Please Bury Me in the Library

Bibliography
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2005. Please Bury Me in the Library. Harcourt, Inc: Orlando. ISBN: 978-1-415-59351-6.

About the Book
This collection of poems were all written by J. Patrick Lewis, the 2011 National Council of Teachers of English poetry award winner. The poems in this collection highlight all the essential elements of English: letters ("Eating Alphabet Soup"), words ("The Big-Word Girl"), and books ("Great, Good, Bad"). The types of poetry included in the book range from Haiku to simple rhymes which are naturally appealing to children. Lewis references topics and classic works that the audience can relate to- reading at the beach, eating alphabet soup, going to the library, and titles of classic works that many can remember. Each poem included in this collection is newly published, except for two which were published previously in a book of Lewis' poems. 
The appealing layout of the poems, along with great illustrations that are large, colorful, and creative make the book something to be enjoyed by audiences young and old.  Although the book appears to be a picture book, the poems inside offer something unique to reading.  The book also includes a table of contents which allows readers to easily return to favorites they are sure to revisit. 


One Poem

What if Books Had Different Names?

What if books had different names

Like Alice in....Underland?

Furious George,

Goodnight Noon,

Babar the Beaver, and

A Visit from Saint Tickle Us,

Or Winnie-the-Pooh Pooh-Poohs,

The Walrus and the Carp and Her,

The Emperor Has No Clues,

Or Mary Had a Little Clam,

And how about Green Eggs and Spam? 

Well, surely you can think of one.

Oh, what extraordinary, merry

Huckleberry Funn! 

Activities

* Read other books by J. Patrick Lewis and discuss the similarities and differences in the collections.

* After reading "What if Books Had Different Names," brainstorm some other familiar titles and come up with more fun and creative alternatives.

*After reading "What if Books Had Different Names," re-write one of the works referenced according to the new title.  For example, rework "The Emperor Had No Clues" to be a mystery/detective story using the original story as a framework.

*After reading "Please Bury Me in the Library," discuss book genres (novels, history, poetry, etc) and go to the library to find examples of each.