Librarian’s Corner: Poetry for Everyone!

Posted on 04/13/2014

When I was young, I was not a strong reader starting out, but my grandparents’ leather-bound books of children’s literature contained things I could read with ease: poems. Poetry culls some of the best features of language – wordplay, rhythm, tone, voice, rhyme, and more – down to bite-sized delights that can be enjoyed in one sitting. I’m a much better reader now, and I savor poetry in quiet moments. I especially enjoy reading it aloud to my children. – Stephanie Parsley

For the youngest readers:

Digger, Dumper, Dozer by Hope Vestergaard (Candlewick, 2013)

Who’s ever heard of a skid-steer loader – or read a poem about one? (I have! I have!) From garbage truck to ambulance, steamroller to cherry picker, Vestergaard’s poems, combined with acrylic-and-charcoal illustrations by David Slonim, bring construction and community helper vehicles to life for little ones. Adults won’t get bored reading these aloud, as there’s plenty of fun rhythm, thoughtful rhyme and colorful art to delight the mind, ear, and eye.

Who made this hole? A digger.

Too small? We’ll make it bigger …

(From “Excavator”)

For the transitional readers:CatTalk

Cat Talk by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest (Katherine Tegen Books, 2013)

Readers who’ve ever experienced a cat pouncing on their feet or taking a nap on their clean white shirts will recognize and love the cats on these pages. But these 13 poems aren’t just for people who’ve been wakened by scratchy-tongue licks. Though they’re accessible for young readers and of course appealing to cat lovers, MacLachlan and Charest’s collection of 13 poems will have readers of all ages and cat-familiarity levels flipping back through the pages to linger in certain poems and the rich, realistic water-color paintings by Barry Moser.

… As hard as I try, I could never be more beautiful

Than I am

Now.

(From “Princess Sheba Darling”)

For the older readers: lemonade poems

Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka (Roaring Brook Press, 2011)

Each poem in this collection uses only letters from the single-word subject – such as “Friend” (fred / finds / ed). The deceptively simple poems are paired with black-and-red illustrations that are almost retro in style. The book is thoughtfully designed, with colors and text that add to the poems to create an addicting reading experience. It will be difficult for readers to take in these poems without wanting to try writing their own.

Steph Parsley Ledyard sm.Stephanie Parsley Ledyard is a writer, certified teacher, and high-school library assistant who lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, two daughters (ages 16 and 3), cats, and dog. She publishes her own poetry on her blog, Sparsely and has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Hi, Koo! … Haiku

Posted on 04/10/2014

Haiku – a short, traditional Japanese poem, usually about the seasons or nature – is a form that often finds its way into elementary classrooms. Invite students to write Haiku poems – traditionally written in English using a pattern of five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and a third line of five syllables –  by reading several of the books listed below and then take kids on a poetry walk, as suggested in Carole Cox’s Reading Rockets lesson, “Literature-Based Teaching in Science: Poetry Walks.” 

Hi, Koo! – A Year of Seasons by Jon  J. Muth (Scholastic Press, 2014)

From Kirkus’s starred review : “Long before photography, poets took to haiku, the poetic equivalent of a snapshot, and painters to the suggestive medium of watercolor to capture the essence of moments in nature. Caldecott Honoree Muth (Zen Shorts, 2005) employs both, with the help of his playful panda Koo, to present 26 moments through the seasons.”

today and today illustrated by G. Brian Karas

today and today Haiku by Issa, pictures by G. Brian Karas (Scholastic Press, 2007)

From the flap copy: “Selected and arranged by gifted illustrator G. Brian Karas to tell of an ordinary, extraordinary year in the life of one family, these haiku bring to light the preciousness of this moment, and the wonder of today.” 

Cool Melons Turn to Frogs!

Cool Melons Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa, story and Haiku translation by Matthew Gollub, illustrations by Kazuko G. Stone (Lee & Low, 2004)

From Publisher’s Weekly: “This superb homage to the 18th-century Japanese haiku master is as elegant and spare as the poet’s form. Gollub’s (The Moon Was at a Fiesta) brief biography introduces Issa’s pertinent haiku and tells the story of Issa’s transformation from a sad child (his stepmother thwarted his gift) to a recognized, talented poet.”
Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, art by Ed Young Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, art by Ed Young (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2008)

From the flap: “Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages.”

GuyKu by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Peter H. ReynoldsGuyKu: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2010)

From the flap copy: “When you’re a guy, nature is one big playground—no matter what the season. There are puddles to splash in the spring, pine trees to climb in the summer, maple seeds to catch in the fall, and icicles to swordfight with in the winter…So what kind of poetry best captures these special moments?… Why, guyku, of course!”

