Falling Hard

Bibliography
Franco, Betsy. 2008. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts. ISBN: 978-0-7636-4839-8.

About the Book
This young adult collection of poems written by teens (each poet's name and age are noted) is authentic and honest and will speak directly to teens. These love poems cover every facet, detail, dimension, and topic of love. Betsy Franco edited a group of poems that teens will understand and enjoy.  Contributors from across the country - and some others as well - write from a wide array of backgrounds and life experiences, making the poems enjoyable and relatable for a teen audience. Some of the topics included in the collection might be considered inappropriate for some young or conservative audiences. 


One Poem
Love in the Moonlight

No one knows I'm here.
Silvery strands of moonlight.
Shh. Meet me by the ancient oak.
What bird will dare but the great horned owl?
The fire within my heart burns only for you.
Do you love me too? 

Dillon York, age 13 

Activities
*Read the poem all the way through once, without interruption.  Then read it again and allow students to respond line-by-line.  As you read each line, ask students to write what comes to mind for each line. 
* After reading several poems from the collection, invite students to write their own poem - possibly using a journal or question prompts (or answer basic who, what, when, where, why questions) to springboard for a brainstorming pre-writing activity.  
*Tie this collection into a social studies lesson. Discuss the different locations the young authors are from. Also, students can talk about how everyone has a different life experience and how their location or culture might influence how they respond to common life experiences.    
 

Seeing the Blue Between

Bibliography
Janeczko, Paul B. 2002. Seeing the Blue Between. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts. ISBN: 978-0-7636-0881-1.

About the Book
This collection of letters by more than 30 critically acclaimed poets is edited by Paul B. Janeczko. Each poet included in the collection authored a letter of advice to young would-be poets. These letters cover many themes, especially reading and revising. One poet, Joseph Bruchac, tells the budding poets, "Where others see nothing, poets envision something." Following each letter, a sample of that poet's work is shared. This collection would work well as one to share with a class of elementary students whose teacher is trying to introduce a poetry writing lesson. Although there are no illustrations in this book, a couple of concrete poems are included and should be shared both visually and through oral reading. One special feature of this book is the "Notes on Contributors" section at the end of the book.  Each contributing poet has a thumbnail photo and a brief biography.  

One Poem
Poets Go Wishing

Poets go fishing
with buckets
of words,
fishing 
and wishing.

Using a line
that's loose or
tight
(Maybe this time
a rhyme is right.)

Unreeling
unreeling
the words till they
match
the feeling the poet is
trying to 
catch.   

Activities
*Read the poem and allow students to share what they envision when hearing it.  Then provide paper and drawing materials so that students can draw what they "see".
* Use this collection of letters and poems to guide students through the process of writing their own poetry.
*After hearing the advice and poems of different authors, allow students to choose one poet as their "favorite." Assist students to locate other poems by that poet and read further. 
 

Amazing Faces

Bibliography
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2010. Amazing Faces. Lee & Low Books, Inc.: New York. ISBN 11944186.

About the Book  
This collection of short poems by a variety of authors each describe the many faces of multicultural America that would commonly be seen in the community around us.  Poems feature an African American boy who is dreaming, a lonely Caucasian boy, an Asian boy living in Chinatown, an elderly Native American telling stories, and more. The poets include Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Janet S. Wong, Langston Hughes, Pat Mora, and Jane Yolen. This celebration of diversity features illustrations by Chris Soentpiet that are large, beautiful watercolor portraits. Most of the poems are original to this collection, except for the final, "My People," by Langston Hughes, which is paired with a close-up view of a huge crowd of parents and kids of many backgrounds that also appears on the cover. The book has been included on this year's (2011-2012) Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee list and was read by thousands of Texas students in grades 3 through 5. 


One Poem
Abuela


Her face, a lacework of courage;
Her brow, brown as settled earth;
Her chin, worn thin, a point of pride;
Her cheeks, soft antiques of the sun;
Her smile, a profile in mischief.
Latina, abuela, she is everyone
Of us come from otherwhere, 
Happy to call another stratosphere
Home. 


J. Patrick Lewis

Activities
*Share the poem above with the class.  Try a "pair and share" questioning time.  Ask a few questions about feelings students experienced or vocabulary used. 
*After reading a poem from the collection, guide students through a series of questions designed to help students to synthesize poems such as: why is this a poem? how are the people in this poem like the people you know? did the things in this poem ever happen to you? and so on.
*Find a story or other poems about people in the community. Relate the poems in this book to the other reading. Allow students to share which poem speaks to them most and tell why.    

Messing Around on the Monkey Bars

Bibliography

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts. ISBN: 978-0-7636-3174-1.

About the Book

This collection of 19 school poems are designed for two or more voices and is perfect for students in grades two through four. The steady rhymes and humor are sure to appeal to students and teachers alike. The poems in this collection cover a variety of topics from losing one's lunch money to reaching out to a new classmate to exasperating a grumpy librarian. The reading and rereading of the poems will allow students to hear different voices read in slightly different ways.  Also students can practice fluency while reading the short poems over again.  These poems will lend themselves to performing them in different ways.  For example one person could read one part, but several children could read the other part.  

