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.