Complete Bibliography of Books Cited Fall 2008/2009

Berry, James, and Shelly Hehenberger. (1999). Isn't My Name Magical? Sister and Brother Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Burg, Brad. 2002. Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play. Ill. by Rebecca Gibbon. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Florian, Douglas. 1993. Monster Motel. Ill. by Douglas Florian. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Publishers.

Florian, Douglas. 2006. Handsprings: Poems and Paintings. Ill. by Douglas Florian. Greenwillow Books: New York.

Franco, Betsy. 2003. Mathematickles! Ill. by Steven Salerno. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books.

Glenn, Mel. 1997. The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems. New York: Lodestar Books.

Greenfield, Eloise. 2009. Brothers & Sisters: Family Poems. Ill. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. New York: Amistad, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. San Diego, CA: Browndeer Press.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2000. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2008. Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Ill. by Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. (used for both a book review and a poetry break)

Janeczko, Paul B., ed. 2001. Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Nelson, Marilyn. 2001. Carver: A Life in Poems. Photo for poem by Eric Long. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street.

Nye, Naomi Shihab, ed. 2000. Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets. Ill. by Ashley Bryan. New York: Greenwillow Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Nye, Naomi S. 2005. A Maze Me: Poems for Girls. Ill. by Terre Maher. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. a Pizza the size of the Sun. Ill. by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Winters, Kay. 1996. Did You See What I Saw? Poems about School. Ill. by Martha Weston. New York: Penguin Books, USA, Inc.

Poetry Break with a Poem Written by a Child

Poetry Break with “Pictures” by Lori Herrell

Nye, Naomi Shihab, ed. 2000. Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets. Ill. by Ashley Bryan. New York: Greenwillow Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Introduction: Ask students to think of what is outside of the window(s) in their rooms, and allow students to respond. Explain to the students that the following poem was written by a young person, just like them, from any grade between Kindergarten and 12th (the book did not specify). Read “Pictures” at least twice.

Pictures

There are three windows in my room.
Nobody understands
my windows unless they
see them.

One holds
the entire upper floor
of my mother’s
scarlet Japanese maple
tree.
And some of the backyard
and the snow-white
garden gate
wedged between the overly
abundant green hedge.

Another window frames
the tightrope
where my bushy-tailed
acrobat friends
scurry along,
giving no thought to the fact
that down below awaits
not a circus net,
but a sidewalk.

My third window
can be my favorite
when I look down to see
my father
and mother
in the early morning sun
sitting on the patio
with their cups
of coffee.

Extension: Project the poem on an overhead or document projector so that the students can read the words themselves. On a sheet of drawing paper, ask each student to draw the following: one or more pictures of what is seen from the windows in the poem; as a follow-up exercise, if time permits, have the students draw what is seen from their own windows. Place a copy of the poem, along with the illustrations, in a classroom book for all to enjoy.

Book Review of a Compilation by Paul Janeczko

Janeczko, Paul B., ed. 2001. Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, compiled by Paul B. Janeczko, is a collection of mask poems. A mask poem is a poem written from the viewpoint of an animal, an inanimate object, or some aspect of nature. Mr. Janeczko includes poems from the viewpoints of a vacuum cleaner, a seashell, a washing machine, a dirty laundry pile, a maple tree, a bear, and a snowflake, as well as many others. The poems utilize both rhyme (i.e. “Job Satisfaction” by John Collis) and free verse form (i.e. “Prayer of a Snowflake” by Cynthia Pederson), and include several shape poems (i.e. “The Mosquito’s Song” by Peggy B. Leavitt). A rhyming poem that I found especially appealing is “Cat Speak” by Bobbi Katz.

Cat Speak

“Here, kitty, kitty!”
Imagine that!
Where did they learn to speak to a cat?
Annoying me while I’m taking my ease
in my blue comfy chair in the sun,
if you please.
Annoying me when I’m taking a nap!
Picking me up to plop on a lap!
They have things in a terrible muddle.
I’ll decide with whom I’ll cuddle.
Perhaps I’ll let them stroke my fur,
and when I wish, perhaps I’ll purr.
Perhaps I’ll brush against a leg.
But I give the orders, and I don’t beg.