Don’t miss How to Write a Haiku by Bob Raczka and the other GuyKu resources HERE.

Won Ton- A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illlustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

From Booklist, starred review: “Although the subtitle says haiku, as Wardlaw explains in her opening author’s note, the poems that make up this picture-book celebration of the child-pet bond are actually written in similarly structured senryu, a form that focuses on personality and behavior instead of on the natural world, as haiku does. Here the central personality belongs to a feisty shelter cat who has never known cozy domestic life: ‘Nice place they got here. / Bed. Bowl. Blankie. Just like home. / Or so I’ve been told.'”

Wing Nuts- Screwy Haiku

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku by Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Tricia Tusa (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006)

From the flap: “Senryu, the kissin’ cousins of haiku, are poems of snickers and laughter. Short, punchy, and punny… This spirited collection of senryu will leave children rolling with laughter as they untangle the riddles and wordplay.”

Poetry Tools

Posted on 04/08/2014

Poetry is the language of our hearts and souls. It’s both meaning and music. It’s rhyme and rhythm, surprise and sound. Poetry is language compressed. It’s precision, image, and part of our common cultural language.

For all these reasons, kids need poetry as much as anyone. Search the keyword “Poetry” on the Common Core State Standards Initiative site and you *will* find it mentioned! A two-page list of  signposts that spiral up the grades, growing in complexity. Here are two of the standards, taken from Grade 2 ELA.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4
Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

 

Teachers know that their best teaching comes from their passions. As Georgia Heard says in Poetry Lessons to Meet the Common Core State Standards, “You can’t read a poem occasionally and expect students to develop a deep appreciation, understanding, and love of poetry.” Let poetry become your passion and part of your classroom’s fabric! Here are a few resources to help do just that.

For the Good of the Earth and Sun by Georgia Heard

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School (Heinemann, 1999) and

For the Good of the Earth and Sun: Teaching Poetry (Heinemann, 1989), both by Georgia Heard, are wonderful books about teaching, writing, and encouraging poetry in your own life and the lives of your students.  I’ve found chapter 4 in Awakening the Heart, on the meaning and music toolboxes, to be particularly helpful in teaching students about the “sense and song” of poetry.

How to Write Poetry by Paul B. Janeczko

How to Write Poetry by Paul Janeczko (Scholastic, 1999) is another favorite.  I especially love the POETCRAFT sections on topics such as “Sound,” and “Creating Images.” Janeczko also includes tips from poets, suggested reading, and short “Try This…” prompts.

Poem-Making by Myra Cohn Livingstona

Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry (HarperCollins Publishers, 1991) by Myra Cohn Livingston covers an enormous amount of ground in short, easy-to-read chapters. It may have been written for children, but I’ve found it to be an easy and concise primer on poetry basics such as: voices of poetry, sound, rhyme, rhythm and metrics, form, and figures of speech.  If you’re just getting started in poetry, this is a must have.

 

Firefly July and a Poem for Every Season

Posted on 04/06/2014

Most kids are familiar with the accessible verse of Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends and Jack Prelutsky’s The New Kid on the Block (or his poem, a regular classroom favorite, “Homework! Oh Homework!”). But for many kids, that’s as far as their poetry knowledge goes. And in a time of tightened school budgets and piled-on curriculums, it’s often the case that beautiful, new poetry collections go undiscovered. That’s why today I’m sharing one brand new and three newish favorites. All are collected around the theme of “Seasons,” each offering teachers, parents, librarians, and students a terrific selection of  poetry goodness.

FIREFLY JULY: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

This brand new collection, strikingly illustrated in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media by Melissa Sweet, has already garnered a host of dazzling reviews. Thirty-six very short poems (none longer than 10 lines, some lines being only one word long) celebrate the seasons, not only as images that remind readers of changes in weather, but also as poems that, against the backdrop of Sweet’s colorful art, convey the mood of the chosen season.  Take William Carlos Williams’s familiar, “The Red Wheelbarrow” which is found in the section titled “Spring,” or Carl Sandburg’s “Fog,” which is grouped with poems about winter. In a strict sense, neither poem need be limited to a particular season. And yet, grouped as each is and taken as a whole – poem and illustration – each offers a refreshing, new way of thinking about seasons.

A mix of  familiar (as mentioned above) and unfamiliar poems (such as “In Passing” by Gerald Jonas and “A Happy Meeting” by Joyce Sidman), this is a collection to read, share, and inspire.

