Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

Silverstein, Shel. Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings. New York: Harper, 2011. ISBN: 9780061998164

Twelve years after his death, Shel Silverstein’s family has compiled never before released drawings and poems. Anyone familiar with Silverstein’s talent and humor will find his posthumous contemplation just as odd, gross and hilarious as his other works. Every Thing On It includes 145 poems in all. Silverstein rejected these pieces from his earlier publications as they did not fit the tone he was trying to achieve in prior works.

The collection is arranged with a single poem taking up a page or a two page spread accompanying one of Silverstein’s black and white drawings. His use of figurative language makes the collection one that stimulates fun, as the use of play on words creates a laughing good time.

In Her…

In her mink coat

And her buckskin pants

And her lizard skin boots

With the rattlesnake bands

And her beaver hat

With the raccoon tails

We heard her shoutin’…

SAVE THE WHALES

Included in the book is an index, making it easier for readers to locate particular drawings. The book's opening, dedicated “For You” and the final poem, “When I’m Gone” causes the reader to reflect on the author, his other works and the part each has played in our lives.

When teaching about plagiarism/cheating to elementary students I would begin the lesson with a reading of Silverstein’s poem titled,

The Problem.

Jim copied the answer from Nancy

Sue copied the answer from Jim

Tim copied the answer from Sue, and then

Anne copied the answer from him

And Fran copied Anne and Jan copied Fran

The answer kept passing along

And no one got caught, but the problem was-

Nancy had it wrong.

Discussion could continue about the importance of doing one’s own work and giving credit to those we get information from.

Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul Janeczko.

Janeczko, Paul B. Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. Somerville, Ma: Candlewick Press. 2011.     ISBN: 9780763647278

Poet Paul Janeczko takes a small part of the Holocaust and gives a haunting glimpse of Jews that were imprisoned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. This camp was noted as being the place where Jews of artistic talent were sent by Hitler.

While many of the characters found in Janeczko’s poetry in verse are fictitious, they were in fact researched by the author and are based on an actual place, time and facts of this horrific time period. The author weaves for the reader eye opening situations, pain and the feeling of despair. One short poem depicts the harshness of the situation and how desperate prisoners felt.

Blue sky

Beyond

Barbed wire.

I wish I were

Sky

The reader can envision what it would be like to stare at the big blue sky, looking at it through the wire fence and knowing there is no way out. The world keeps turning but for a prisoner in the camp, time stands still.

Free verse poems are cataloged in a Table of Contents by a person’s name, tattooed number or German military rank. Information about the actual encampment and people are included in a page provided by the author at the end of the collection. Also included are English translations for a few foreign words used in the book. Books, websites and multimedia resources are listed, so if the reader are so inclined, they may do additional research into the topic. Black and white charcoal drawings used to illustrate the camps life and its occupants are actual drawings that survived the Holocaust.

After reading this book with a group of students I would lead them in a research project about actual prisoners that were in the camp using library and internet resources. Students would select a prisoner and researchhis/her lives and outcome. I would then ask them to follow the “I Am From” poem template to write about their prisoner selection.

Poem template can be found at the following link: http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/t/Target_I_am_from%20poem.pdf

To lead this project I would reread and spend time discussing this poem from the book.

I am Miklos

The younger boys in L410

call me professor.

Because I know many words?

Because of my large glasses?

Because I like to write

in a small notebook

that I conceal from the guards

in my shoe?

I am fragile

With fear.

Miklos talks about his love of writing and the lengths he goes to conceal it. Discuss with students the importance of writing/journaling to document someone’s presence. Then, lead in with the poem activity after research.

Falling Hard: 100 Love poems by Teenagers edited by Betsy Franco

Franco, Betsy. Falling Hard: 100 LovePpoems by Teenagers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780763634377

Falling Hard is an anthology of poems written by teenagers from all over the world and were emailed at the request of the author. It is unclear how the project was launched but all poems contain the same theme:  love. Poems were sent from all ages, gender, sexual orientations and cultures. While the author only tells their name and age, from the poem one can get a sense of the poet’s background and their feelings about the topic. Teens will find the honest vocabulary, creativity and style of these poets, ones they can identify with, which makes this book a popular selection among teens.

