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