Melissa Sweet’s illustrations of each poem bring out the subject with cheerful or dark colors, depending on the poem’s nature. Many of the poems contain multiple illustrations, showing the action of the poem or variants of the subject. All of the poems in the collection are appealing to the reader – some are very straightforward and some have more hidden meanings, making them appropriate for all elementary and middle school ages.

Paul Janeczko and Melissa Sweet have teamed together to bring a delightful book to students, teachers, and librarians in Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. As stated by School Library Journal, “Whether thoughtful or humorous in nature, many of [the poems] are on-target descriptions of a variety of unrelated objects. . . .” With this in mind, Dirty Laundry Pile can be used for pleasure reading, or as a springboard for helping students learn not only to identify mask poems but to write a mask poem themselves.

Jones, T., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & Scheps, S. (2001, August). Dirty Laundry Pile (Book Review). School Library Journal, 47(8), 169. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Poetry Break with a Difficult Subject in Children’s Lives

Poetry Break with “New Brothers” by Eloise Greenfield

Greenfield, Eloise. 2009. Brothers & Sisters: Family Poems. Ill. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. New York: Amistad, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Introduction: Ask students to think of a time in their lives when things weren’t going too well. Talk to your students about a difficult time in your own life (they love to hear about you, too). Let them know that everyone experiences hard times every now and then, and that you would like to read a poem about two “brothers”. Read “New Brothers”.

New Brothers

We had to get used to each other.
Just because my mother
married his father, it didn’t mean
we were a perfect pair.
I eyed him and he eyed me,
trying to find out
which one wanted to be
the most important, the smartest,
the funniest, the best.
It was a tie.
Now, we’re okay
and pretty much into
this brother thing.

Extension: Ask if anyone would like to share a difficult time he/she has gone through (if anyone will, it is good for children to know that others have problems just as they do). Have the students write a paragraph about their experience, and then work with each to put it into poetry form. This can include rewriting; weeding out unnecessary wording; finding a good place for the ends of lines and white space, etc. The students can share the poems if desired, or just paste them into their personal journals.

Poetry Break with a Poem with a Refrain

Poetry Break with “Rat for Lunch!”

Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. a Pizza the size of the Sun. Ill. by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Introduction: Give an overview of Jack Prelutsky, especially since this poem is fairly silly, and explain that he writes all kinds of poems. Print out a picture of Mr. Prelutsky, show it to the students, and begin a poet biography board. Write out some facts about Mr. Prelutsky (i.e. he loves baseball, he loves frogs, he likes to eat out, he attends the opera and symphony, he was once a cab driver, he likes to create games); have several students choose a fact to read out loud and then attach to the board. Explain that some poems have a refrain, or repeated section, and that you would like the class to read the refrain of this poem when indicated. Display the refrain on the whiteboard or overhead projector (or the entire poem if you wish). Read through the refrain with the class. When they are comfortable, indicate to the class when to read as you read the verses. Read “Rat for Lunch!”

Rat for Lunch!

Refrain:
Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

Scrambled slug in salty slime
is our choice at breakfast time,
but for lunch, we say to you,
nothing but a rat will do.

Refrain:
Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

For our snack each afternoon,
we chew bits of baked baboon,
curried squirrel, buttered bat,
but for lunch it must be rat.

Refrain:
Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

In the evening we may dine
on fillet of porcupine,
buzzard gizzard, lizard chops,
but for lunch a rat is tops.

Refrain:
Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

Rat, we love you steamed or stewed,
blackened, broiled, or barbecued.
Pickled, poached, or fried in fat,
there is nothing like a rat.

Refrain:
Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

Extension: Read the poem several times. Ask the children to respond to it – there are no right or wrong answers, just find out what the students think about the poem. Pass out other books by Jack Prelutsky (that are already in the classroom or checked out from the library) and ask the students to look through them and find a poem that they like. Ask each student to copy the poem onto a piece of paper and attach it to the poet biography board to complete the display.