Regardless

The phone rings

I feel a rush

The doorbell rang

It was you

I love you

The cops came

They asked me questions

They were looking for you

 I love you

The boys came

They swore and broke the windows

It was your fault

I love you

She asked where her money was

I knew it was you

I love you

We robbed the woman

I handed you $500

You disappeared

You’re a thief

I love you

You did that crazy thing to me and her

It felt good

It was you

I love you

As we rode side by side

Metal locking our wrists

We smiled

I love you

Lisa Vuolo, age 15

Poems range in content from infatuations, true love, love gone wrong and heartbreak. Many of the poems are mature in nature and need to be taken into consideration before sharing with an audience.

To introduce metaphors I would introduce the poem titled Love Poem.

I am

The flour

To your tortilla,

baby.

                By Juan Nunez, age 15

It’s short, simple and perfect for an upper elementary discussion.  To follow the lesson I would use the two worksheets listed below to adapt a library lesson suitable for the age group.

http://bogglesworldesl.com/metaphor_worksheets.htm

Seeing Emily by Joyce Lee Wong

Lee, Wong Joyce. Seeing Emily. New York: Amulet Books, 2005. ISBN: 9780810992580

Author Joyce Wong has written an engaging and rich book in the form of prose, and weaves together the story of a Chinese-American teen, Emily, as she is coming of age in two different cultural expectations. As Emily’s memories of youth are colliding with her present teenage angst, the imagery used by Wong is often point blank, lyrical and arranged beautifully. In a passage from the free verse titled, Sleepover, the reader see’s a glimpse of Emily’s maturity as she analyzes her friends after a tear-jerking discussion about family.

Suddenly,

watching the wavering spots

dance and slowly begin

to fade away into the light,

it occurred to me

That I hadn’t

really been seeing

my friends

fully  before.

I’d always considered them

from only one perspective,

my own,

but there was so much more

to each of them

than I had realized.

Along with the typical teen issues of friends, boys and parents, Wong dives deeply into Art and Emily’s way to use art as a form of self exploration. During the course of the novel, Emily works on her own art, class art and a mural for the school. These opportunities give Emily a way to communicate her inner self to the outside world in a creative way. A trip to her parents homeland, Taiwan, allows her to explore her own mothers early art and native art, deepening her appreciation of her roots.

Metaphors are used throughout the passages and are what makes the novel radiate poetry. Often Emily compares her feelings to that of animals.

I imagined I was a cat,

her eyes shining

as she watches a goldfish

that shimmers on the floor.

Her relationship with a boy from school also plays out in metaphors.  Her relationship is often depicted through the mural she is creating where a monkey and tiger represent her and Nick.

With the rustle of leaves

And a graceful leap

To another tree,

The monkey swings herself away,

Disappearing in to the green.

Even after she’s gone

Her screams echo back

So raucous and wild

They startle

A flock of birds.

The above passages are in response to her feelings after Nick refers to her in a derogatory way- his Geisha.

To begin a lesson about immigrants and immigration to America, I would share the below excerpt. I would find a picture as close to the description to display as the poem, Sailing for America, was read.

The young woman
in the photograph
wore a rose-colored qi-pao,
a long Chinese dress
with a slit at the ankles.
Looking
at this picture
I was struck by her features and expression
and I saw how much
she looked like me…

I could almost feel the salt breeze
teasing her dark, wavy hair,
styled like Au-de-li Hepburn’s in Roman Holiday.
Perhaps that day
the ship’s captain,
a friend of my grandfather,
passed her a red-cheeked apple he’d saved…

How did that apple taste
as my mother bit through the smooth,
shiny skin and crunched into sweet,
white meat? Perhaps
she licked a stray drop of juice
from her knuckle,
tasting ocean
and in that moment
of sweetness and brine
my mother looked out
over the endlessly waving sea
scattered with diamonds of light
and imagined the shores
of America.

We then would discuss the reasons for immigration. I would then have students create a mock passport to be used as journals, to be used in research about immigration to America, Ellis Island and their own family research. Passports would be used to write responses, take notes and hopefully, develop their own poem about their own travels.

