the berry. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. New York: HarperCollins.
Introduction
Ask the children to recall a time when they felt someone judged them by how they looked, and what they thought or felt at that time and how they feel now.
Snowberries
by Joyce Carol Thomas
I look white
I am as light
as snowberries in fall
“I walk that walk
I talk that talk”
Yet
Still some say
“You’re not really Black!”
The words cut deep down
Beyond the bone
Beneath my snowy skin
Deep down where no one can see
I bleed the “one drop of blood”
That makes Black me
And I want to be as black
as midnight
and moonless water
So no words can wound me
Still I thankful
For all the blood drops I got
In my mind
Even one drop’s a lot
Extension
Invite the students to write down images or words that stick out for them from this poem or from their own memories of “not enough/too much.” Read the poem again and allow time for thoughtful contemplation and written response.
Introduction
Ask the children to recall a time when they felt someone judged them by how they looked, and what they thought or felt at that time and how they feel now.
Snowberries
by Joyce Carol Thomas
I look white
I am as light
as snowberries in fall
“I walk that walk
I talk that talk”
Yet
Still some say
“You’re not really Black!”
The words cut deep down
Beyond the bone
Beneath my snowy skin
Deep down where no one can see
I bleed the “one drop of blood”
That makes Black me
And I want to be as black
as midnight
and moonless water
So no words can wound me
Still I thankful
For all the blood drops I got
In my mind
Even one drop’s a lot
Extension
Invite the students to write down images or words that stick out for them from this poem or from their own memories of “not enough/too much.” Read the poem again and allow time for thoughtful contemplation and written response.
de Veras?: Young Voices from the National Hispanic Cultural Center- Book Review
Renz, M. J. and S. Van-Etten-Luaces, eds. (2008). de Veras? Young voices from the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
This raw compilation of teen expression magnifies beauty, tragedy, longing, loss, confusion and clarity- an honest representation of adolescent experience. Yet, this book reflects the complexity of human emotion, regardless of age.
The book is broken into five segments, each based on one summer writing institute session, and some poems respond to the art of the National Hispanic Cultural Institute. Some poems are written in Spanish or English, and some use both. Styles range from rhyming couplets to blank verse to stream of consciousness. At times, the content can veer to the vague and abstract, leaving the reader in orbit around a confused subject. Overall, however, this book is an invaluable addition to any high school and public library, especially as it represents points of view often ignored or undercut: teens and minorities.
I’d like to leave you with a sampling of greatness:
from Lauren Brenner’s “Ode to My Bed”:
But in the end, bed, we’ve been through it all:
Sleepovers and popcorn kernels and dogs that have died;
But we remain constant. The only action you guarantee me
Is the shutting of my eyes, and my ability to dream.
This raw compilation of teen expression magnifies beauty, tragedy, longing, loss, confusion and clarity- an honest representation of adolescent experience. Yet, this book reflects the complexity of human emotion, regardless of age.
The book is broken into five segments, each based on one summer writing institute session, and some poems respond to the art of the National Hispanic Cultural Institute. Some poems are written in Spanish or English, and some use both. Styles range from rhyming couplets to blank verse to stream of consciousness. At times, the content can veer to the vague and abstract, leaving the reader in orbit around a confused subject. Overall, however, this book is an invaluable addition to any high school and public library, especially as it represents points of view often ignored or undercut: teens and minorities.
I’d like to leave you with a sampling of greatness:
from Lauren Brenner’s “Ode to My Bed”:
But in the end, bed, we’ve been through it all:
Sleepovers and popcorn kernels and dogs that have died;
But we remain constant. The only action you guarantee me
Is the shutting of my eyes, and my ability to dream.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
"Cat Plate"- Poetry Break from a New Book
Nye, N. S. (2008). Honeybee. New York: HarperCollins.
Introduction
Have you ever tried to get back at a parent? Discuss.
Cat Plate
by Naomi Shihab Nye
That’s what we used to do in our house,
says Lydia, when we were mad at our dad-
we served him on the cat plate.
He didn’t know, since he never fed the cat.
It made us laugh secretly in the kitchen-
the plate had a crack so maybe
some cat saliva had stuck in there.
It gave us a little buzz.
