Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge

Koertge, Ron. COALTOWN JESUS. 2013. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763662288.

Poet Ron Koertge has written a beautiful, poignant verse novel. It is a newer book, published in 2013. It is on YALSA's 2014 list of books for "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Walker and his mother are mourning the tragic and unexpected death of Walker's brother Noah.

Written in honest verse, this novel will let the reader get a bird's eye view of Walker, his mom and the patients at the care facility they own in tiny Coaltown. The reader will be able to experience Walker's anger, sadness, and grief over his brother Walker's unexpected death. Through his humorous and sometimes irreverent conversations with Jesus, Walker comes to understand who he is and how he can help his mom recover from her own grief over Noah's passing. 

Most of the verse seems to be dialogue between Walker and Jesus, but there are moments of beautiful imagery. Koertge sets a beautiful scene using third-person narrative. At least for this author, the third-person point of view worked, because the omniscient narrator paints a vivid picture of all the characters, including the little dog Shadow, whom Walker adopts. Towards the end of the novel is a beautiful verse titled "The Sky was Black and Blue". Here is an excerpt:

The Sky was Black and Blue

when Walker, Jesus, and Shadow set out. 
The night lay ahead of them. It rolled in
like an ocean tide, and they went into it.
Ankle-deep, then waist-deep. Then all 
the way. 

(Koertge, 104) 

This verse is a beautiful representation of Koertge's style. The imagery and poetic devices used in these five short lines is brilliant. Throughout the novel there are other similar verses. Since this excerpt is from a larger verse novel, it would be best to introduce this verse novel by posting some of the different titles of the entries. Some of these entries could be written on a dry erase board, smart board or in a document from a tablet or computer projected onto a screen or the wall. Additionally, the librarian, teacher, parent or other adult could print out the titles of the entries onto small strips of paper and task teenagers with creating original poems using the entry titles. 

Some of the entry titles are:

His Mother's Voice Startled Him
Walker Bolted
In the Kitchen
When the door closed, Jesus said, 
Hanging around with you
A siren pierced the air like a lance
That afternoon
After dinner
All of a Sudden

As teenage readers participate in this activity, they will be able to explore different themes and phrases from Koertge's verse novel. After creating their own poems with the entry titles from the novel, teenage readers can dive into the novel with a hint of what is in store. 

Coaltown Jesus. JPEG. Retrieved from http://candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763662283&pix=n

A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to speak, sing, and shout

Janeczko, Paul. (selected by). A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING, AND SHOUT.2009. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. Ill. by Chris Raschka. ISBN 9780763606633.

A foot in the mouth: Poems to speak, sing, and shout is a delightful poetry book, featuring three dozen poems selected by award-winning poet Paul Janeczko. The poems fall under the following categories: poems for one voice, tongue twisters, poems for two voices, list poems, poems for three voices, short stuff, bilingual poems, rhymed poems, limericks, and poems for a group.

The illustrations by Chris Raschka were created using watercolor, ink, and torn paper. In an introduction, Janeczko states that he chose the poems for this collection because they are "terrific candidates for reading aloud".

Though the poems are written by authors spanning a myriad of cultures and writing styles, all of the poems have their own unique voice. The quality of the poems are very high-level, drawing on the expertise of poets who have unique styles. This deceptively simple poetry collection is ideal for introducing some 'classic' poets like Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, and Lewis Carroll to young children. It is also a great resource for teachers and librarians wanting to introduce young readers to specific format poems like the limerick or list poems. Many of the poems are silly or light-hearted and will appeal to younger beginning readers.

I really enjoyed the poems for two voices. One of these is Georgia Heard's "Fishes". Reading the poem silently, alone, does not do the words justice. This poem is one that begs to be read by two people, aloud! It is so fun.

Fishes

Atlantic blue tang
                            Zebra pipe
Royal gramma
                            French angel
Cuban hock
                           Golden butterfly

We            We
are             are
fishes        fishes

We             We
shimmer     swim
under
                  water

Our             Our
mouths        mouths
open
and
               close

Our         Our
gills        gills
sift

air
             from
             water

Our       Our
fins       fins  
steer
us        like
            wings

We       We
are        are
fishes   fishes  

We         We
shimmer  swim

This poem is ideal for two voices. A fun way to introduce this poem to a group of young readers (probably 2nd grade to 5th grade age kiddos), would be to listen to an audio recording of it read by two different people. Before listening to the recording of the poem, the teacher, parent, or librarian working with the kids could explain that this poem is specifically written for two voices.

After listening to the audio recording of the poem at least three times, the adult could separate the children into two groups. Working with each group, the librarian, teacher or parent could help one group learn the first voice part (on the left hand column) and the other group learn the second voice part (the words in the right hand column). Especially when working with young children it is important that the adult have patience and remember that reading poetry aloud is fun! It will take time and practice to get this poem performance ready, especially with two groups reading.

A foot in the mouth. JPEG. Retrieved from http://candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763606634&pix=n

Tell the World: Teen Poems from WritersCorps

WritersCorps. TELL THE WORLD: TEEN POEMS FROM WRITERSCORPS. 2008. New York: Collins/Harper Teen. ISBN 9780061345050.

