Sharing the Seasons - A Book of Poems

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2010. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 978-1-4169-0210-2.

About the Book

This collection of poetry about the four seasons offers twelve poems about each season. Lee Bennett Hopkins weaves a nice selection of poets and their poems into a single book.  Quotes from famous sources begin each season.  For example, Spring is introduced with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Spring in the world! And all things are made new!" The entire collection effectively taps into the elements in each season and speaks to both children and adults. The poem by James Hayford, "Suddenly Green" says that "Our trees have grown skin / And birds have moved in." Rebecca Kai Dotlich is "Bewitched by Autumn," conjuring up Halloween with the "bits of legend in a broth".  By the end of the collection, every season has had its voice - serving as quite a tribute to nature. 

Vibrant illustrations perfectly accompany each poem so that children are able to enjoy each verse as well as each visual page. Teaching the concept of seasons can be challenging for those working with young children so these short, clear poems are perfect for use with that group.  Because of the brevity of each poem, several can be shared in one sitting. Many of the entries personify nature, such as in April Halprin Wayland's whimsical selection which portrays spring flowers showing up for a first day of class: "Let's go around the room / Call out your colors." Other poems focus on human activities throughout the year and the small, sensory moments that make each season special - smelling cool spring air; listening to the crackle of a December fire.

One Poem

Winter
Lee Bennett Hopkins

Snowballs

snow people

icicles

frost

always - 

always - 

a mitten or two lost

scarves

boots

earmuffs

sleighs

and 

books 

to curl up with

on 

long

wintry

days.

Activities

As an introduction to the book, create a simple KWL chart, guiding students to discuss features of each season.  Provide non-fiction books about each season to assist students, if needed. Students can choose a favorite season to illustrate and place their picture on a table or butcher paper banner with the name of each season on it. Discuss seasons and how they impact us - including what we see, how we dress, or what we do.  

After reading poems from the book, introduce another book about seasons, such as Seasons All Around by Barney Satlzburg, Candlewick Press, 2010. Compare the format and genre of each book. Discuss the special features of poetry and non-fiction and how each book exhibits those features.

As a science tie-in, lead students to conduct research about average temperatures, rainfall, or other regional statistics for each season in the area in which they live.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children

Bibliography

Giovanni, Nikki, ed. Hip Hop Speaks to Children a Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. 2008. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4022-1048-8.

About the Book
Poetry can have rhythm or rhyme or both.  Sometimes it is obvious and can be detected easily but sometimes it is less obvious. But poetry is vibrant and exciting, and showing that to kids is a great experience.  When you find yourself involuntarily clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you have surely found the beat of poetry.  This book will, no doubt, help kids hear rhyme, feel rhythms, and enjoy poetry. Designed and compiled to give voice, specifically, to African American children - though it is universally enjoyable - this book/CD combination accomplishes its goal. This is a remarkable collection of more than 50 songs and poems including an excerpt from the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, "I Have A Dream." The illustrations are beautiful and the audio CD is enjoyable.  When they are put together, this resource is a delight.The poems included in the book were written by a very diverse group of people including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Eloise Greenfield, Gary Soto, and Walter Dean Meyers. Then there are the musicians who have written poems, including Queen Latifah, Aesop Rock, and Young MC.  The book comes with a CD which includes readings by Queen Latifah, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, and many more. The book alone, or along with the CD, is a great introduction to poetry and is a fun way to explore poetry with kids.  

 The poems are about a variety of subjects, many of which have a powerful and meaningful message. Tupac Shakur writes about a rose "that grew from the concrete." Nikki Giovanni's The Rosa Parks encourages children to "do the rosa parks" and "shame the bad / comfort the good." The words are simple, punchy, and to the point, and they remind children that they are the ones who can make the world a better place. What a great message for today's children! The following poem is an example of poems in this collection.

One Poem

People Equal
by James Berry

Some people shoot up tall.
Some hardly leave the ground at all.
yet - people equal. Equal.

One voice is a sweet mango.
Another is a nonsugar tomato.
yet -  people equal. Equal. 

Some people rush to the front.
Others hang back, feeling they can't.
yet -  people equal. Equal.

Hammer some people, you meet a wall.
Blow hard on others, they fall.
yet -  people equal. Equal.

One person will aim at a star.
For another, a hilltop is too far.
yet -  people equal. Equal.

Some people get on with their show.
Others never get on the go.
yet - people equal. Equal.

Activities
The back of the book provides readers with more about the poets and musicians who contributed to the book.  Use this resource to research poets and musicians from other types of collections.

Have students work as a team to write a poem that could be added to this collection.  Brainstorm other types of poetry collections that could be put together - show some examples from the library.  Write a class poem that could be included in another collection.

Tie in to a social studies lesson about cultures.  Discuss how the poems and songs in this collection are specifically written to honor African-American children.  Think about other cultures in the community in which students live. Search poems and songs that could be compiled into a collection to honor another culture.

The Brimstone Journals

Bibliography

Koertge, Ron. 2001. The Brimstone Journals. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-1302-9

About the Book

Ron Koertge presents diary-style entries of fifteen teens in a suburban high school. The free verse is used to present issues common to many of today's teens.  The characters include a victim of bullying, a bully with a temper, the bully's girlfriend, a victim of sexual abuse, and a troublemaker. The short entries are dramatic and evoke great emotion. The conclusion is intense and thought provoking and could offer some insight for anyone who works with teens. One teen, Tran, a Vietnamese teen who feels pressured by his immigrant father to become successful, voices his feelings, "His dreams are like a box I cannot put down." 

The poems are presented in chapters, with each chapter getting a bit more intense.  In the end, issues are mostly resolved and the reader gets the feeling that everyone will survive their drama.

The subject matter and choice of vocabulary is not appropriate for every reader in the recommended age range of 14-18.  Because of the strong emotions presented about big issues that not every teen is exposed to, some readers might be offended by the book's content. 

One Poem

                              Kelli

I went to the movies by myself,

saw exactly what I wanted to see, 

and stayed all the way through 

for once.

I read everybody's name: grip,

best boy, caterer, DG trainee,

everybody.

When I got home Mom said Damon

called

three times. 

Activities

Students could add a character with a different perspective or issue to each chapter.  This writing activity can tie into a research on current social issues or trends.  Students can explore the difference between narrative and free verse styles in writing. 

A lesson could focus on an author study.  Ron Koertge has written other books, mostly novels, for teens.  Different groups could each read one of his books and share a presentation about how the characters in his novels differ in their presentation and development compared to the book of short poems.