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman.

 Sidman, Joyce, and Pamela Zagarenski. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Book for Children, 2009. ISBN: 9780547014944

A Caldecott Honor book for 2010, Red Sings from Treetops is an attractive book of poetry that takes the reader through a delightful literary journey through the seasons and the colors identified during that time. Sidman uses alliteration along with vibrant adjectives to make her poems come to life. Joyce Sidman uses colors to explore each of the four seasons through imagery, metaphor, personification and a variety of other delightful techniques that beg for the poems to be shared and read out loud. A beautiful example of personification can be found in the poem Fall.

Fall

In FALL,

Green is tired,

Dusty,

Crisp around the edges.

Green sighs with relief:

I’ve ruled for so long.

Time for Brown to take over.

Brown,

fat and glossy,

rises in honking flocks.

Brown rustles and whispers underfoot.

Brown gleams in my hand:

A tiny round house,

dolloped with roof.

The vocabulary throughout each selection is challenging enough to maintain the interest of older readers yet playful enough to keep the younger students involved as well. Regardless, any age will find delight in this book.

This is the second time Sidman and illustrator Pamela Zagarenski have teamed together to develop magnificent works of art, either through the use of words or illustrations. Using the same style of artwork from their first collaboration This Is Just to Say (another wonderful example of two voices), Zagarenski uses mixed media paintings of collages, wood and computer illustrations to develop images fitting each poem. Crowns adorn the triangular shaped people as the reader sees them interacting with the poem on each page. A little white dog can be found on each page which gives the book a “Where’s Waldo?” type of appeal as small children clamber to be the first to spot the pooch.

When using this book in a lesson plan, I would make sure to show the cover to students up close and discuss the four trees pictured. I would ask students to describe the characteristics of the trees and how those descriptions describe the four seasons. I would want to spend some time on the art work as well, because it is just too beautiful to overlook!

After reading the book to students I would go back to the poem, Green Is New in Spring, reread it and have students share their ideas of personification.

Green Is New In Spring

Green is new

in spring. Shy.

Green pecks from buds,

trembles in the breeze.

Green floats through rain-dark trees,

and glows, mossy-soft, at my feet.

Green drips from tips of leaves

onto Pup’s nose.

In spring,

even the rain tastes Green.

Yellow slips goldfinches

their spring jackets.

Yellow shouts with light!

In spring,

Yellow and Purple hold hands.

They beam at each other

with their bright velvet faces.

First flowers,

first friends.

After reading and discussing the use of personification in this work I would ask students to share their thoughts on what colors they associate various items and tastes.

What color does cake taste like?

What color does coffee smell like?

What color is loud thunder?

What color does mad look like? Sad? Happy?

From those ideas I would group students to work on personification in a color poem of their choosing. 

Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco

 Franco, Betsy, and Jessie Hartland.  Messing around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780763631741

Author, Betsy Franco, has put together a collection of 19 performance style poems that tells about events in a school day. From the classroom to the ride on the bus, each poem is an energetic highlight of school life. Franco includes, at the beginning of the book, an explanation on how to read the poetry aloud. Each poem is divided into “voices” and is coded in bold or italic print to distinguish each person’s part for recital. While the poems can be enjoyed alone, they are obviously meant to be enjoyed as a performance to make them more of an impact.

 

My favorite poem, of Franco’s, includes a wonderful musical rhythm when performed with two students or when a basketball is used for the “bounce” parts.

Backboard Rap

bounce, bounce
bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,
bounce, bounce Pass to Trish.
bounce, bounce Shoot a basket.
bounce, bounce Hear the swish!

bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,
bounce, bounce Pass to Vin.
bounce, bounce Hit the backboard.
bounce, bounce Up and in!,

bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,
bounce, bounce Take a shot!
bounce, bounce There’s the buzzer.
bounce, bounce Yeah! We’re hot!

bounce, bounce
bounce, bounce
bounce

Several of Franco’s poems require noise, onomatopoeic style. Poems include taps, snorts, grumbles, bounces, vrooms and boings. These playful uses of words/sounds add to the appeal.