Poetry Break with a Poem Published 2008/2009

Poetry Break with “Maps” by Jane Yolen

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2008. Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Ill. by Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Have on hand at least one topographical globe, more if you can borrow them from other teachers, and a map of your city or county. Allow the students to explore the surface of the globe(s), tracing the bumps for the mountains, rivers, etc. Hang the city/county map on the wall and allow the students to put some kind of marker on the street on which they live (teachers may not personally want to give out this information), or on a favorite spot if preferred. Locate the school and see the distance from the school to the other markers. Read “Maps”.

Maps

We are making maps:
maps of our classroom,
maps of our school,
maps of our town.
We let our fingers walk
the straight lines
from window to door,
down school hallways
that gently curve,
along town streets
as crooked as question marks.
We trace old rail lines,
the bumps of mountains,
a blue swirl of river,
the broad turnpike lanes.
You can walk like that all day
and never get tired.

Extension: Have students make a map of one of the images suggested in the poem: the classroom, the school, or the town. Have white paper, construction paper, scissors, map colors, glue, pencils, etc., on hand and encourage the students to be creative. Some may want to tape together several sheets of paper for the map; some may want to draw the map; some may want to cut out landmarks such as trees or desks from the construction paper. At the end of the time period, have the students who would like to present their maps and allow the other students to guess what was illustrated. Then post the maps outside the classroom door with the original poem “Maps” alongside.

Book Review of a Newer Poetry Book - 2008

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2008. Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Ill. by Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

“Contributed by well-known poets for young people (Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, among others), the poems in this bright compilation in the I Can Read! series describe a wide range of school experiences, from humorous scenes of hamsters on the loose to students’ dreaming up their own lines of verse. . .” This quote, from G. Engberg of Booklist, gives a compact description of Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems, the newest anthology from Lee Bennett Hopkins. The book is full of poems that can be used across the curriculum, such as “Hamster Math” by Janet Settimo, “Art Class” by Leslie Danford Perkins, “Library” by J. Patrick Lewis, “Looking Through the Microscope” by Sharon Vargo, and “Spelling Bee” by Heidi Bee Roemer. There are many more as well, ranging from teachers to lunch to the school play.

As mentioned by Engberg above, Hamsters… is part of the I Can Read Book series. It is considered to be Level 2, which is “High-interest stories for developing readers.” (back cover) This is evidenced in the layout of the poems. Each is a two-page spread, with words and colorful illustrations interspersed on each. Students will enjoy reading the poems and/or looking at the illustrations by Sachiko Yoshikawa, which are prominent and colorful enough to captivate pre-readers (or those who still depend on contextual clues in order to comprehend the text).

Students can relate to the poems, as each deals with some aspect of the school day or classroom. I especially liked “Backpack Buddy,” below, because it captures the feeling of a child for his/her backpack – the one consistent connection to his/her home during the day.

Backpack Buddy
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Zip it up. Off I ride,
everything I need inside. . .

sack of lunch, a permission note,
library books, a poem I wrote,
markers, folder, sticker stars,
a word list for our spelling bee. . .

Zip it up. Off I ride.
My backpack buddy and me.

Published in June of 2008, Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems is a delightful addition to the many anthologies of Lee Bennett Hopkins. It should become a staple of not only school and public libraries but individual classrooms as well.

Engberg, G. (2008, June). Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Booklist, 104(19/20), 83. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Curriculum Poetry Book Review

Franco, Betsy. 2003. Mathematickles! Illus. by Steven Salerno. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

I found Mathematickles! to have eye catching illustrations – on the front cover as well as on each of the pages, and the actual math problems are very clever and thought-provoking. However, to make sure, I sought expert advice. I asked my third-grade daughter to read and respond to it. She loved the book, and we enjoyed talking about the various equations, how to read them, and how the author, arrived at each answer. Because of Mathematickles! my daughter now knows how to read division problems and multiplication charts.

The personal exercise with my daughter has shown me that this book is a good and fun addition to any classroom or library and can indeed by used as a springboard for discussing many types of math problems. For instance, there are addition and subtraction poems; poems about multiplication and division; and, toward the end, poems using charts, graphs, and fractions. As each of these concepts is introduced and discussed, the teacher can insert numbers into each equation for a smooth transition from the words to numbers; or, they can be used as they are written to reinforce word problems.