One Poem

Lunch Money

It's lunchtime. Yum!

Quick, get in line.

What's good today?

Cant' read the sign.

My money's missing!

Where'd it go?  

A hole in my pocket!

Oh, no!

I'll go and look.

I'll save your spot. 

I couldn't find it!

Look what I got.

Two burritos! Way to go!

You're a buddy, don't ya know? 

What a pal.

Yeah, luck I found...

a bunch of quarter on the ground.

 

Activities

*Read the poem and discuss how it depicts friends, lunchtime, or problem solving.  

*Read other poems from the collection and compare their language, theme, rhythm, rhyme scheme or other aspect. 

*Locate other poems or collections designed for two or more voices. 

 

Won Ton A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

Bibliography
Wardlaw, Lee. 2011. Won Ton A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. Henry Holt and Company: New York. ISBN 978-0-8050-8995-0.

About the book
This series of senryu (similar to haiku, but focuses on human nature - or in this case, nature of an animal - rather than focusing on the natural world) tells a great story of a cat's journey from a shelter to a home with a boy.  Children especially in grades kindergarten through third grades will enjoy both the poems/story and the illustrations.  This nice example of non-rhyming poetry can teach children about syllables and styles of poems. The collection shows that poetry can be fun, free, and still follow traditional structure; for example: "The Car Ride," reads, "Letmeoutletme/ outletmeoutletmeout./ Wait - let me back in!" The expressive artwork, done in graphite-and-gouache, relate to the poetic form's roots and echoes the Japanese traditions.  This book was honored with the Lee Bennett Hopkins 2012 Poetry Award.


One Poem
Your tummy, soft as
warm dough.  I knead and knead, then
bake it with a nap. 


Activities
*Share the poem (or better, the entire book) with the class and talk about cat's behavior and how the poet so clearly describes typical cat actions.  
*Invite a worker from a local animal shelter to talk about how animals are chosen.  Compare the worker's description to the one told through poetry in the book.
*Read other Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award winners and compare how the poets use words, rhyme, meter, and other poetic features to express themselves. 

Dark Emperor & other Poems of the Night

Bibliography

Sidman, Joyce. 2010. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children: New York. ISBN 978-0-329-85965-7.

About the Book

Sidman's collection of poems celebrates the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night, describing the many things that hide in the dark. The book, geared for students in grades three through six, is a Newberry Honor book. The combination of lyrical poetry and compelling art with science concepts makes it a great cross curricular tie in. Exciting biology facts are explained in the notes on the right side of each two-page spread while the poem is presented on the left.  The science facts are further reinforced by the accompanying picture. A glossary at the end of the book provides readers with a brief definition of words used in the poems.  This book is a valuable collection of poems that can be used to reinforce science concepts through the poems, the illustrations, and the factual information presented. 

One Poem

Love Poem of the Primrose Moth


Evening unfolds like a primrose,
pale and scented.


The moon, a primrose:
two faces glowing.


Which is sweeter: night flight
or the nectar of the primrose?


I have only one true love:
it is the primrose.


At dawn, I fold my sherbet-colored wings
and become
                    a primrose.

Activities
*In conjunction with a lesson about insects, read this poem aloud to students.  Discuss the language and vocabulary used and why the poet chose those particular words. Additionally, share the factual information on the page about moths.
*Read other poetry collections by Joyce Sidman and compare the content and styles used in both collections.
*After reading the poem and discussing it, provide an art tie-in.  When students know what a primrose flower and a primrose moth are, allow them to make a picture depicting one of both of them.   

Carver A Life in Poems

Bibliography
Nelson, Marilyn. 2001. Carver A Life in Poems. Front Street: Asheville, NC. ISBN: 978-1-886910-53-9.

About the Book
This biography in poems is ideal for students in grades 5-8 and represents the life of a significant African American. These poems are told in the voices of people who knew Carver and are powerful and moving.  Frank descriptions of terrible things such as lynching are also presented. One poem, potentially presenting a concern for school libraries, describes the sexual abuse of a victim. Overall, this collection gives us insight into the life of a great man whose intellect significantly impacted the world. The fifty-nine poems in this collection portray the life of George Washington Carver and give great insight into his life and the era in which he lived.


One Poem (excerpt)
Coincidence

In Wakefield the night train
screeches to a neck-wrenching halt.
Last, the explanation reaches
the Colorado compartment,
where Dr. Carver guards in a valise
his jars of Before and After soils
and of compost, his giveaway
bags of raw peanuts.

Activities
*Lead students to discuss the very visual language used in the poem excerpt. (neck-wrenching halt, for example) Discuss other words or phrases the author could have used and how they might have altered the meaning or feel of the poem.
*Read the entire poem and lead students to rephrase the poem into their own words.
*Provide a research opportunity for students about George Washington Carver and the contributions he made.
*Ask students to bring one item to class that represents a facet of Carver's life, after reading the entire collection of poems,  and explain how it is representative.