This is an awesome book of poetry written by teens ages 12-18 of WritersCorps, an organization operating in New York (Bronx), Washington D.C., and San Francisco (California). The poems are grouped into the following categories:

Tell the World who we are
Tell the World where we're from
Tell the World what we love
Tell the World what we think
Tell the World how it feels
Tell the World why we hope

With a foreword by acclaimed author and poet Sherman Alexie (and a poem written by him!), this is a book of poetry every adult working with teens (and 'tweens') will want to share! At the beginning of each section of the book is a short poem-writing challenge for teens. These writing challenges could easily be incorporated into a poetry writing session or ongoing workshop in the school or public library.

The topics of the poems are so interesting, and many of the poems have such a profound emotional impact on the reader. There are some haikus and many free verse poems. It is fascinating to read page after page of emotionally raw, honest, funny, sarcastic and melancholy poems. The teen writers really put their heart into their writing, and it shows in the poems in this book of poetry.

There are so many different poems in this collection that it was difficult to choose just one to review; they are all wonderful! One of my favorites is "Voices of Wonder". It is written by a 14-year-old from San Francisco. I play cello, so this poem really has a soft spot in my heart!

Voices of Wonder

The lone Flower dreams as it listens
to the song sung by Flute,
accompanied by the echo of Trumpet
parading through the night as Cello
begins to move.

Sleep leaves the fountains and disturbs
the thirsty trees, hungering for the
touch of the collapsing bridge breaking
under the weight of the world.

The voice of Clarinet whispers a
song to the breezy morning,
walking those of the sleeping, ruffling,
the blankets and bed leaving them to wait
for you to return, allowing pillow
to recuperate from the weight being
lifted from its body.

The keys of Piano begin to leap with joy
as they exchange their love with Viola,
through their singing before the
eyes of hundreds, admiring their beautiful duet.

The voices of Cello soften
bringing darkness to a new level
as the requiem dies out completely
in voices of wonder.

(WritersCorps, p. 42-43)

A fun, interactive way to introduce this poem would be to play some music featuring the instruments talked about in the poem: flute, trumpet , clarinet, piano, and cello. Even better would be to host a mini-music and poetry listening party. The teacher, librarian or other adult working with teenagers could invite (well in advance) the teenagers to create and record their own music using real musical instruments.

For a technology spin, youth could record music using a musical instrument application on their smart phone or device. After listening to various types of music and reading the poem in partners, the teenagers could write their own poems on "what they love", whether it is music, a sport, a hobby, etc. It would also be helpful for the teacher, librarian or other adult to read aloud (or have the teens read them aloud!) other poems from the same section of the book focused on what the teens love.

Tell the world. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.harperteen.com/books/Tell-World-Writerscorps/?isbn=9780061345043

Review: Under the Mesquite

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. UNDER THE MESQUITE. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781600604294.
Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s beautiful verse novel Under the Mesquite is the winner of many awards and honors. One of the more recent awards is the 2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Poetry. The audience for the book is middle to high school-aged readers. It is written in six parts, and also includes a glossary of "Names, Spanish Words, and Cultural References" at the back of the book.

Each verse entry has a title, so that is helpful for the reader to get an idea of what the entry is about. McCall uses many Spanish words throughout the novel, so it is a great choice for English language learners whose first language is Spanish.

McCall’s poignant verse style is both simple and profound. The story of the verse novel follows Lupita, the oldest of eight children, on her journey through high school. Lupita's voice is given strength and depth of character through her interactions with her mother, father and seven younger siblings (5 sisters!). The novel follows Lupita and her family as they move from Mexico to south Texas and the trial they face as Lupita's mother is diagnosed with cancer. Lupita dreams of going off to college and becoming a writer or actress, but she is cognizant of the traditional Mexican lifestyle of her parents and ancestors. McCall's verse style is honest and emotionally captivating.

Because the poems are all very well written, it was difficult for me to choose just one to review. The poem I chose is "a mesquite in the rose garden". This poem is in the story during the summer after Lupita's junior year of high school. It is as follows:

In the squint of morning,
before anyone else is awake,
when the roaring sounds
of unbridled verses
rush furiously through my head,
the mesquite is my confidant.
I lean back against its sturdy trunk
and read aloud every word
imprinted en mi corazón

The mesquite listens quietly-
as if the poems budding in my heart,
then blossoming in my notebook,
are Scripture-and never tells a soul
the things I write.

(McCall, 123)

This poem entry falls at a key place in the novel. It occurs while Lupita is taking care of her younger siblings while her mother is receiving chemotherapy treatment in the hospital. Since Lupita is the oldest child and her father is caring for her mother in the hospital, she really does not have anyone else she can turn to. This verse exemplifies McCall's powerful style.

A teacher, librarian or parent sharing this novel with middle-school age readers could give some background information on the towns Lupita lives in (both in Texas and Mexico). Before reading the poem aloud, the adult could ask any readers who speak Spanish if they could explain what the word corazón means with the group. This is crucial to understanding this poem, as corazón means heart.

After the adult reads the poem aloud once for the group, the readers could practice reading to each other in partners; one reader could read the poem aloud as Lupita, the other listening as the mesquite. Then the partners could reverse roles. It may be helpful for the adult to share pictures of actual mesquite trees with the children before reading the poem aloud.

Under the Mesquite. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.leeandlow.com/books/391/hc/under_the_mesquite

Review: What the heart knows: Chants, charms, and blessings

Sidman, J. WHAT THE HEART KNOWS: CHANTS, CHARMS, AND BLESSINGS. 2013. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780544106161. 