Mr. Salerno’s illustrations perfectly complement each math poem, as he and Ms. Franco work through the seasons of the year in poetry and pictures. The cover features a fall scene with wind blowing the leaves around, chased by a girl and a cat. The title is a play on words – a combination of mathematics and tickles. Both the book title and the cover art should serve to entice a student (or teacher) to open the book for further exploration. Once inside, the bright colors with lots of movement depicted will help to keep the reader enthralled as he or she attempts to “solve” the poems.

Using Mathematickles! can bring excitement to, and enjoyment and understanding of, the sometimes difficult world of math. Ms. Franco and Mr. Salerno offer a well-laid-out book that will please children and teachers alike.

Poetry Break with a Biographical Poem

Poetry Break with “Egyptian Blue” by Marilyn Nelson

Nelson, Marilyn. 2001. Carver: A Life in Poems. Photo for poem by Eric Long. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street.

Introduction: This is an appropriate poem for this semester, as the King Tut exhibit is currently on display at the Dallas Museum of Art. Before reading the poem, gather pictures of Egyptian relics found in the tomb of King Tut from the internet, a book on Egypt, or a brochure from the exhibit. Point out the brilliant blue color of many of the artifacts. Read “Egyptian Blue”.

Egyptian Blue

From red clay spotted on a hillside
Carver came up with a quadruple-
oxidized pigment the blue
of a royal mummy’s innermost windings,
an Egyptian blue
no artist or scientist had duplicated
since the days of old King Tut.
It’s the bluest blue,
bluer than lapis.
Paint factories and manufacturers
of artists’ materials
begged him for the formula,
offering the top floor of Fort Knox.
He sent it
for the cost of the two-cent stamp
it cost to mail it.

It’s an indescribable blue.
You see it every day
on everything from shutters
to a child-sized flowered dress.
We’ve learned to live with it
without loving it, as if it were
something ordinary,
that blue the world sought for five thousand years.
Look around with me: There it is
in the folder on my desk,
in my close-up photo of a fairy tern,
in the thumbtacks in my corkboard
holding up photos, poems, quotes, prayers,
a beaded ancestral goddess juju doll
(it’s the blue of the scarab in her hand).
It’s the blue of that dictionary
of American Regional English,
of the box of eighty standard envelopes,
the blue of that dress waiting to be ironed,
the blue of sky in that Guatemalan cross,
it’s the blue of the Black Madonna’s veil.


Extension: This poem can be extended in several ways.

1) Science: Divide the class into groups of five each. Provide food coloring in primary colors (red, blue, yellow), a glass beaker, medicine droppers for each color, and a small stir stick. Assign three group members to be responsible for the colors, one member to stir, and one member to record the findings. Tell the groups that they will be combining colors and recording results. They can combine any number of drops of color in any order (washing out the beaker between combinations) as long as the recorder carefully writes down what was used (or the teacher can designate specific color combinations). At the end of the experiment, each group should present the color they liked the best, explaining how many drops of each color were added as they combine the colors for the class (each group could also combine the colors as the presenting group explains the process in order to see if the colors are the same in each beaker).

2) History/Social Studies: Ask the class if they know what a Fairy Tern is, what a Guatemalan Cross looks like, and what the veil of the Black Madonna looks like. Provide information about these items (for images, see the following links).

Fairy Tern: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2475182931_b3548d2bd1.jpg?v=0
Guatemalan cross: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22113793
Black Madonna: http://discoverblackheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/shrine-of-the-black-madonna.jpg

3) History/Social Studies: Either have the class do the poetry break in the library or have several books about Carver accessible in the classroom. Since he was a very interesting man, have the students work in pairs to find five facts about his life, as well as a date for each entry. Write each fact on a different strip of paper. Ask each group to present their facts in a time-line form, and then gather the facts in chronological order to have a quick reference for many of the events in Carver’s life.

NOTE: This book contains one poem detailing what happened to part of an African-American man’s male anatomy during a lynching. Therefore, it may not be appropriate to provide students’ direct access to it. Otherwise, the book is a fantastic read about the very interesting life of a man about which I knew nothing.

Poetry Break with a Spring Poem

“Spring Seeds” by Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. 2006. Handsprings: Poems and Paintings. Ill. by Douglas Florian. Greenwillow Books: New York.

