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Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. 2003. Paul Revere's Ride. Illus Monica Vachula. Pennsylvania: Boyds Mill Press, Inc. ISBN 1563977990.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic biographical poem from 1861 is given new purpose in this children's book with the help of Monica Vachula's artistic talent. Children ages seven to ten will find themselves admiring Paul Revere and his belief in liberty. Vachula's oil paintings act as photographs, giving the impression of being present during this historic time period. The final stanza of Longfellow's poem conveys the overall spirit of Paul Revere and his memorable ride:Excerpt from Paul Revere's RideHenry Wadsworth Longfellow
So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm-
A cry of defiance and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.Also included at the end is a historical note by Jayne E. Triber, Ph.D. which clarifies some of the events during and leading up to Revere's historic ride. The combined efforts of Vachula and Triber pay special tribute to both Paul Revere and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Katz, Bobbi. 2007. Trailblazers: Poems of Exploration. Illus Carin Berger. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0688165338.Bobbi Katz's collection of poems captures adventurers, explorers, dreamers and conquerors ranging from Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. to Vikings. Katz's anthology comes complete with a table of contents, author's note, brief paragraph about each explorer, a bibliography, an index of titles and an index of first lines.
Trailblazers is the ideal addition to every Social Studies classroom in order to help get children nine and older excited about explorers and true historical adventures.
In the following poem by John Coleman, he parallels the dreams of Amelia Earhart with those of his lesser-known sister, who dreamt of starting a flying school for girls of color.
My Kid Sister, Bessie
John Coleman
Turn on your radio.
You'll hear about Amelia sure enough,
how she set off to fly around the world
in a Lockheed Electra,
the latest thing with wings.
The whole country knows Amelia:
that blond girl, slim, smiling, sure of herself.
"Amelia Earhart Disappears..."
"Lady Lindy Lost..."
The newspapers are full of Amelia.
But as for me,
I am full of memories,
memories of a colored girl
every bit as brave as Amelia.
A sweet, sassy colored girl.
A smart girl,
pretty...
and talk about stubborn!
Nobody and no thing
could turn our Bessie round.
She wasn't out to set world records.
Her dream: to start a school,
a flying school for girls of color,
so they could learn to fly
the way Amelia Earhart learned,
right here in America.
This magnificent poem acknowledges the greatness of one person, while also recognizing equally great qualities in another, relatively unkown person. It's the perfect way to demonstrate that you do not have to be 'famous' to be successful. This would be an excellent way to educate and inspire children (and adults).
Also worth mentioning is the simple black & white art by Carin Berger. The art work is subtle and does not distract from the poetry; it almost acts as punctuation.
In honor of the first day of Spring, enjoy the following poem from Lee Bennett Hopkins' anthology, Days to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2004. Days to Celebrate A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More. Illus Stephen Alcorn. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0060007652.
Spring by Prince Redcloud cleverly sums up my exact sentiments at winter's end:
Spring
Prince Redcloud
How pleasing---not
to
be
freezing.Prince Redcloud's poem is short and to the point, which makes it easy to remember and, therefore, easy to recite throughout these last days of winter.ExtensionHave the children write down/decorate words that describe spring and then display them in the classroom or library. Encourage them to create a poem using the various words and put them all together into a book to commemorate Spring.
Janeczko, Paul B. 2005. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Illus Chris Raschka. Massachusetts: Candlewick. ISBN: 978-0763606626.
Janeczko's poetry anthology features poems in different formats and is the perfect addition to any library. He provides the reader with the type of poem, an example of this type of poem and a simple explanation of the poem's format. The following (untitled) poem by Kristine O'Connell George is an example of a Senryu poem, which doesn't rhyme, has a set number of syllables per line and its content focuses on human nature.
by Kristine O'Connell George
First day, new school year,
backpack harbors a fossil...
last June's cheese sandwich.
George's poem, although short, provides humor and irony for the reader. Any student between the ages of 10-13 will relate to this poem in that they haven't touched their backpack since the previous school year, although the unforgotten 'treasures' they find will vary!
Extension
On the first day of school and using this poem as an example, encourage students to write a poem about something interesting they found in their backpack or something they wished they had in their backpack. Display Janeczkos's book, along with other titles featuring different types of poems around the room to give the students ideas. Allow them to share their poems aloud with eachother.
Sones, Sonya. 2004. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 9780689858208.After Ruby's mother dies she is sent to live with her father, who happens to be a big movie star. Ruby is grieving her mother's death and bitter about having to leave her friends to go live with a father she has never known.
This well thought out novel in verse is an earnest, quick read for readers 12 and up due to Sones' ability to accurately channel the thoughts and feelings of Ruby. The last verse from the poem entitled It Mega-stinks demonstrates this:
What's the point of having
a bathroom that could be featured
on MTV Cribs,
when there's no one around I care about
to show it to?
Because Ruby is portrayed in a realistic and complex manner, the reader will commit themselves to finding out what happens to her. She contemplates her life in the same ways any teenager would. A good example of her introspection comes from the final stanza of Lakewood Daze.
But most days,
I wander around Lakewood feeling invisible.
Like I'm just a speck of dust
floating in the air
that can only be seen
when a shaft of light hits it.
With it's extreme, raw emotion and the depth of the main character, it's apparent to see why this novel by Sones was named by the American Library Association as a 2005 Best Book for Young Adults and also a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
To find out more information about Sonya Sones and her novels, visit http://www.sonyasones.com.
Grandits, John. 2007. Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0618568604.
All the poems found in John Grandits' book of Concrete Poems revolve around one central character named Jessie. The poems are very unique and clever, while also being relevant for children ages 11 and up. The very first poem from Blue Lipstick will draw the reader in, and compel them to read on immediately. I have provided an image of the poem below in order to give the full effect of the poem.
Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. Source: Grandits, p. 1 (2007)
Stupor Farms 2% AWAKE
Jessie, wake up!
Eat your cereal.
What's wrong with you?
You look totally out of it.
Didn't you sleep well last night?
MISSING Have you seen Jessie's brain?
LAST SEEN: 2:45 this morning.
LAST KNOWN ACTIVITY: Staying up all night instant-messaging Lisa.
If you find this missing brain, contact Jessie immediately!
The most interesting component of this poem is the use of an already-formed, strategically placed picture/object (i.e. milk carton) on the page used as a vehicle for the text to help convey its mini story. This helps give it a dramatic edge.
Extension
Have students draw or cut out a shape. Then, have them write words/phrases or sentences on their picture which describe their shape or relate to it in some way. Allow them to share with eachother and/or post them up in the classroom or library.
Florian, Douglas. 2003. Autmnblings. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0060092788.Douglas Florian has created an entire book of poems devoted to Autumn. The title, Autumnblings, is modern and edgy and will immediately capture the attention of children ages 5 and older. Florian's poems are fun and tangible, and he has not tied himself down to any one particular style of poetry, which makes it exciting for the reader. A great example of Florian's animated poetry is What to do With Autumn Leaves:What to do With Autumn Leaves
by Douglas Florian
Kick them.
Catch them.
Pick them.
Snatch them.
Romp them.
Stomp them.
Hurl them.
Heave them.
If you want to,
Even leave them.
Young readers will 'fall' for Florian's fun book of rhythmic, autumn poetry.
Extension
To start off the school year, have each child choose their favorite poem about autumn. Encourage them to read their choices out loud to their peers and to use props (umbrellas, leaves etc.) or draw a picture to go with the poem. It might even be fun to take this event outdoors into the autumn weather in order to experience poetry and the start of a new season. For those students looking for a bigger challenge, have them write their own poem about autumn to share.