Sidman, J. WHAT THE HEART KNOWS: CHANTS, CHARMS, AND BLESSINGS. 2013. Ill. By Pamela Zagarenski. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780544106161. 

This brand new book of poems by Newbery Honor winner Joyce Sidman is magical. I was able to hear Sidman read from this book at the Texas Library Association Conference on April 11th. I was able to meet her and get this book signed! This book was published in 2013, and is a truly joyful book of poetry with beautiful, unique illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski. 

Sidman wrote a wonderful author’s note to the readers, featured at the beginning of the book. This note helps readers to understand why she chose to write the various poems in this collection. The book is divided into the following four sections: chants and charms, spells and invocations, laments and remembrances, and praise songs and blessings. The beautiful illustrations by Zagarenski add life to the poems. The illustrations were made using mixed media painting on wood, and computer illustration.

In all, there are twenty-nine poems which vary in style, form and rhyme scheme. Sidman’s poems a myriad of different feelings, whether that is happiness, despair, mourning, thanks, praise or remembrance. Sidman is a well-known and well-loved author and poet, and these poems will delight any reader. I was able to share this book with some seventh grade students and they loved reading the poems aloud to each other. 

Two of the poems are in the ubit sunt style, while one poem is a triolet. These poems function on a precise form and rhyme scheme, so it would be fun to have readers create their own triolets and ubit sunt poems. According to The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, the triolet is a French verse form of eight lines, with the first two lines of the poem repeated as the last two lines (p. 489). Also, the fourth line is the same as the first line. This unique form presents a great opportunity for young readers to try creating their own triolets, in the school or public library setting. 

The ubi sunt verse form comes from the Latin words meaning “where are”, and is often used to lament the loss of people, things or ideas of the past (Murfin and Ray, 2003, p. 491).  This style would also be fun to have readers create their own ubi sunt poems, after reading Sidman’s “Lament for Teddy”:

Where is that softest of bedfellows,

whose battered nose hung askew?

Whose slack head lolled

but whose eyes sang through the dark

to buttress my dreams?

Whose tongue lapped the lint

of many beds?

Whose scent swallowed all nightmares?

Whose balding ears drank in

secrets and wonderings,

passion and venom equally

without a shiver?

Whose fur unfurred,

whose plush unplushed,

whose thread of claws

spindled and popped,

all in service to this queen?

Where is the one

whose mute love followed me

all the days of my life?

The one I boxed up and packed away?

The one I thought I didn’t need?

The one I felt

      I had outgrown?

(Sidman, 35)

This poem is powerful! A parent, teacher or librarian working with middle-school age readers could introduce this poem by explaining what an ubi sunt actually is. The adult could ask readers to think of songs or other media (TV shows, movies, games, etc.) that they think qualify as an ubi sunt.

This poem lends itself to using the refrain style of sharing poetry aloud. The adult can read the poem once aloud and then have the children read it silently to themselves. After that, the children could read the poem aloud with a partner, and then the whole group could join in and read aloud the words and phrases: where, whose, and the one. After the reading aloud, the readers could work with a partner or a team to create an ubi sunt together, perhaps about multiple people, ideas or objects.

Bibliography
Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M. Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's. 2003.

What the heart knows. GIF. Retrieved from http://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/What-the-Heart-Knows/9780544106161#

Review: Mirror, Mirror: a book of reversible verse

Singer, M. MIRROR, MIRROR: a book of reversible verse. 2010. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 9780525479017.

Singer, M. MIRROR, MIRROR: a book of reversible verse. Ill. by Josee Masse. 2010. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 9780525479017.

Singer's delightful book of "reverso poems" is a fun book of poetry! As Singer points out in an author's note, a person can write a reverso poem about anything, but in this book the author chose to focus on fairy tales. This is a great book to incorporate with middle grade to 8th grade-age readers in the school or public library. Since the reverso poems tell two sides of the fairy tale, they are great for having readers perform! Josee Masse's beautiful artwork compliments the poems well.

Singer presents poems from different fairy tales, including: Cinderella (her double life!), Sleeping Beauty (and the wide-awake Prince), Rapunzel and her luscious locks, Little Red Riding Hood (and that big scary wolf!), the Ugly Duckling, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, the Princess and the Frog, and Beauty and the Beast.

With such a plethora of poems to choose from it was difficult to choose one which shows Singer’s great reverso poetry style. All of Singer's poems are high quality, though they vary in length and tone, they are all interesting because of the same reverso form. One of the poems I liked best is “Rapunzel’s Locks”: 

No wonder she felt snippy.

Sweeping the floor

it took forever to manage-

all that pale, tangled, dangling hair.

Cut off,

shut up in the tower,

who was

that strange girl with the weird name?

You know,

someone said her mother was a witch.

It figures.                                                                                                                                                    
It figures.

Someone said her mother was a witch.

You know

that strange girl with the weird name,

who was

shut up in the tower,

cut off

all that pale, tangled, dangling hair?

It took forever to manage

sweeping the floor.

No wonder she felt snippy.

The illustration that accompanies this poem shows Rapunzel with half of her long, beautiful locks cut off by the evil witch and the other half still there. In the background you can see the mean witch walking off with Rapunzel's hair. A fun way to introduce this poem to middle-grade readers (about 3rd-6th grade-aged children), would be to read the poem (both 'versions') aloud once through. After that, the parent, teacher or librarian could invite readers to read the poem silently.