Introduction: Bring in at least one package of flower or grass seeds for each student in the class, making sure that there is an assortment of small and large seeds for variety (if you have a younger or more juvenile older class you might want to only bring seeds of plants that are non-toxic). Give a disposable bowl to each student and have the students empty the seeds into them, making sure to keep the package with the bowl. Allow students to walk around the room and observe and touch each seed, and draw/document what each seed looks like in a personal journal. Read “Spring Seeds”.

Spring Seeds

We tilled the earth,
Took out the weeds,
Then in the soil
Planted seeds:
Pumpkin,
Parsley,
Carrot,
Pea.
Spring succeeds ex-seed-ing-ly.

Extension: This can be extended in several ways, depending on the age of the class and/or the availability of an outside planting area.
1) Give each student a small Styrofoam cup. Fill with potting soil and plant grass seeds; or
2) Use three or four large pots to plant a variety of seeds. Divide the class into groups – one for each pot, and allow each group to choose from the seeds provided. Have the groups document which seeds they chose; or
3) If possible, allow the students to choose two or three types of flowers/grasses to plant and take the class outside to a predetermined area to plant the seeds.

No matter which extension you choose, have students keep a chart of information such as how many of the seeds sprouted; how high each plant was on any certain day(s); how long each type of plant should take to grow; and whether or not the flower and/or grasses bloomed (if a blooming type was planted).

Note: if no outside ground is available, fluorescent lights or a window will work well for growing plants.

Poetry Break with a Concrete Poem

Poetry Break with “Catch” by Brad Burg

Burg, Brad. 2002. Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play. Ill. by Rebecca Gibbon. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Explain to the students what a concrete poem is (it is not written in wet cement), telling them that it is a poem that is not written straight down a page but can take the shape or form of something that it is about. Write an example on the board of a concrete poem, such as descriptive words of a cat written in the shape of C-A-T (or dog, or school, etc.). Show the students the book Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play and read“Catch” while showing the page to the students so that they can see the back-and-forth words in each line.

Catch (for actual page layout, see above graphic)


BLUE SKY

WHITE CLOUDS

HOT SUN

A- BOVE

THE BACK

AND FORTH

OF BALL

IN GLOVE

FRIEND THROWS

TO FRIEND

IN SLOW

TICK- TOCK. . .

THE SLEE-

PY SOUND

OF SUM-

MER’S CLOCK


Extension: If the students still do not understand the premise of concrete poems read more selections from the book. Ask the students to make/write their own concrete poems. The students may either make up a poem with illustrations themselves, or pass out prepared picture sheets for inspiration. Examples of picture sheets: a mountain range; an animal(s); a forest scene; a busy street; a gym; any other picture that would appeal to the students.

Poetry Break with Non-Rhyming Poem

Poetry Break with “Sleeping Outside” by Kristine O’Connell George

George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Before the students come in for the day, or while they are out of the room, erect a small tent in the classroom. If you do not have a tent, pull together some desks and throw a large sheet over them. Write two phrases on the board: “I like camping because. . .”, and “I don’t like camping because. . . .” As the students come into the class, encourage them to think about how it feels to go camping (some students may never have been camping, but can think of what it might be like). Sit in the tent with the students on the floor in front of you just outside the doorway. Read “Sleeping Outside”.

Sleeping Outside

Small me,
in a small tent
staked to a huge planet,
rolling slowly through open space –
alone.

Small me,
still wide awake
under a wide starred sky,
almost – almost – feeling the earth
turning.

Extension: Ask the students to close their eyes while you reread the poem. They are to imagine that they are under the starry sky, and how it would be to actually feel the earth spinning slightly. Have the students return to their desks and write a free verse poem beginning with either of the two phrases that have been written on the board. Invite each student to share his/her poem while sitting in the doorway of the tent while the other students sit around on the floor to visualize the poem being read.

