Poetry Book Review: A poetry collection compiled by Paul Janeczko

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Janeczko, Paul B. THAT SWEET DIAMOND: BASEBALL POEMS. Ill. by Carole Katchen. 1998. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

You can almost hear the crack of the bat and smell the peanuts and hot dogs when you taste the nineteen baseball poems. Janeczko makes full use of imagery and onomonopeia in many of his poems including:

BEFORE THE GAME

Pennants wave
on the souvenir stand

Sausages snap,
sizzle with onions on the grill

Girls with mitts
practice catches to be made

Scorecard
Ohhh-ficial scorecard


Boys, wearing caps of faraway teams,
laugh, shove

Peanut shells crunch
underfoot

Cheese oozes
over nachos

Joy
thick as the perfume
of popcorn and
boiled hot dogs
fills the air

as
ticket takers call,

This way
This way to the game


Each double spread contains the poem on one side and the illustration on the other side. The poems are about all of the sights and sounds experienced in baseball including the pitcher spitting, and the vendors hawking their peanuts and iiiiiice cream. The poems vary in length from ones that take up the entire page, to a four line poem about a pitcher:

A Curse upon the Pitcher

Peanut shells, pigeon feather,
Dance a jig in stormy weather.
Ice cream stick, bubble gum,
Hurler, may you lose your hum.

Carole Katchen's illustrations complement the poems perfectly. The illustrator's use of pastels show the feelings and emotions experienced in America's pastime. The paintings use of definition is minimal; the spectators and players blend into the background. The colors used are bright and realistic, varying with the subject of each poem.

This anthology of baseball poems is an excellent choice for all baseball lovers or anyone who has ever experienced the sights and sounds of a baseball game.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dakos, Kalli.1993. DON'T READ THIS BOOK, WHATEVER YOU DO!: MORE POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL, Aladdin.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1990. GOOD BOOKS, GOOD TIMES! Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. New York: Harperchildrens.

Adoff, Arnold. 2000. TOUCH THE POEM. Blue Sky Press.

Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. Aladdin.

Alarcon, Francisco X. 1997. LAUGHING TOMATOES AND OTHER SPRING POEMS, Children's Book Press.

Peters, Lisa Westberg. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. Greenwillow Books: New York.

Unobagha, Uzo. 2000. OFF TO THE SWEET SHORES OF AFRICA AND OTHER TALKING DRUM RHYMES, Chronicle Books.

MacLachlan, Patricia and Emily MacLachlan Charest. 2006. ONCE I ATE A PIE. Ill. by Katy Schneider. New York: Joana Cotler Books.

Frost, Helen. SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE: A NOVEL IN POEMS FROM ROOM 214. 2004. Frances Foster Books.

Janeczko, Paul B. THAT SWEET DIAMOND: BASEBALL POEMS. Ill. by Carole Katchen. 1998. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Kearney, Meg. 2005. THE SECRET OF ME. Persea Books: New York.

Poetry Break: A serious poem about a difficult or sensitive subject in children's or teens' lives

(I apologize for this poetry break being early-- we will be on a family cruise in Mexico next week with no internet usage)

Introduction:
Talk to your students about children and monetary difficulties. Explain that you don't always know who has money or who doesn't just by looking at someone.



Late Again
SAM

We got evicted yesterday. I came home and all my
stuff was in a box outside the door.
Me, my mom, my sister, and her baby, Ty,
had to sleep in my mom's brother's car.
I'm late again. I hope nobody asks me why.

It's hard to sleep with so much traffic going by.
There's no alarm clock in my uncle's car.
My clothes are dirty. I couldn't comb my hair. I
know the kids are thinking, You're
late again. At least nobody's asking why.

Should I make up a story? They'll guess it's a lie,
and anything I'd say, they've heard before.
It's hard to get my work done, but I'll try.
Sometimes Mrs. Williams lets me sleep. So far
she hasn't said, You're late again. Why?

by Helen Frost

[From: SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE: A NOVEL IN POEMS FROM ROOM 214, Frances Foster Books, 2004]


Extension:
*Have students think about and discuss why the teacher isn't asking why Sam is late. *Consider organizing a food drive, book drive, or coat drive for less fortunate families in your area.
*With older students, show children a budget and let them see how much money it takes to survive.
*Talk about the different things that can happen to cause those with a home to suddenly become homeless. Discuss whether or not there are things you can do to prevent falling into major financial problems.