Then the adult could divide the readers into two groups, with one group reading one version of the poem and the other group reading the reverso poem. After the readers are comfortable reading both versions of the poem aloud in two groups, they can then meet with a partner to practice reading the poem aloud as 'two voices'. The 'two voices' method will take much practice, but as the readers practice reading the two poems at the same time, they will be able to see how the lines overlap and work together. It really is the highlight of performance, and it will be fun as readers work up to performing the poem aloud.

Mirror, mirror book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780525479017,00.html?Mirror_Mirror:_A_Book_of_Reversible_Verse_Marilyn_Singer

Review: The Freedom Business

Nelson, M. THE FREEDOM BUSINESS: Including A Narrative of the Life & Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong. ISBN 9781932425574.

Nelson, M. THE FREEDOM BUSINESS: Including A Narrative of the Life & Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa. Art By Deborah Dancy. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong. ISBN 9781932425574.

Marilyn Nelson's biographical poems on the life of slave  Venture Smith, known at birth as Broteer Furro. This wonderful book of poems features illustrations by artist Deborah Dancy. In a note featured at the back of the book, Dancy notes that she used a combination of watercolor, ink, collage and acrylic paint to create the illustrations.

This book of poems is suitable for middle school-aged to high school-aged readers. In addition to the illustrations and poems, the book also features the text of the "A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa", the biography of Venture Smith which was printed in New London, Connecticut in 1798.

Nelson's poems show a depth of beauty in relating the events of Venture's life. What is so interesting about this book is that in addition to the poems, the reader can also read the actual words of Venture Smith himself. The text of his biography is placed side-by-side the poems. The reader almost experiences a dual sense of tragedy and relief as they are able to digest both Nelson's poems which reflect Venture's life, and the events in his own words.

As a caution to adults working with youth in homes, schools and libraries, some of the poems contain some graphic material. The beatings and abuse suffered by Venture and his family at the hands of their masters is painful to read. A couple of the poems also contain swear words. This biographical poetry collection will be invaluable to use in a study of the early slave trade. It could even be paired with other biographical poetry collections or historical fiction novels of the same time period.

A great poem from the collection to share with students is titled "How I came by my Name":

Four casks of rum and a bolt of calico.

(A quarter of the list price. A terrific deal, 

a steal for the ship's steward who bought a boy

onboard as two-legged cargo was being loaded 

and stowed.) Four casks of rum and a piece of cloth.

(For breath, dreams, heartbeat.) The boy who was Broteer

disappeared. A business venture took his place. 

Same face, same eyes, but inside utterly transformed,

harmed past healing by the cheapening of human life. 

Breath, dreams, pulse, traded for cloth and alcohol, 

were capital. There was profit in the pain, 

the chains. Venture. There were whole worlds to gain. 

(Nelson, 29)

This poem is a turning point in the collection of poems, but also represents the new life that Broteer, now known as Venture, will have to endure. The reality of his being bought and sold as if he had no life in him, as if he is not even human is painful for the reader. The use of italics on the words capital, profit and Venture give emphasis to the inhumane treatment of Broteer and other slaves who suffered the same fate. Though the poem mentions alcohol, this poem could be introduced using props: four casks (bottles) of soda (in place of rum of course!) and a bolt of fabric (This would represent the 'bolt of calico', referred to in the poem. This may require some research done on the part of the adult to explain to the readers what type of fabric this is.). 

These items could be set out on a table, and youth readers could be asked to think about the value of these items. After writing their thoughts down on paper, the parent, teacher or librarian could read aloud the poem. After reading the poem aloud, the adult could have the children reread the poem in pairs and discuss their thoughts on trading slaves for cheap objects. 

The freedom business book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.boydsmillspress.com/books/wordsong/freedom-business

Review: The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from The Titanic

Wolf, Allan. 2011. THE WATCH THAT ENDS THE NIGHT: VOICES FROM THE TITANIC. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763637033.

Allan Wolf's verse novel The Watch that Ends the Night is a heart-wrenching portrayal of the experiences of lost and surviving passengers and crew of the RMS Titanic. The novel is suitable for middle to high school-aged readers; it weighs in at 430 pages of verse!

At the end of the novel is a "Notes" section, which includes the following: an author's note, a character note, a section on Morse code messages, and a section titled "RMS Titanic Miscellany". Wolf also includes a lengthy bibliography and a note to guide readers to additional resources on all things surrounding Titanic's history and tragedy.


Reading through the "Miscellany" section, one is in awe of the loss of life when it seems so many could have been saved. In all, Wolf's verse represents twenty-five voices, twenty-three of which were actual passengers and crew on the Titanic. Two of these voices are the Iceberg and the Ship Rat.

Perhaps the most intriguing verses come from the Iceberg itself. It is hauntingly beautiful because we, as readers, know the ill-fate of the Titanic. The passengers and crew come from different countries, speak differently languages, and Wolf brings each of them (victim and survivor) to vivid life through his consistent verse style. Each character has their own style, dialect and accent represented in their verse.