Book Review - Verse Novel

The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems by Mel Glenn

Glenn, Mel. 1997. The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems. New York: Lodestar Books

The verse novel is a type of poetry book with which I was not familiar. After reading Mel Glenn’s The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems, I have great admiration for this type of writing. Being poetry, the story must be presented in compact sentences that carry great meaning, and this is exactly what Mr. Glenn accomplishes. The setting is the last day of school at a high school, and the book begins with the students standing in line for the yearbook. Through thoughts and dialogue (mostly one-sided, as almost each person is represented in his/her own poem), the reader is allowed to “see” the students instead of being told about them.

After the introductory section, the actual hostage story begins with a note being given to the assistant principal from Mr. Wiedermeyer, the senior history teacher. Mr. Wiedermeyer is a veteran teacher, but for some reason he will not open his door. The book consists of the remembrances of every hostage student, one poem each for the four years in high school plus that last day, with five poems total per person. Woven throughout the story are reactions from the local police, television crews, parents, and bystanders. Interestingly, there are no direct thoughts from Mr. Wiedermeyer himself, only reactions from the students as they enter his class and find him waving a gun.

Mr. Glenn’s portrayal of each student is satisfactory. The reader is allowed to view the maturation of the students as they progress from ninth grade (some are very nervous and still child-like) through their senior year. The emotions encountered as each student enters the history class range from complete fear to bravery to swaggering nonchalance. The situation is finally resolved, and Mr. Glenn wraps up the ending nicely.

The entire book is a study of human emotions that will resonate with those in high school and late middle school, and with the teachers who encounter unknown situations each day. I found The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems to be a quick read, but with much substance. According to Lesesne and Beers “The suspense of the situation will attract the reader; the power of the poetry will enthrall them.” (Lesesne & Beers, 1997)

Lesesne, T., & Beers, K. (1997, September). Review. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 41(1), 82. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Book Review - Naomi Shihab Nye

A Maze Me: Poems for Girls by Naomi Shihab Nye

Nye, Naomi S. 2005. A Maze Me: Poems for Girls. Ill. by Terre Maher. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

My initial attraction for this book began with the two parts of the title - Poems for Girls, and the play on words of A Maze Me. As I was reading the poems, I could easily imagine the events described, whether they took place in a specific setting or simply in the mind. Although some of the poems could be for either girls or boys, the overriding pronoun is “she”, allowing the feminine reader to slip into the context of the poems. Ms. Nye includes a seven page introduction that gives the premise for writing the book; I found the writing to be beautiful and eloquent, evoking images of a memory of Ms. Nye’s fast-approaching thirteenth birthday as she struggled with the desire to mature and the desire to stay a child. Because of this, the poems may be more appropriate for late elementary or middle school readers.

The cover of the book features an eye-catching turquoise background with colored circles super-imposed over a round window of white. Physically, the book is small enough to fit comfortably in one’s hand, the poems are spaced in a very reader-friendly way on the pages, and the inside jacket cover presents a poem instead of the usual prose teaser.

Divided into five sections, poems of similar themes are collected within individual headings, and the illustrator, Terre Maher, pictured several of the images from the poems of each section on the heading page. An interesting feature was that Ms. Nye has written the title of some of her poems to lead into the body – as if the title is the first line of the poem. I chose to highlight “Little Chair” from Section One: Big Head. It embodies the need for children to feel that there is a secure area for them in every place and in every circumstance, and how that secure feeling can manifest itself even into adulthood.

Little Chair

1
I didn’t mind so much
growing out of little girl clothes
the blue striped shirt
the corduroy jumper
giving up Candy Land
and my doctor’s kit
but never again to fit
the turquoise Mexican chair
with flowers painted on it
hurt

I keep it in my room till now
a throne for the stuffed camel
Little kids sit on it when they visit
The straw in the seat is still strong
The flowers are always blooming

2
Miss Ruth Livingston
who taught first grade for forty-three years
in Marfa, Texas
kept a little reading chair
in front of the windows in her classroom
Whenever her students finished their work
they knew they could go over to the little chair
and read
It was a safe place
Their minds could wander anywhere
I wish everyone in the world had a little chair

3
Recently a big cowboy wearing sunglasses
came to Miss Livingston’s house and asked where
“that old furniture from our classroom went”
She’s ninety-seven now
She still has her china-faced dolls
from when she was small
She pointed at the wooden reading chair
sitting in front of the windows
in her beautiful living room
He walked over to the little chair
with his hands folded
and silently stood there, stood there