Once when he was being really mean,
he grabbed what he thought was tuna in
a glass container
but it was cat food. Our mother, washing dishes,
froze with her mouth wide open when she realized-
I shook my head, finger on my lips.
From the living room he said, This tuna
has taken on a new taste.
No one told him.
We just did our homework silently
at the kitchen table
and grinned when we caught each other’s eye.
There were all kinds of ways
we felt better about our lives back then
and sometimes they surprised us.
Extension
Invite the students to draw a scene or object from this poem.
Introduction
Have you ever tried to get back at a parent? Discuss.
Cat Plate
by Naomi Shihab Nye
That’s what we used to do in our house,
says Lydia, when we were mad at our dad-
we served him on the cat plate.
He didn’t know, since he never fed the cat.
It made us laugh secretly in the kitchen-
the plate had a crack so maybe
some cat saliva had stuck in there.
It gave us a little buzz.
Once when he was being really mean,
he grabbed what he thought was tuna in
a glass container
but it was cat food. Our mother, washing dishes,
froze with her mouth wide open when she realized-
I shook my head, finger on my lips.
From the living room he said, This tuna
has taken on a new taste.
No one told him.
We just did our homework silently
at the kitchen table
and grinned when we caught each other’s eye.
There were all kinds of ways
we felt better about our lives back then
and sometimes they surprised us.
Extension
Invite the students to draw a scene or object from this poem.
Frankenstein Takes the Cake- New Favorite Poetry Book Review
Rex, A. (2008). Frankenstein takes the cake. Orlando: Harcourt.
In this follow-up to Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, Rex uses many of the same zany characters to create an insanely funny collection. If you’ve heard of fractured fairy tales, Rex’s work would be better described as fractured monster poems. He takes many of the spooky characters we know, such as the Headless Horseman, Dracula, and Edgar Allan Poe’s flock of ravens, and turns them into fallible, eccentric monsters-next-door.
Rex relies heavily on rhyme, allusion, and altered traditional folklore to induce side-splitting laughter. Like other fractured fairy tales, these poems will probably appeal to middle-grade to older students who’ve been exposed to the likes of Poe’s famous “The Raven,” blogging and Hitchcock's Birds to understand the somewhat advanced humor Rex creates.
Rex’s own artwork graces the pages and ranges from goth depictions of Poe, to a Chinese-brushstroke-inspired Godzilla, to a Peanuts-style comic book storyboard in “Dracula Jr. Wants a Big-Boy Coffin.”
My personal favorites are the three interspersed installments of Off the Top of My Head: The Official Blog of the Headless Horseman, which are complete with “real-life” photographs of the curmudgeonly pumpkin-head about town. I’ll leave you with the submission from October 5, 2008:
Please Stop Staring at My Delicious Head
by Adam Rex
It’s supposed
to be scary,
you know.
But this morning
I rode by a little cafe,
and it said pumpkin bisque
was their soup of the day.
As I passed, the chef stared
in the creepiest way.
Heaven knows how the crows always find me.
Or the pigeons that fly by but sneak up behind me,
then poke in their heads
to pick seeds through my eyes.
And although I hate pigeons,
I really despise
how the crows go all Hitchcock,
and day turns into night
as they claw and they caw
and they snap and they bite
and then back to the branches
or god knows what place;
and the flapping’s like clapping,
the caws are applause
for my big, orange, delectable face.
And these grandmas
won’t leave me alone.
They surround me and talk
about muffins and bread.
Or they hound me with
piecrusts and poke at my head.
“It’s a good one,” they whisper.
I wish I was dead.
Thank you, Mr. Rex, for the laughter you bring!
In this follow-up to Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, Rex uses many of the same zany characters to create an insanely funny collection. If you’ve heard of fractured fairy tales, Rex’s work would be better described as fractured monster poems. He takes many of the spooky characters we know, such as the Headless Horseman, Dracula, and Edgar Allan Poe’s flock of ravens, and turns them into fallible, eccentric monsters-next-door.
Rex relies heavily on rhyme, allusion, and altered traditional folklore to induce side-splitting laughter. Like other fractured fairy tales, these poems will probably appeal to middle-grade to older students who’ve been exposed to the likes of Poe’s famous “The Raven,” blogging and Hitchcock's Birds to understand the somewhat advanced humor Rex creates.