When I shared this book with a group of seventh graders, they were particularly enthralled with the voice of the Iceberg. Since the readers know the historical events that occurred, it is almost eerie to read the Iceberg's thoughts. A great verse example is toward the end of the book, after the collision with Titanic has already occurred:

The knew. They knew what damage ice can do.
And yet they kept advancing, all the same.
Titanic's wound proved mortal. Now she's gone.
But metal, coal, and engines weren't my aim.
My prize was left there floating on the sea.
The humans left alive upon their boats;
some selfishly looked only to themselves.
But mostly they assisted those in need.
Surprisingly few were fueled by greed.
Surprisingly most were fueled by hope,
a hopefulness that, even through despair,
illuminates the dark and morbid night.
An officer sends up his final flare.
The rescue ship comes steaming into sight.
Then sunlight reinstates some normalcy.
Each little boat approaches with what's left.
A bosun's chair lifts females to the deck.
The infants ride in canvas postal sacks.
The baker makes his way up on his own.
His feet in pain from frostbite's knife-sharp sting,
he climbs a Jacob's ladder on his knees.
The wireless man is forced to do the same.
The lookout, immigrant, and tailor's sons,
the gambler, refugee, and socialite,
the boy who hunts for dragons: all ascend.
Ascend to end the watch that ends the night.
And as they do, the ice leaves with the tide,
a dozen souls all clinging to my side.

(Wolf, 403)

The Iceberg's voice is so vividly captured in long verse such as the one above. There are no line or stanza breaks in the Iceberg's voice, which could represent the path the iceberg has taken over thousands of years, finally meeting its match in lady Titanic. One way to introduce this verse novel to middle or high-school aged readers could be to show actual photographs of the Titanic and the Icebergs which were in the Atlantic. Also helpful to provide before reading the above poem, would be to read other entries featuring the Iceberg which occur in earlier chapters of the novel.

The parent, teacher or librarian sharing this verse could also share the "Titanic vs. the Iceberg" information contained in the "RMS Titanic Miscellany" section on pages 453-454 of the book. After sharing the specifics of the weight, speed and age of the ship and the Iceberg, then the above verse could be read. It would also be important to share background information on the RMS Carpathia, the "rescue ship comes steaming into sight" (403). The parent, teacher or librarian sharing this poem with young readers could then lead a discussion on what readers would do if they were aboard the Titanic. Would they think only of themselves or would they "assist those in need"?

The watch that ends the night book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763637033&pix=n

Review: Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature

Davies, N. 2012. OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW: A FIRST BOOK OF NATURE. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763655495.

Davies, N. 2012. OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW: A FIRST BOOK OF NATURE. Ill. by Mark Hearld.  Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763655495.

This beautiful poetry book is ideal for incorporating into the natural science curriculum with readers who are Kindergarten-3rd grade age. The poems and illustrations in the book cycle through the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The large-format of this book makes the beautiful illustrations inviting; it measures at 10 1/ 4 x 11 5/16 inches. The illustrations are made from mixed media and really help the poems come alive!

Since the poems span the four seasons, they vary in mood and tone. The illustrations complement the text of the poems. In addition to the poems, there is also a couple recipes for readers to try. One is a yummy berry crumble, and the other features instructions on creating "Bird Cakes" or a mixture of bird seed to feed birds in one's yard or outdoor living space. There is also a section on how to save seeds and make compost! The recipes and information found in this poetry book could be used for a food science cooking project or study of birds.

Since the poems are all written by Davies, the poems' level of quality is consistent throughout the book. There seems to be a heavy hand on Spring poems. A poem which could be used in science instruction to simplify the explanation of the life cycle of a butterfly is "Caterpillars, Butterflies":

       What's eating the leaves,
        making them like lace and rags?

        Caterpillars!

        Caterpillars!

       It's all they do,

eat leaves and grow and grow....

And when they've finished growing,

they make a bag

that's called a chrysalis

and go to sleep inside it.

         Inside,

the caterpillar

changes to a butterfly.

If you don't believe it, look!

A chrysalis

is splitting open....

You can watch

the wings unfolding in the sunshine.

A butterfly.

(Davies, 40-41)

One way to introduce this poem would be to have children create a small, three-dimensional caterpillar and butterfly as a craft. Then the parent, teacher or librarian sharing the poem could use two puppets to read the poem- a caterpillar and a butterfly puppet. After the adult reads the poem aloud with the children, the children can use their caterpillars and butterflies to mimic the action of the insects as the whole group reads the poem aloud in unison. If the readers are young (Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade age), the adult could also write the poem on a large piece of butcher block paper and point to the words as he/she reads the poem aloud. It would also be helpful to give some background information on the caterpillars and butterflies prior to sharing this poem.

Outside your window book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=076365549X&pix=y

Review: Blue Lipstick: concrete poems

Grandits, J. 2007. BLUE LIPSTICK: CONCRETE POEMS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618568604. 

This funky book of concrete poems is an excellent example of the types of poetry available for young readers. Grandits not only wrote the poems in Blue Lipstick, but he also illustrated the book. In a note from the author at the back of the book, Grandits explains that he used QuarkXPress Software to create the illustrations.

Most of the poems in this collection seem to be written from the point of view teenagers, so this book will certainly appeal to young teenagers. There are over thirty concrete poems in this collection. The poems seem to be in no particular order, and this somewhat disarray may be frustrating for some readers (as it was for me). In a book with poems of this format, a table of contents or a list of the poems would have been helpful. There is a short note from the author entitled “Pocket Poem” at the end of the book.

Probably one of the most fun poems is the one titled “Poems Inspired by the Free Perfume Samples at Carson’s”. It features six different haikus written for the “Totally Lame English Assignment #19”.

Here is the haiku “Attar de Girls’ Bathroom during a dance”:

            Breath mints. Bubble gum.

Jealousy, lies, and gossip.

Ninth-grade witches’ brew.