Ms. Nye’s poems evoke a wide range of emotions from nostalgia, understanding, distaste, joy, and memories of everyday happenings. School Library Journal states “This thoughtful collection encourages readers to observe the world around them, look inward and savor their experiences, and appreciate the comfort and clarity that words provide. Covering many different subjects, the free-verse poems are playful yet perceptive and combine a childlike viewpoint with startling bits of wisdom.” A wonderfully written book, A Maze Me: Poems for Girls provides the reader a chance to ponder such things as sibling love, favorite teachers, hopes and dreams, and the written word.

A Maze Me: Poems for Girls. (2005, October 2). School Library Journal, Retrieved February 19, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Poetry Break with Douglas Florian

Poetry Break with “The Monster Motel” by Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. 1993. Monster Motel. Ill. by Douglas Florian. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Publishers.

Age Group: Early Elementary

Introduction: Write the ending words of each line on the board in two columns of five words each, making sure that the corresponding rhymes are on opposite sides (but not across from each other). Have the students find which words rhyme, and allow students to come to the board and draw a line between them. After discussing the rhyming words, tell the students to listen for them in the poem.

The Monster Motel

Welcome to the Monster Motel,
Where mostly monstrous monsters dwell,
They crawl the walls and gore the floors,
They shred the beds then saw the doors.
They box the clocks while chewing chairs
And throw each other down the stairs.
They beat the sheets then tear the towels,
They fill the night with hoots and howls.
They screech and scream and yip and yell
At the horribly horrid Monster Motel.

Extension: Show the illustration of the poem to the class. Provide large paper plates for the students to make their own monster masks. Cut out eyeholes; glue on a popsicle stick for the handle; and let the students decorate with crayons, markers, felt, streamers, and any other material that will make a monster mask. Finally, let the new monsters act out the poem (carefully) while you read it again.

Poetry Break with Mary Ann Hoberman

Poetry Break with “Raccoon” by Mary Ann Hoberman

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. San Diego, CA: Browndeer Press.

Age Group: Late Elementary

Introduction: Bring enough colored plastic eggs for each student in the class, small dried peas/beans, and electrical tape (or any other strong flexible tape). Give an egg to each student and have him/her put a small amount of peas/beans inside to make a shaker egg rhythm instrument. Seal with electrical tape. Pass out a copy of “Raccoon” to each student and read it to them in an upbeat rhythmic fashion.

Raccoon

Crash goes the trash can! Clatter and clacket!
What in the world can be making that racket?
I hurry to look by the light of the moon,
And what do I find? Why, a fine fat raccoon!
All through the garden the garbage he’s strewn,
And he’s eating his supper, that robber raccoon,
Eating so nicely without fork or spoon,
Why, his manners are perfect, that thieving raccoon!
And wasn’t he smart to discover that pail?
And wasn’t he smart to uncover that pail?
And isn’t he lucky he won’t go to jail
For stealing his dinner and making a mess
For me to clean up in the morning, I guess,
While he, the old pirate, abundantly fed,
Curls up in a ball fast asleep in his bed?

Extension: Have the students read the poem with you, shaking the eggs on the beat. Then, after the class is comfortable with the words and rhythm, divide into two groups and have each group read alternating lines. Encourage the children to slap their legs, a desk, etc., in addition to shaking the eggs to feel the rhythm of the poem.

Poetry Break - African American Poet

Poetry Break with “Isn’t My Name Magical?” by James Berry

Berry, James, and Shelly Hehenberger. (1999). Isn't My Name Magical? Sister and Brother Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Teacher: bring a book to class that tells the meaning of the name of each child in your class. If a name(s) is not in the book, take time to email the parents/guardian of the child beforehand to ask the meaning of the child’s name. Ask students if they know what their names mean, and then read/tell the meanings if they do not. Read “Isn’t My Name Magical?”

Isn’t My Name Magical?

Nobody can see my name on me.
My name is inside
and all over me, unseen
like other people also keep it.
Isn't my name magic?

My name is mine only.
It tells I am individual,
the one special person it shakes
when I’m wanted.