Illustrator Jessie Hartland’s illustrations add to the whimsy of the poems. Her drawings look like those created by elementary students with the use of bright colors, misshapen forms and over-sized heads on petite bodies. These drawings let you know right away this book is fun and perfect for young students.

Along the lines of the above poem, ones that encourage physical activity would be great for any recess/P.E. class. Jump Rope Jingle is an excellent choice to encourage physical activity through jump rope chants.

Have jump ropes available and ask students to share any jump rope chants they know. Have them demonstrate how they work with a jump rope to model for students who may not be familiar with them.
On large poster-board or chart paper, post Jump Rope Jingle somewhere visible so that students may read through it, first on the floor for practice and then introduce it as a double-dutch activity. It will take practice, but rest assured the students will love it!

Voice 1
Voice 2
Chorus voices

Jump Rope Jingle

Come on in.
I'll jump with you.
It's double fun
to jump with two.

Jump, jump,
spin around.
Jump, jump,
slap the ground.

Turn to the east.
Turn to the west.
Choose the one
you like the best.

Jump, jump,
A, B,
C.

Jump, jump,
1, 2,
3.

Turn in circles.
Keep the beat.
Feel the rhythm
in your feet!

Encourage students afterward to develop their own jump rope jingles to share!

Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz: Poems about the Rain Forest by Laura Purdie Salas

Salas, Laura Purdie. Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz: Poems about the Rain Forest. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2009. 9781429617055

As soon as you pick up and open this picture book, you are pulled into the highly colorful pictures depicting life in the Rain Forest. The visuals include full and sometimes double page photographs that accompany each poem. The design itself makes the content of high interest to the reader. Poems are written in a fun large font, often in varying colors.

The poem collection itself is comprised of 16 poems about things found in the rainforest: the land, people, wildlife, etc. The poems are simple enough to share and easy to memorize which makes them appealing for reading and sharing out load. They are written in diamante, short free verse, haiku and cinquain which makes them a simple flow for young readers. Students will enjoy seeing and reading about the beard of a wild hog, the chain-saw jaw of an ant and a poisonous tree frog along with a slew of other notable characters and icons associated with the rainforest. An example:

To the Banana

Thick skin forms

a rain proof seal

You’re a fruit

with great appeal

I pack a lot

of things for lunch

But you’re my favorite

of the bunch!

The picture book also helpfully provides sections at the end titled “The Language of Poetry” that explains simply, poetry terms and various forms. A “Glossary” of unusual words that students may stumble across is also included along with suggestions for read-a-likes and internet sites for future exploration.

I found Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz a refreshing, visually stimulating, informational poetry picture book that would be a wonderful addition to any classroom.

To introduce a science lesson about rainforests I would begin with background rainforest sounds playing as students enter to help set the mood. I, myself, would dress similar to the rainforest scientist depicted in the picture book. After everyone is settled and had time to enjoy the sounds for a few moments I would introduce the lesson with the below poem:

Treetop Scientist

My lab is high among the trees

I scramble up and down with ease

I climb to work and that is why:

I’m doing science in the sky

Boots are sturdy, helmets tough

I’m in the field, I’m living rough

I dangle free, enjoy the breeze

Because I’m high among the trees

I would then discuss the poem line by line with students checking for understanding and having them describe what each sentence means in relation to the work a scientist might do in the rainforest.

I would then have students trace each other on large sheets of butcher paper and create a depiction of themselves as scientists and what types of scientific work they are interested in and the work they would be conducting.

The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita, and Sean Qualls. THE POET SLAVE OF CUBA: A BIOGRAPHY OF JAUN FRANCISCO MANZANO. New Work: Henry Holt, 2006. ISBN: 9780312659288

Margarita Engle pens a stirring account in the free verse biography of a Cuban slave, Juan Francisco Manzano. Using poetic devises, Engle tells of Manzano and his ability to memorize and recite poetic verses which made him a plaything of sorts to his mother’s owner Dona Beatriz and would often have him entertain and show off his talent to visiting guests. Later, Mazano secretly learned to read and write, and began developing his own poems about courage and the noteworthy things around him. At the young age of 6, Manzano’s mother was given her freedom and was promised that Juan would gain his when Dona Beatriz died. This did not happen for Juan. Upon her death his ownership was transferred to La Marquesa de Prado Ameno a mean, cruel, mentally ill woman who often subjected Juan to beatings and confinement.