And “Essence of Lunchroom”:

            Mysterious meats.

           Questionable vegetables.

        Mix, bake, burn, and serve.

            (Grandits, 2007)

These hilarious haiku poems are just one example of the variety of concrete poems in this collection. Grandits uses the concrete poem form to show through design and words, the gamut of thoughts, feelings and emotions teenagers experience due to budding hormones. A fun activity to do with teenagers, based on the haikus above, would be for them to come up with a “Totally lame English Assignment” and then switch with a peer and write out a poem based on the satirical “assignment”.

This is a light-hearted look at poetry, and really a fun way to get the kids excited about poetry, which may be viewed with trepidation. After writing their poem assignments, the kids could take turns sharing their poem with a partner, and then vote on whose assignment was the most lame. All in good fun of course! 

Blue lipstick cover photo. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/Blue-Lipstick/9780618851324#

Review: Pug and Other Animal Poems

Worth, V. 2013. PUG AND OTHER ANIMAL POEMS. New York: Margaret Ferguson Books. ISBN 9780374350246. 

Pug and other animal poems, a topical collection of poems written by late author Valerie Worth (1933-1995), was published in 2013. The book features beautiful cut-out collage pictures by Steve Jenkins. The book's eighteen poems each focus on a different animal.Worth’s animal poems feature many different poetic elements throughout book. Since the poems are all about animals, the most obvious element is that of personification. Young readers will be captivated by how Worth describes the various animals and insects. The rhythm of the poems vary. 

Almost all of the poems are succinct, and in only a few lines, give the reader a glimpse of the mouse, rabbits, the wood thrush, the cat, the fox, toads, fireflies, along with other animals and insects. The beautiful illustrations complement the poems well. 

What is so great about Worth’s poetry style is that her concise, seemingly simple poems will appeal to young children who are being introduced to poetry. Who doesn't love poems about animals? Worth weaves intricate details of some of the most mundane insects, like the cicada, for instance. Readers may be surprised that their perceptions of certain animals and insects may change after reading Worth's poems. Here is the poem "Cicada":

            A fairy

            Tale come

            True: the

           

Humped brown

            Gnome split

            Up the back,

            The silver-

            Caped prince

            Set free.

(Worth, 2013)

This poem's three stanzas depict Worth's clear style: the imagery is clear, the lowly cicada becomes an exalted prince! One way to introduce this book to young children would be to print out copies of footprints for each of the animals mentioned in the poems, and have the children match up the footprints to a photograph of the animal.

After the children have worked together to match the footprints to their correct animal owners, the teacher or librarian could lead a short discussion on how/why the children chose the footprints for their respective owners. Afterwards, each child could choose an animal and the group can read the poem that corresponds with that particular animal. 

Review: May B.: a novel in verse

Rose, C.S. 2012. MAY B. : A NOVEL. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 9781582463933 (hardcover).

Rose’s novel in verse is a beautiful book set in the rural prairies of 19th-century Kansas. It is an interesting novel in that the book features only one point of view, that of twelve-year-old Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, otherwise known as May B. She is sent by her parents to help out a newly married couple who live fifteen miles from May's family. 

From the beginning of the novel we see May's strong determination- she is insistent on not going to live with strangers, but the choice is ultimately made by her father, who promises the separation will be only till Christmas. May soon finds herself alone in the newlyweds' soddy, the new bride having run away and the groom set out to find her. 

Rose’s verse style features a variety of poetic elements. Some great examples of this include beautiful sensory imagery which makes the reader feel as if they are on the Kansas prairie with May B. In a beautiful stanza describing the area near their home, May says:

            

            I play a game inside my head,

            counting plum trees that dot a creek bed,

            rabbits that scatter at the sound of wagon

               wheels,

            clouds that skirt the sky.

            For hours, that is all,

            and grass,

            always grass,

            in different shade sand textures like the braids in a rag rug.

(Rose, 18)

Throughout the novel, the grass, the hills, the river, the woods and the sky are presented realistically through Rose’s verse that the reader is captivated by the wide, open space of the Kansas prairie. Through sharing May's struggle with reading (she most likely has dyslexia), Rose's verses have great emotional impact as the reader begins to understand May’s doubts about her ability to read aloud. She longs to overcome her struggle with reading to become a school teacher. May's determination to become a fluent reader will inspire any young readers struggling with dyslexia. 

Rose’s verse style will be appealing to both young and adult readers alike. She intricately weaves sensory details of the Kansas landscape with the thoughts and feelings May experiences throughout her time living alone, separated from her family. May’s quite sense of humor and sarcasm about Mrs. Oblinger and some of her schoolmates keeps the mood of the verse throughout the novel light when it otherwise would have been disparaging. The verse is full of seemingly everyday details which show the immensity of physical work it took just to survive on the prairie.

The layout of this verse novel is set in two parts. What may be slightly confusing to some readers is the numbering of pages or entries. It appears that the numbering at the top of each page is for each entry, sort of like a chapter number, but it also may be that this numbering represents the amount of days which transpire, since May lives alone for several months. The numbers at the bottom of the page are the traditional page numbers.

Some of my favorite verses come from the time when May finds herself alone at the Oblingers’ soddy, with no idea of what the future holds.

            I push open the door

            and run,

            and run,

            and run,

            and run,

            until the soddy’s a tiny speck.

            And around me,

            the grass reaches in every direction.

            There is nothing here to mark my place,

            nothing to show me where I am.