Even if someone else answers
for me, my message hangs in air,
haunting others, till it stops
with me, the right name.
Isn’t your name and my name magic?

If I’m with hundreds of people
and my name gets called,
my sound switches me on to answer
like it was my human electricity.
Isn’t that magical?

My name echoes across playground,
it comes, it demands my attention.
I have to find out who calls,
who wants me for what.
My name gets blurted out in class,
it is a terror, at a bad time,
because somebody is cross.

My name gets called in a whisper
I am happy, because
my name may have touched me
with a loving voice.
Isn’t your name and my name magic?

Extension: Ask each student to think about his/her name. Ask if they like their names, allowing any student that wishes to respond as to why or why not. Afterwards, have the children make an acrostic of their names using words or phrases that they think describes them (their appearance, character, etc.). Allow any to share their acrostics with the class that would like to. (Teacher: make sure and take up the acrostics to read personally to gain any insight into a student’s personality).

Poetry Book Review: Hopkins Anthology

Book Review: My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, and Stephen Alcorn. 2000. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. New York: Simon & Schuster.

As a geography enthusiast, I greatly enjoyed this book. It contains a collection of 50 poems, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins, divided by states into eight geographical regions. Each section heading gives information on the states within that geographical area, such as the state bird/flower, the capital, when it became a state (and what number), and a fact about that state. The poetry within each section may be about a specific state, a land formation, or simply something that can be found within that region such as a landmark or a type of tree.

Coupled with the illustrations of Stephen Alcorn (also the illustrator of the anthology Hoofbeats, Claws and Rippled Fins: Creature Poems, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins as well), the poems found in this book would appeal to all ages; the subjects of the poems range from lighthouses and seagulls to poems with subjects that will be recognized by older students, such as John F. Kennedy. Many of the poems also employ thought-provoking themes, such as in “Until We Built a Cabin” by Aileen Fisher. The main point of this poem is that the reader had no idea that there were so many stars that could not be seen until he/she traveled out of the city.

These poems employ both free verse and rhymes, and each evokes images of the different places that can be visited throughout the great and majestic land of the United States of America. According to J. Fleishhacker of School Library Journal, “This sweeping epic of 50 poems celebrates the diversity, beauty, and spirit of our nation.” (Fleishhacker, 2004)

One of my favorites from My America is “Grandpa’s Trees” by Barbara M. Hales (Plains States Section). This poem speaks to me because, like the grandfather in the poem, my father planted many trees when he built his house in the middle of open pastureland.

Grandpa’s Trees

My grandpa built a farmhouse
Half a century ago.
On Arbor Day he planted trees
In one long tidy row.

He says they looked like beanpoles,
So leafless, frail, and small.
He tended them those early years
Though they gave no shade at all.

Today I counted forty trees
Tall-grown and sturdy-stout.
Their branches hug each other
As the wind blows them about.

They’ve sheltered Grandpa’s farmhouse
In every sort of weather.
To me, they’re friendly giants
Holding earth and sky together.

Fleishhacker, J. (2004, January). My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States (Book). School Library Journal, 50(1), 80-80. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Poetry Break - A Poem about School

Poetry Break with "The Best" by Kay Winters

Winters, Kay, and Martha Weston. 1996. Did You See What I Saw? Poems about School. New York: Penguin Books, USA, Inc.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Call all of the children to a special story place in the room. Ask the children to think of a favorite book that they have read (or had read to them if they cannot yet read). Then, read the poem "The Best". Reread it so that the children can digest more of the poem and not just hear the words.

The Best

The best part
of the day
is when I hear
the teacher say,
"Sit by my chair
while I read."

We sprawl
on the rug.
It's like listening
to a hug,
while the story magic
pours over me.

Extension: ". . . it's like listening to a hug. . ." Talk about times when the students feel secure/safe (if there is a student(s) in the class from a dysfunctional home(s), this may be an eye-opener as to where the child feels safe). Then, ask children about their favorite books. They may not be able to remember the titles, but they should be able to describe at least one favorite scene from the book or remember a feeling that the book evokes. If the class is older, have the students write about the favorite book, such as a scene that stands out from the rest of the story.