Poetry Review #5:A new, favorite book of poetry for children or teens published since 2000

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MacLachlan, Patricia and Emily MacLachlan Charest, 2006. ONCE I ATE A PIE. Ill. by Katy Schneider. New York: Joana Cotler Books.

This collection of fourteen poems highlighting man's best friend, will be endeared by all dog lovers. Each poem is titled with the dog's name, and each breed's characteristics and idiosyncrasies are lovingly portrayed by the poem. Though the poems themselves are fairly short, the amazingly lifelike paintings by Katy Schneider cover each two page spread. Those familiar with dog breeds will recognize each breed's qualities, such as the Chihuahua "Pocket".

Pocket

They say I am tiny.

I used to sleep in a coat pocket.

I have a tiny collar and a tiny coat for when it rains.

I have a tiny dish to eat my food, and a tiny water bowl.

I don't know why my things are so tiny

I am HUGE.

Tiny Pocket's personality emerges through the words of the poem and the illustration showing a little bit of a dog in a hooded yellow raincoat.

The authors make use of the page to use line spacing and white space to further show each canine's personality. Mr. Beefy is a very obese Pug with a guilty look on his face and purple pie filling on his toes. The words of this poem change with the poem, such as the word, thin, by using a "thin" font.

Mr. Beefy

I am not thin, but I am beautiful.


When

no

one
is

looking, I steal tubs of butter off the table.

I take them to the basement to eat in private.

ONCE I ATE A PIE.


Along with Mr. Beefy's guilt riddled face and slumped over position, we also see an overturned and empty pie tin!

These poems lend themselves to being read aloud. Children are bound to recognize their favorite pooches and their quirks. The illustrations are almost lifesize, and certainly lifelike, such as the puppy's sodden footprints covering the pages of "Puppy". This title is sure to be treasured and read repeatedly.

POETRY BREAK: A poem with a refrain or chorus (and indicate refrain)

Introduction:
The author's note at the beginning of the book talks about the history of "talking" drums in West African culture. Discuss the origins of this drum. Tell the students that traditional West African waterpots are called udo and are made of clay.

Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
My water pot is made of clay;
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
It never has a word to say;
Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
Once I went to the square to play;
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
My water pot in a corner, lay;
Toodle-loo! Toodle-lei! (refrain)
When I came back into the house,
Woodle-loo! Woodle-lei! (refrain)
It was singing with the mouse!

by Uzo Unobagha

[From: OFF TO THE SWEET SHORES OF AFRICA AND OTHER TALKING DRUM RHYMES, Chronicle Books, 2000]


Extension:
After reading the poem, read it again with the children participating in the refrain. See if you and your students can put the poem to music. Compare and contrast this type of poem to Mother Goose poems by considering their origins and styles.

Poetry Review #4: Poetry Across the Curriculum

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Peters, Lisa Westberg. 2003. EARTHSHAKE: POEMS FROM THE GROUND UP. Ill. by Cathie Felstead. Greenwillow Books: New York.

This collection of twenty-two poems relating to geology is perfect for science teachers to enrich their curriculum. Poems relating to rocks, lava, quartz, and the continental plates round out this book. This book contains both a table of contents, and of great interest and aid to teachers is the endnote section. The endnote section has notes that correlate to each poem, giving basic geological information that tie into learning the subject. There are a variety of styles of poems in the book, including humorous poems, concrete poems, and poems with plenty of alliteration. Most of the poems are short, and the fact that there is a wide variety of poems will make the book appealing to all students from Kindergarten and up.

Many of the poems will spark an interest in geology, such as:

Recipe for Granite

Melt a chunk of continent.

Heat at a million degrees,
long enough for the world
to spin a trillion times,
long enough for the Milky Way
to make it partway to infinity.

Cool
slowly enough for crystals
to form like pink and white starts,
slowly enough for the dinosaurs
to go extinct.

Makes one mountain range.
Serves a whole country.
Enjoy!

The poem entitled, Plain Old Rock, is a nice introduction to hidden beauty of geodes. Students could learn the poem and see geodes in class.

Plain Old Rock

Plain old rock
by the side of the road.

Should I roll it
into the ditch?

Round rock
by the side of the road.

I pick it up
and feel its weight.

Light rock
by the side of the road.

I take aim with my hammer
and split it.

Geode
by the side of the road.

Gleaming jewels inside.