            No trees.

            No stones.

            No wagon ruts this way.

            Just emptiness.

            This isn’t home,

            where I know the land.

           

(Rose, 73)

This beautiful verse embodies the hopelessness threatening to engulf May. As she has never lived away from her family before, she is completely unsure of where she is, and has no idea how to return to her parents’ home. A great activity to introduce this novel to middle-grade readers (most likely 4th-6th graders) would be to present some historical photographs of rural 19th-century Kansas as it is depicted in the novel. Personally, I did not know exactly what a ‘soddy’ was before reading the novel. If young readers are able to view photographs of Kansas from the time period that the novel is set in, they will be able to create more accurate mental images of what Rose describes with such beautiful detail. 

May B. book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.randomhouse.com/book/208455/may-b-by-caroline-rose

Review: Partly Cloudy by Gary Soto

Soto, G. 2009. PARTLY CLOUDY: POEMS OF LOVE AND LONGING. New York: Harcourt.

Partly Cloudy: Poems of love and longing is a collection of poems about the buds of love that spring up in young teenagers. This poetry book for teenagers beautifully captures the myriad of emotions experienced by boys and girls on the cusp of physical and sexual maturity. Soto is an award-winning poet and the poems throughout the book range in length, style, and form. Some of the poems are in free verse, while others follow more classic forms like quatrains or couplets.

Soto’s book contains table of contents which outlines the poems, in two groups: from a girl’s perspective: “A Girl’s Tears, Her Songs”; and from a boy’s perspective: “A Boy’s Body, His words”. The quality of the poems from both genders' perspectives is outstanding. It is interesting to me that the set of poems placed first in the book are from a girls perspective, though this is not to say that the poems need be read in order of printing. 

The poem "Forest of Boulders" is a poem filled with sensory images. Written from a boy's perspective, the poem shows the quiet pain a boy may experience "when a girl says no". 
Here is an excerpt from the poem:

Out of love, 
I'm going to walk

Into the forest
And sit next to

A gray boulder. 
Rain will fall, 

Thickets grow
Around my feet

Until after
So many years

I will blend into
That boulder.

(Soto, 84)

The way in which Soto weaves the words to create images in the reader's mind is powerful. The image of heartbroken boys retreating to the forest for solace, only to become boulders that "hikers will climb over" creates such vivid imagery. Surely this poem and others like it will allow boys and girls to feel more comfortable expressing their feelings, hopefully aloud and in writing.

A fun activity for a group of middle or high schools could be to have students pair up with a partner and choose one of Soto’s poems written from the point of view of the opposite gender. After reading through poem individually and in partners, the students can  write a similar poem from the gender opposite of the poem they have read and discussed. 

Soto's Partly Cloudy: Poems of love and longing is a must read for teenagers. The snippets of thoughts expressed in the poems beg to be read again and again, and of course shared with others! 

Partly cloudy book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/Partly-Cloudy/9780152063016#

Review: Poetrees by Douglas Florian

Florian, D. 2010. POETREES. New York: Beach Lane Books. ISBN 9781416986720.

This beautiful sideways book features a table of contents and a ‘glossatree’ or glossary. It contains eighteen poems on eighteen different trees, from banyan to Weeping Willow, to more obscure like Yews and Dragon Tree. The poems also focus on different characteristics of the trees like bark, leaves and tree rings.

The beautiful color illustrations were created with gouache water color paints, colored pencils, rubber stamps, oil pastels, and collage on primed brown paper bags, according the title page verso. There is also a neat “Author’s Note” included in the “Glossatree”, which cites five different texts Florian consulted while writing the poems.

This book of poetry would be ideal to nestle in with other poetry books about trees, both nonfiction and fiction. As a substitute teacher, I was able to share this book with a group of first graders. Most of them loved the illustrations and the vertical layout of the pages. The huge illustrations were fun to show them, along with the way the words to one poem often spanned two pages.

One of the poems the first graders enjoyed the most was "Weeping Willow". It is as follows:

Willow tree, why do you weep?
Why do you cry and moan?

   All day these caterpillars creep. 
   They won't let me alone!

Willow tree, why do you bend
Your branches to the ground?

  I bend my branches low to send
  Those caterpillars down! 

(Florian, 41)

The repetition of the line "willow tree" was exciting for the kids, and they immediately requested to read it again and everyone joined in. Florian's use of personification and dialogue between the weeping willow and the narrator is genius! Through giving the weeping willow a voice, it really made the poem come alive for the kids I shared it with. The rhythm of this poem also helped the kids to recognize that poems can be fun.

A fun, interactive activity that could be used to introduce this book would be to have the parent, librarian, or teacher bring in various items mentioned in the poems, including: seeds, leaves, pine cones and bark. These items could be passed around to the children so that each could feel the texture and see the colors of these items. 

If possible, the children could take a mini-excursion to the playground or nearby green area to collect these various items. After all of the students have had the opportunity to touch and see each item, they could choose one item to write their observations about. After sharing their observations with a partner who wrote about a different item, they could read Florian's poems on seeds, leaves and the bristlecone pine. If possible, the adult could also provide color illustrations of the various trees that Florian writes about and then move into whole class reading of the other poems about trees. 

Poetrees book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://books.simonandschuster.biz/Poetrees/Douglas-Florian/9781416986720

Review: World Rat Day by J. Patrick Lewis

Lewis, J.P. 2013. WORLD RAT DAY: POEMS BOUT REAL HOLIDAYS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763654023.