Juan

Now I’m shackled, chained, trapped

twenty-five lashes of the whip

in the morning

my breakfast of screams

twenty-five more lashes at noon

instead of lunch

I taste my tears

I eat shame

Engle writes the biography in a multi voice format with each person in Juan’s life having their own say within the pages. Readers will hear from his mother, owner, Juan himself and others who shaped Juan into the notable man he became. These individuals are the ones that were instrumental in Juan’s course throughout life…whether in a positive or negative way.

Accompanying several pages are black and white illustrations, a plain and compelling depiction of Manzano’s life as a Cuban slave.

The Poet Slave of Cuba is the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Narrative and a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

 

To introduce an art lesson about art being used as an expression for human emotions, I would book talk The Poet Slave of Cuba and share this excerpt told in Juan’s voice.

Juan

My mind is a brush made of feathers

     painting pictures of words

     I remember

     all that I see

     every syllable

     each word a twin of itself

     telling two stories

     at the same time

     one of sorrow

     the other hope

Students would discuss types of emotions and what those emotions look like to others.

Students should use an artistic media of their choice to depict a human emotion of their choice.

Other lessons involving art and emotions:

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/hs-emotions.htm

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/Colleen-poetry.htm

Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People by Carole Boston Weatherford

 Weatherford, Carole Boston. Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People. New York: Philomel Books, 2002.  ISBN 0399237267

Weatherford’s collection of African American history gives a rich poetic and photographical representation of the challenges faced by the race. The book encompasses poetry covering African American history spanning over 400 years including prominent people from Harriet Tubman to Dr. Martin Luther King. Also included are works depicting farm work, basket weaving, quilt making and the book's namesake, a bridge, metaphorically made of people “leaving paths of memories.”

Poems, within the book, are told in stanzas with poetic meter, with several told in rhyme. An example would be from this excerpt of Bronze Cowboys

When bison roamed the wild, wild west

dark riders rode the Pony Express

over the mountains, across the plains,

past coyotes, bobcats and wagon trains.

The sing-song rhyming pattern of many poems helps to lighten the somber, and often striking, images (a beaten slave) that accompany the literary work.

Pictures included with each poem are either illustrated by engravings or an actual photograph depicting its accompanied literary work. Images do not include captions but are cited at the end of the book.

To introduce a Food Science and Nutrition lesson about Ethnic Foods, I would recite the poem below.

Soul Food

Black-Eyes peas, collard greens,

dirty rice and pinto beans,

brown sugar glaze on smokehouse ham,

pickled beets and candied yams;

chicken and dumplings, turkey and stuffin’,

buttermilk biscuits and corn bread muffins.

Grandma rose early to prepare this spread,

to bake pound cake and gingerbread,

to shell peacans for Derby pie

and clean a mess of fish to fry.

She asked a blessing before we ate

and always set an extra plate

for an unexpected visitor.

Her home, like her heart, an open door.

Displaying the poem on the overhead, I would ask students to list foods mentioned in the poem and spend time discussing what makes them considered soul food and what significance did  some of those food items play in the African American culture.

A tasting of soul food would also add to the lesson.  Pickled beets, yams, dirty rice and other dishes would be available for tasting during the unit.

Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum

Mecum, Ryan. Zombie Haiku. Cincinnati, OH: How Books, 2008.

ISBN: 9781600610707

With many teen reads dealing with topics of vampires, werewolves and immortals, Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum fits right in with the current trend of novels.

The Zombie Apocalypse has come for Chris Lynch. While hiding from the inevitable zombie attack caged inside an airport gift shop, he finds this poetry journal in the detached hand of a zombie that has just bitten him. Fortunately he has time to scribble notes in the first page or two describing what has happened to him. This pre-haiku information sets the reader up to begin the journey of a person/zombie told through haiku form. From his pre-zombie attack through his separation of the journal you receive a moment by moment glimpse at the life of a person turned zombie poet as you plow through the pages.