Sharing the Seasons, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by David Diaz

As a brand-new teacher long ago,  I learned to fill my classroom walls with poetry – seasonal poems that were always there – ready to chant, enjoy, memorize. Poetry became our shared experience; seasonal poems, an important part of our canon. Even using this one book, SHARING THE SEASONS: A Book of Poems, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by David Diaz (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010) , any teacher would have a hard time settling on only four or five poems for each season. Perhaps, “Budding Scholars” by April Halprin Wayland about flowers who’ve become students. Or “Winter Home” by Rebecca Kai Dotlich about barns and beds, rags, and shreds of cloth tucked into tiny mouskin spaces…

Red Sings from the Treetops by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

I’ve mentioned Joyce Sidman‘s poetry before on ReaderKidZ and her collection RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A Year in Colors (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), for which illustrator Pamela Zagarenki won a Caldecott Honor, is perhaps my most favorite. Color and season come together in this whimsical collection that will inspire students to write their own seasonal/color poems.

Here’s a snippet of “Spring” – “Green peeks from buds,/ trembles in the breeze. /Green floats through rain-dark trees, /and glows…/Green drips from tips of leaves…In spring, even the rain tastes Green. ”

Julie Andrews Treasure for All Seasons

Looking for a month-by-month collection? Try Julie Andrews’ Treasury for All Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year, (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012) selected by Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton, with paintings by Marjorie Priceman – a diverse collection which includes poems by familiar poets such as Langston Hughes (“I Dream a World” , “My People”) and Christina Rossetti (“A Christmas Carol”) and others, less well known, by poets such as Barbara Juster Esbensen (whose book, A Celebration of Bees: Helping Children to Write Poetry, is an OOP gem worth buying used, or as an ebook).

What are some of your favorite kids’ poetry books for all seasons?

Words with Wings – Nikki Grimes

Posted on 04/02/2014

Earlier this week, we shared a review of Nikki Grimes’s wonderful new novel, Words with Wings. Today the ReaderKidZ visit with Nikki to learn more.

NANCY: OK, Nikki – a few fun questions: What are some of your favorite words?  Can you suggest one word that for readers to “try on” for flying into daydreams? Do you have a part of the day/ time of the day, each day, for daydreaming and other times that daydreams need to stay tucked away in desk drawers?

As I emailed these questions, I did my own daydreaming and I imagined Nikki Grimes smiling, thinking about when she was writing this book, maybe even daydreaming a few minutes. Nikki wasn’t day dreaming for long.  She quickly answered:

Nikki:  The poetry in WORDS WITH WINGS flowed from my imagination.  My memories of the daydreams of my own childhood are not quite as vivid!Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

I was never encouraged to daydream, as a child.  In fact, my flights of fancy always got me into trouble. Every report card I ever brought home had some complaint in the comment section about the fact that my mind was given to wander.

I was never lucky enough to have a teacher like Mr. Spicer.  I wish!  The real Mr. Spicer does exciting work with his first and second graders.  He sets aside time in each class for students to daydream, and then write and create visual art based on those daydreams.  Where was Mr. Spicer when I was a kid!?

My daydreams aren’t scheduled.  They happen throughout the day, slipping in where they please!  It is always a wonderful surprise, to me.  I’ve learned the value of daydreams, unless I’m behind the wheel, I simply let them come!

I love so many different words; it’s impossible to choose a favorite!  I guess, in general, I like words that are invitations, words like “stairway.”  You immediately have to ask: stairway coming from what?  Leading to where?  I love words like that.

“Island” is a great word for flights of fancy, I think.  The word, itself, is loaded with possibility.  Island is a word that can take you on a journey, and that makes it a perfect word for a daydream!

Thank you, Nikki, for sharing your wings with your words, stories, and poetry.

WORDS WITH WINGS (Wordsong, 2013) Written in vivid, accessible poems, this remarkable verse novel is a celebration of imagination, of friendship, of one girl’s indomitable spirit, and of a teacher’s ability to reach out and change a life.

Poetry Here!

Posted on 03/31/2014

As far as the ReaderKidZ are concerned, every month of the year should filled with poetry. But come April, it’s official – National Poetry Month! This month we’ll be sharing some of our favorite poetry collections, anthologies, and novels in verse. We’d love to hear about your favorites, too!