Lewis, J.P. 2013. WORLD RAT DAY: POEMS BOUT REAL HOLIDAYS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF. Ill. By Anna Raff. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978076365402. 

For parents, teachers and librarians already familiar with award-winning author J. Patrick Lewis, his whimsical World Rat Day: Poems about real holidays you’ve never heard of is a lighthearted look anyone will enjoy. When paired with Anna Raff’s fun and quirky illustrations, young readers are sure to enjoy this book of poetry.

Since the poems in this book are all written by award-winning author J. Patrick Lewis, the quality of the poems is consistent. The twenty-six poems focus on twenty-two different holidays most people may not be familiar with. Like the title suggests, the poems focus on holidays that celebrate animals.  Out of the collection, there is one poem that may cause some parents, teachers and librarians to skip over it- “Jack A.”. While most of the other poems contain lively rhyme schemes, this poem unfortunately sticks out like a sore thumb in the collection.

The layout of the book will appeal to most readers because the poems bring the reader through holidays, from January to December. For the most part Lewis has dedicated one poem to each holiday. The one exception to this is that the five limericks celebrating Limerick Day, April 12. Sharing these poems with a young group of students will give a simple introduction into a fun, whimsical type of poem, the limerick.

Anna Raff’s illustrations in this book use bright, fun colors. The way Raff shows the various animals doing things humans do will spark the reader’s imagination. From a hippo reading a book called Hippo Drones to the rat listening to an IPod, to the sheep dressed up like a diva singing, young readers are sure to love seeing all the silly antics of the rats and other animals.

The poem “Bats” is a great example of how Lewis uses sensory images to capture a simple nocturnal creature. The bats are described as “sweepers of twilight”. The second stanza is as follows:

            Black sacks in the morning

            Airmailed at night

            Dispatchers of insects

            In boomerang flight

This poem and the others in it could be used in conjunction with other animal poetry books, other holiday poetry books or even in a science unit on animals. A fun activity to do with students with this book would be to have the types of animals featured in the poems written on posters, displayed around the room. Then the parent, teacher, or librarian could instruct students to choose a particular animal station to begin at. At each station there will be copies of the poem about that particular animal/holiday.

As the students read through the poems aloud with each other, they could talk about what they like about the poem (and what they don’t like) and record favorite lines in their writer’s notebooks. In addition, there could even be photographs or poster illustrations of the animals. A fun way to get the kids moving would be to play some upbeat music and have the kids rotate to the different stations so that everyone is able to read each poem, preferably with a partner. This activity could be done as a morning wake-up activity or in the afternoon ‘slump’ of the day after lunch!

World Rat Day book cover. JPEG. Retrieved from http://candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763654027&pix=n

The Way a Door Closes Review

Bibliographic citation: 

Smith, H.A. 2003. THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 9780805064773.

Smith, H.A. 2003. THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES. New York: Henry Holt and Co. Ill. by Shane W. Evans. ISBN 9780805064773. 

Hope Anita Smith’s The Way a Door Closes chronicles the events in the life of thirteen-year-old C.J, the oldest of three siblings. Ms. Smith won the Coretta Scott King/John Septoe Award for New Talent for this book in 2004, it was the first book published by the author for young readers.

While not a verse novel per se, the poems flow from one to the next in a logical order to tell the story of C.J.’s family. The poems are from C.J’s point of view as a young middle school boy, and show his understanding of his parents, his grandmother, his younger sisters and how they all fit together for him. The book features a table of contents and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Shane W. Evans.

The quality of the seventeen poems is consistent throughout the book. It is inspiring to re-read the poems to see how the author weaves the family’s story through the eyes and voice of C.J.  The poems include every day occurrences at school, at home and show the effects of job loss on C.J.’s father and family. Through representing the generation of his ‘grandmomma’ in the book, young readers will be able to see, both through the poems and the illustrations, the connection between the multi-generational family members. The thoughts and emotions which the poems stir up in the reader range from happiness to tears, to laughter and contemplation.

Evans’s colorful illustrations enhance the meaning found within the text of the poems. Not all of the poems are accompanied by an illustration, so that is helpful for the reader to focus on the meaning and language used in the poem. One example of this is “The Pull of the Moon”. The text features C.J.’s thoughts on why his father left their family suddenly. Guided by his Grandmomma’s wisdom, C.J. wonders about the possibility of second chances, if two full moons could actually appear in the same month. 

The poem is in the style of free verse (as many of the poems in the book are), and the emotional impact on the reader is intense. The imagery of an individual thread connecting everyone to the moon is an image young readers will be fascinated to discuss and think about. Here is an excerpt from the poem:

…She says sometimes it’s so strong

folks can’t help but

put on their traveling shoes.

I wonder if that’s what made Daddy leave.

If he felt the pull of the moon…

(Smith, 25)

This poem represents the other poems in the book, each in some way have a reflective mood, revealing the most private thoughts of a young man struggling to understand the actions of his father and why things are happening in his life that hurt his family. This book is a powerful collection of poems. It could be used in a book discussion group or class of students ages 12-16 years old, especially with a focus on African-American poets. Through reading and re-reading Smith’s poems, young readers in similar situations will be able to know that they can persevere their difficult experiences. 

 The way a door closes. JPEG. Retrieved from 

http://jacketupload.macmillanusa.com/jackets/high_res/jpgs/9780312661694.jpg