Rex’s own artwork graces the pages and ranges from goth depictions of Poe, to a Chinese-brushstroke-inspired Godzilla, to a Peanuts-style comic book storyboard in “Dracula Jr. Wants a Big-Boy Coffin.”
My personal favorites are the three interspersed installments of Off the Top of My Head: The Official Blog of the Headless Horseman, which are complete with “real-life” photographs of the curmudgeonly pumpkin-head about town. I’ll leave you with the submission from October 5, 2008:
Please Stop Staring at My Delicious Head
by Adam Rex
It’s supposed
to be scary,
you know.
But this morning
I rode by a little cafe,
and it said pumpkin bisque
was their soup of the day.
As I passed, the chef stared
in the creepiest way.
Heaven knows how the crows always find me.
Or the pigeons that fly by but sneak up behind me,
then poke in their heads
to pick seeds through my eyes.
And although I hate pigeons,
I really despise
how the crows go all Hitchcock,
and day turns into night
as they claw and they caw
and they snap and they bite
and then back to the branches
or god knows what place;
and the flapping’s like clapping,
the caws are applause
for my big, orange, delectable face.
And these grandmas
won’t leave me alone.
They surround me and talk
about muffins and bread.
Or they hound me with
piecrusts and poke at my head.
“It’s a good one,” they whisper.
I wish I was dead.
Thank you, Mr. Rex, for the laughter you bring!
Bananas and Cream- Poetry Break for Refrain
McCord, D. (2007). “Bananas and Cream” in Here’s a little poem: A very first book of poetry; Yolen, J. and Peters, A. F., collectors. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
Introduction
Perfect for a food storytime or a public library class visit, this poem begs children to chime in. Invite children to discuss their favorite foods.
Bananas and Cream
by David McCord
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream,
All we could say was
Bananas and cream.
We couldn’t say fruit,
We couldn’t say cow,
We didn’t say sugar-
We don’t say it now.
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream,
All we could shout was
Bananas and cream.
We didn’t say why,
We didn’t say how;
We forgot it was fruit,
We forgot the old cow;
We never said sugar,
We only said WOW!
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream;
All that we want is
Bananas and cream!
We didn’t say dish,
We didn’t say spoon;
We said not tomorrow,
But NOW and HOW SOON
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream?
We yelled for bananas,
Bananas and scream!
Extension
Read the poem aloud to model to the children. Next, invite the students to chime in on the refrain. For a variation on refrain, ask for a volunteer to read the one different word in the refrain (“say,” “shout,” “want,” “yelled”), while the other students do not say that word. Other fun activities include two children participating in the “we couldn’t say” lines. One child reads, “We couldn’t [or “don’t” or “forgot”] say,” and the other child says the last word in the line (“fruit,” “cow,” “sugar,” “now”). This technique would also work with call-and-response. Although the subject may seem too childish at first, the poem is contagious and many will join in the fun.
Introduction
Perfect for a food storytime or a public library class visit, this poem begs children to chime in. Invite children to discuss their favorite foods.
Bananas and Cream
by David McCord
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream,
All we could say was
Bananas and cream.
We couldn’t say fruit,
We couldn’t say cow,
We didn’t say sugar-
We don’t say it now.
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream,
All we could shout was
Bananas and cream.
We didn’t say why,
We didn’t say how;
We forgot it was fruit,
We forgot the old cow;
We never said sugar,
We only said WOW!
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream;
All that we want is
Bananas and cream!
We didn’t say dish,
We didn’t say spoon;
We said not tomorrow,
But NOW and HOW SOON
Bananas and cream,
Bananas and cream?
We yelled for bananas,
Bananas and scream!
Extension
Read the poem aloud to model to the children. Next, invite the students to chime in on the refrain. For a variation on refrain, ask for a volunteer to read the one different word in the refrain (“say,” “shout,” “want,” “yelled”), while the other students do not say that word. Other fun activities include two children participating in the “we couldn’t say” lines. One child reads, “We couldn’t [or “don’t” or “forgot”] say,” and the other child says the last word in the line (“fruit,” “cow,” “sugar,” “now”). This technique would also work with call-and-response. Although the subject may seem too childish at first, the poem is contagious and many will join in the fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