Each page of the book depicts two to four haiku verses. Haiku are three line poems with alternating 5-7-5 syllables in each corresponding line. Along with the poems, the pages of the book are also accompanied with depictions of blood streaks, fingerprints, hair, teeth, green goop and photographs of zombies in various forms of disarray. As the reader begins the story, anticipation builds as the protagonist moves from an alive, average person to the shift of becoming part of the zombie takeover. For those that love this genre they will find it a treat to get into the zombies' mind and learn what it is zombies think about.

Nothing hurts me now.

Normally the screwdriver

Wouldn’t go there.

She’s always with me,

especially if my gut

can’t digest toenails.

Gross humor accompanied with over twenty zombie photos will capture the interest of teens who crave this genre and they will be surprised a teacher would be using the selections as a lesson starter.

To introduce a lesson about using photographs in students' writing journal a brief book talk about Zombie Haiku would be shared along with a short reading from the book. Selected below are parts of the book where Chris describes the love he has for his mom.

I remember home.

And I remember my mom

And her meaty thighs.

I can remember

good food that Mom used to make.

I bet Mom tastes good.

I loved my Momma.

I eat her with my mouth closed,

how she would want it.

Using the reading accompanied by displaying a few zombie pictures in the book, instruction would begin with the development of photograph-inspired writings, either poetry or a round robin activity where partners contribute to each other’s story.

Three additional resources that would be included in the lesson:

Dr. Sylvia Vardell and Dr. Wong’s P*TAG would be introduced. Using this resource from the website allows the student to see the tag form of poetry as well as a resource for photos to inspire students' own poetry writing in a fun collaborated way.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs would also be used in the photo writing lesson to show more examples of writing inspired photographs.

To learn more about using photographs as writing guides a wonderful professional resource is Reading Photographs: to Write with Meaning and Purpose by Leigh Van Horn.

Bibliography of Resources:

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books, 2011.

Van, Horn Leigh. Reading Photographs to Write with Meaning and Purpose, Grades 4-12. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2008.

Links to P*TAG

http://teenpoetrytagtime.blogspot.com

www.PoetryTagTime.com.

On a personal note, one of my students saw this book lying on my desk and asked if he could read it. Being a middle school boy I allowed him to borrow it and upon returning it to me after class asked if I was aware that the characters name in this book were the same ones from a popular zombie movie Night Of The Living Dead. Not my ideal way to make a connection with a student and his reading relationship, but a connection none the less. I may even be considered cool since I keep zombie material lying around!

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones

Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers,1999.

ISBN 9780060283872.

Author, Sonya Sones takes a look at her sister’s mental illness through the eyes of the people left behind. Using fictional characters, Sone's first novel tells a touching story of a family dealing with a very personal, troubling issue.

While on Christmas Break, Cookie's big sister has a mental breakdown and is put in a mental ward. Cookie begins writing in a journal to deal with her thoughts on her sister and the affects it is having on her and her family/friend relationships. Cookie writes,

When I was lost

you were the one who found me

now you're the one who's lost

and I can't find you anywhere."

In addition to dealing with her sister’s illness, Cookie also describes normal adolescent problems. She deals with the anxiety of her friends finding out about her sisters mental state and them abandoning her. She worries that she might become mentally ill as well, and the emotions that develop as she begins a dating relationship with a boy.

Sones novel is written as a diary in verse. Each poem stands by itself with its own title. The novel reads like pages of a journal or diary the teen has kept about the ups and downs of the lives her sister's mental illness has affected. The author’s notes at the end of the book give authenticity to the story. After sharing a poem about visiting her sister in the hospital, Sones was encouraged to share even more of her poems because "Poems like this would be helpful to anyone who has a family member with a problem that's throwing the rest of the family off-kilter".

For a class lesson in formal and informal letter writing begin with this verse from the novel.

Apologies

I’m sorry

I borrowed your favorite sweater

Without asking

And then I got that ink stain on it

That wouldn’t ever come out.

I’m sorry

I lied about it afterwards,

when you asked me

if I knew how it got there

and I swore I had no idea.

And I lied about your goldfish, too.

He didn’t die a mysterious death like I said,

that week when you were away

on that Girl Scout trip.