Try reading poetry late at night in bed, or early in the morning riding to school, or even while eating a peanut butter sandwich.  The sounds and songs within a poem can unlock one’s thinking and let imagination fly.  The metaphor within a poem or even in one word, can become a magic door to understanding or just plain enjoying a sight, sound, or one’s imagination in a fresh new way. – Nancy

WORDS WITH WINGS, A story in verse by Nikki Grimes

More and more, Gabby’s parents are arguing, fighting, not talking.  Finally Dad storms off and does not return.  Then the big word, DIVORCE.  Gabby has always been a dreamer and now her daydreaming becomes the world she prefers.  Words are her escape.  Words give her wings.  But too much daydreaming causes problems – no friends, trouble in school, and an angry, frustrated mother who demands that Gabby “stay tuned in” and STOP daydreaming.

No one understands.  Moving to a new school means losing her one good friend and Gabby’s new classroom offers no hope of a friend who “gets it.” Will Gabby risk befriending the kid who never looks up, never speaks, just keeps drawing?

Nikki’s simple, evocative verses quickly introduce us to Gabby who feels lonely and isolated, even different – a feeling we all know and often keep secret.  Nikki invites the reader to take flight along with Gabby:  “Say ‘waterfall,’ and the dreary winter rain…turns to liquid thunder, pounding into a clear pool… and I can’t wait to dive in.”

On the suggestion of her teacher, Gabby takes the challenge to write down her dreams.  In the process, Gabby makes an amazing discovery – she doesn’t have to stop daydreaming. She can use her dreaming to create poetry and stories that connect with her classmates, and even her mother.  Gabby writes:  “…I’ll let her [Mom] keep her daydreams, since she’s finally, letting me keep mine.”

Drop by ReaderKidZ later this week to learn more about Words with Wings and read a short conversation with author Nikki Grimes.

WHEN DOGS DREAM

Posted on 03/30/2014

WHEN DOGS DREAM by Jean Ekman Adams (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2013)

Four furry, homeless friends have great adventures and good times together. But each one dreams about – wonders  – what it would be like to have a real home.

“When it freezes, we could sleep in the bed . . . And when it thunders, we could sleep under it.”  Snarfy, Darryl, Shine, and Shorty live out under the great Western sky. Jean Ekman Adams creates their southwest desert world with splashes of color, funny and unusual images.  Each page is a surprise, a smile, and a delight.  With some “elbow dog grease,” which includes pounding, painting and patching, their dream does become real.  The author’s end note includes a page of animal rescue sites so other rescued dogs can find their own safe, cozy home.

WHEN DOGS DREAM can also be a “metaphor” story about homeless children and families.  When young readers think about what these homeless dogs long for and dream about – a “real home” – they may also begin to consider how homeless children feel. This book can begin an important discussion about the dreams and hopes of those without a place to live.

I met the author and artist, Jean Ekman Adams, at the Heard Museum in Phoenix and asked a few questions about your new book.

NANCY:  Jean, what was your inspiration to write about four homeless desert dog friends?  Have you provided a place at your home for wandering dogs? 

JEAN:  My inspiration for WHEN DOGS DREAM came when I’d stopped in Kayenta, Navajo Nation, to walk my four dogs and water my mule and donkey in the trailer.  A whimpering stray dog approached that had a huge bloody hole in her side – hit by a car.  I fed her.  I could not stand to leave her there.  I always bring food and water to leave for any hungry homeless dogs, but they are painfully shy.  This one, needing help, allowed me to pick her up and put her in my truck.  Of course I kept her.  She has been a very sensitive, intelligent and needy dog.  I have four other dogs, all rescues, all misfits, and all adopted at old ages.  We are a happy gang.

NANCY: Jean, when you are both illustrator and author, which comes first – the pictures or the words? 

JEAN:  First, I envision the story and then I do the artwork.  Ideas just keep popping up like crazy while I am drawing.  It is way easier to think of words when I can look at my image.  I love to work this way.  I am totally zoned out.  But doing the images first and the words last is no editor’s dream!  Our minds all work in different ways, and I am loathe to commit to words before I can SEE the image.  I can try out different colors, different compositions, all in my head, before I draw.

As a child, I only played with stuffed animals.  I only had one doll.  Animals have always been interesting and full of personality to me.  My dad (Stan Ekman, nationally known illustrator – Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, etc ) used to make up animal stories to tell me.  I think that’s where it began.  He encouraged me to draw but I did not have the courage to begin till I was 28!!  We both exhibited in Scottsdale galleries for years, had several father- daughter shows together, but I did not attempt a book till I had been a professional artist for thirty years !!!!

WHEN DOGS DREAM is a wonderful celebration of friendship with a lingering message about the importance of having a home, especially a home shared with four fine friends.