I forgot to feed him.

The passage concludes

I’m sorry for

every

single

terrible

thing.

Have students think about a time when they were sorry about something. Using their previous lesson over formal and informal writing, have students write a letter or poem of apology for practice. Plan for some contrived apology reasons if students state they have nothing to apologize for.

If students have a hard time developing their thoughts for letter writing I will also share a few selected pieces from This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman. This title often sparks students' creative thinking and at the end of the assignment, are often asking me to read “just one more.”

I Am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. I Am the Book. Ill. by Yayo. New York: Holiday House. 2011. 

ISBN 978-0823421190.

            I AM THE BOOK is an anthology of thirteen poems, written for young readers, most likely enjoyed by the elementary age but also a valuable teaching resource for older students. Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled poems dealing with reading and books themselves from many well known poets such as Naomi Shihab Nye, Jane Yolen and Hopkins himself.

Along with a Table of Contents for easy selection, Hopkins also included two-sentence descriptions of each poet at the end.

Hopkins has gathered a lovely collection of reading themed poems, rich in figurative language and poetic devices. Several poems in the anthology use poetic and literary devices such as metaphor and personification. Many of the descriptions used in the reading analogy have words/books taking on human characteristics. In Jane Yolen’s contribution A Poem Is Yolen describes words “running down the page in black script sneakers”. The reader develop an illustration in their minds with the use of descriptive personification language. Metaphor is often used when words or books take on a different characteristic than their intended purpose.  Paperback Plunder by Michele Kruegar has an abandoned book taking on the characteristics of a conch shell as it begs to be lifted to the ear and tell its story.

The poems in the collection vary in stanza length with each poem given a two page spread with an accompanying illustration.

The colorful acrylic illustrations add depth and dimension to the lines of each poet. The fun and attractive acrylic paintings feature exaggerated shapes and perspectives that go nicely with the poems' depictions.

When teaching a library lesson to Kindergarten/First grade about library procedures and taking care of books, I would begin by sharing this poem.

Paperback Plunder by Michele Krueger

Like a sunken treasure

long forgotten,

I lie half buried under sand.

She remembered

her sunscreen,

her towel and hat.

She folded her blanket,

and that was that.

No last look back

for what she left behind.

Now I am here

for you to find.

Sun-drenched and salty,

like a giant conch shell.

Lift me to your ear,

hear the story I shall tell.

Before the lesson I would prepare a beach area for visualization.  A beach towel spread out, beach bag, sunscreen, umbrella and beach hat. I would also have a sand pail filled with sand with a discarded book poking out the top.

After the poem was read I would lift the book out of its sandy demise and place it to my ear as described in the poem.  I would ask the students to share with me what the book would say about its care if it could talk. Discussion would continue about the proper care and handling of library books.

Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by Douglas Florian

Florian, Douglas. 2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. New York: Harcourt Books. ISBN: 9780152053727

This collection of poetry mixes informational style with amazing artwork to create an “out of this world” experience.  Written and illustrated by the author, Douglas Florian, this work includes poems of galaxies, planets, stars comets and the black hole. Each poem is accompanied by bright illustrations that give the reader a glimpse at the depth and mysteriousness of the heavens. Using paper sacks, a collage is painted and pieced together making scenery to set the tone for the accompanying poem. Florian also takes liberty with the placement of text and spacing, and shapes the poetry to create visual interest. When the reader finds the poem about the sun they will find the word in several languages circling this fireball. The closing of the book includes a Galactic Glossary so that the reader will have a source of additional factual information such as how the planets are named. If you read Mars’ entry you will find that it was named after the Roman god of war because its color reminded observers of blood, or read the Sun’s entry and learn that it is approximately 93 million miles from Earth.

Although the poems have factual information, there are also entertaining elements that appeal to children. An example would be the poem about Pluto and its downgrading from a planet to a dwarf planet. Florian adds humor to the reclassification by concluding that Pluto was a planet, till one day it got fired. Along with the use of rhyme, this book would make a nice addition to the elementary classroom or library.

When students are studying the solar system the unit could be introduced with the poem titled  

The Solar System.

Each planet orbits around the sun
(A somewhat circular path).
To calculate the time it takes
Requires lots of math.

Astronomers know the planets well,
Each mountain, ring, and moon.
But none has ever gone to one,
Nor will go to one soon.

This selection could bring about discussion concerning the planets, orbits and characteristics of each planet.

Providing the same items the author/illustrator used in creating the illustrations (brown paper bags, rubber stamps or potato carvings, and water tempera paints) the students can create an artistic representation of the solar system either as a flat or 3-D model. Research would guide the artwork to develop correct color schemes of each planet and calculations would have to be developed to create a scale model of the distance between each planet from the sun.

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings. Haiku by Pat Mora. Illustrations by Rafael Lopez.

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. NY: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781584302711

Pat Mora quickly draws readers in with the appeal of various delectable foods. These foods, native to America, are presented in haiku format with descriptive language and vivid descriptions. Mora also gives a short informative paragraph explaining the food's origin and several factual tidbits. Readers who may not be familiar with a papaya will read past the haiku and learn that papayas are a tropical fruit sometimes known as a tree melon.

The illustrations accompanying each tasty poem add to the beauty of the written word. Full two page spread renderings done in acrylic on wood panels are deep in color and detail. Hidden treasures are scattered throughout each depiction that causes the reader to linger and visually take in the entire layout.  A snake hidden in a tree and an ever changing face on the moon are some of the gems that can be found as the poem is shared and recited.

To introduce a unit about Texas symbols or native plants and trees I would begin the unit with this haiku and accompany it with examples of different types of pecans for later comparing and contrasting.

Pecan

We crack hard, brown shells,

family munching, story time,

crunchy taste of fall.

After the poem is shared students could use the basket of pecans to develop a chart of similarities and differences between the various types of pecans (native, paper shell, burkett).

After determining students were without nut allergies of course, students could crack the pecans and write their own haiku about the process of breaking open the nut or the rich buttery taste of the prize.

With the large variety of foods mentioned in the book, there is no limit to the amount of food related activities/tastings and haiku writing that could be paired with this beautiful and fun piece of literature.

Another Jar of Tiny Stars by Bernice Cullinan and Deborah Wooten

Cullinan, Bernice E and Deborah Wooten. 2009. ANOTHER JAR OF TINY STARS: POEMS BY NCTE AWARD-WINNING POETS. Pennsylvania: Wordsong.

Another Jar of Tiny Stars is an expanded edition from the original publication Jar of Tiny Stars (1996). Much like its predecessor, Another Jar of Tiny Stars features 15 poets that have received NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) honors. The NCTE evaluates a collection of work by a single author, and then about 4,000 children across the nation selected the top five poems by the poet. Those poems are then included in the book making a generous anthology of gifted poets.

Because the book lacks visual interest due to its plain black and white text and pencil drawings of each author, this book is more suited for professional use. With the absence of bright vivid illustrations, the appeal to children seems less likely. However, in the hands of a teacher or librarian this book would make a valuable resource. The poems are kid friendly and care free to be enjoyed by any age group or grade level. Many are excellent choices to read out loud and can facilitate discussions. The poem, Our Family Comes from Around the World by Mary Ann Hoberman is a wonderful example to use when talking to children about how people are different, and how we are the same. For older children it can be used in a lesson about tolerance.

An Excerpt:

Our family comes

From ‘round the world;

Our hair is straight,

Our hair is curled,

Our eyes are brown,

Our eyes are blue,

Our skins are different

Colors, too.

The poem ends

We laugh and cry,

We work and play,

We help each other

Every day.

The world’s a lovely

Place to be

Because we are a family.

Discussion would begin our lesson about things that are alike and how things are different. The discussion would be guided by the teacher/librarian to include people. Large pieces of chart paper could be used to complete the comparisons or each child could have a graphic organizer of their own to keep a list of the discussion

The poem in its entirety would be shared.

 Emphasis would be placed on the word family and discussion would occur emphasizing what a family is, as well as the types of families and how they function. Discussion would lead into students understanding how, as part of the school, they function as a family. Students can list ideas to help make sure their school is a lovely place to be (as mentioned in the poem).