The illustrations by Cathie Felstead compliment the poems nicely. They are collages created by a variety of materials. Colorful, the illustrations bring the subjects of each poem to life. In the front and back of the book are illustrations which look as if you are seeing inside a rock. Throughout the book, illustrations of acrylics and watercolors help one to see the beauty of the earth through the rich blues, greens, and earthy tones.

Poetry Break Friday: A poem about Spring

Introduction:

This poem is in both Spanish and English. See if you have any Spanish speaking students in your class who can read the poem. Have someone read the poem in Spanish, and have your non-Spanish speaking students guess what the poem is about. Try having students read the poem in both English and Spanish at the same time and see how it sounds.


Jitomates
risueños

en el jardín
plantamos
jitomates

los vegetales
más felices
de todos

alegres
se redondean
de sabor

risueños
se ponen
colorados

convirtiendo
sus arbustos
alambrados

en árboles
de navidad
en primavera

Laughing
Tomatoes

in our backyard
we plant
tomatoes

the happiest
of all
vegetables

with joy
they grow round
with flavor

laughing
they change
to red

turning
their wire-framed
bushes

into
Christmas trees
in spring

by Francisco X. Alarcón

[From: LAUGHING TOMATOES AND OTHER SPRING POEMS, Children's Book Press, 1997]


Extension:

Buy small tomato plants in the Spring and watch them grow. Have students take care of the plants by watering, fertilizing, and making sure they have sun. Once tomatoes grow, cut open tomatoes to see the seeds inside. Also, make some dishes to try with tomatoes, such as tomato salad or pasta sauce.

Poetry Review #3: Young Adult Verse Novel

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kearney, Meg. 2005. THE SECRET OF ME. Persea Books: New York.

Semi-autobiographical, Meg Kearney's book in verse chronicles the teenage angst and happenings of Lizzie and her two siblings. Lizzie, age fourteen, is adopted, as are her older brother and sister, Kate and Bob. While Kate and Bob are fairly comfortable with the fact they are adopted, Lizzie cannot stop thinking about her birthmother and wondering about her. In Lizzie's home, the children know they are adopted, but it is a taboo subject to discuss, and only close friends and relatives know of their adoptions.

Over the span of a year, Lizzie tells her story in verse. Some of her poems tell of everyday teenage happenings, such as her crush on a boy, Peter, and everyday occurrences such as school and basketball. Lizzie also talks of her close friends, all of whom are also adopted; they don't understand Lizzie's wish to know something about her birthmother. The "secret" in the McLane household is the fact the children are adopted, and Lizzie worries her mom will be hurt if she knows of Lizzie's desires. Some of the poems are called "What I remember", and for each season, Lizzie tells of the memories her family are making, such as sitting on Santa's lap in Macys, and having hot pretzels with salt at Christmas. Other poems are called "Broken Place"; these poems are Lizzie's dark thoughts when she is feeling down and depressed. As the year progresses, Lizzie agonizes about telling Peter that she is adopted, and talking to her parents about her adoption. Through personal growth, Lizzie is able to do both of these things and have positive outcomes with both Peter and her dad.

The book has a table of contents listing each poem by title. Kearney includes a lengthy afterw0rd, in which she talks openly about her adoption experience and those of her brother and sister. She compares her life to that of Lizzie's, telling of the similarities and differences in their lives. Following the afterword is a fascinating section called "Guide to This Book's Poetics". The poems in this book are a combination of free verse, and other verse forms including sonnets, sestinas, and villanelles. Each poem type is described and poems that follow each style are highlighted. This section is particularly helpful for teacher of poetry and for students wishing to expand their poetic repertoire. There is also a section devoted to the poems that Lizzie mentions in her poems; having these poems helps to further the flow of the poems and the story. By using different forms of verse, Lizzie's story and voice is fully developed as different types of poems are used for different purposes. Lizzie uses list poems to list "Things I Love So Much I Could Give Them Away"; the list is blank. and "When I Was Little", in which Lizzie worries about her birthmother coming back to get her if she misbehaves or gets bad grades. Free verse poems are used when the reader needs to follow the flow of the poetry, such as "The Wave". This is a poem in which Lizzie talks about when her dad has a heart attack and her worries about him.

This book should have wide appeal for all teenagers, whether adopted or not. Adopted teenagers in particular should relate to Lizzie's feelings, thoughts, and experiences. The book effectively molds Lizzie as a likeable and believable character, and as you read, you feel as if you are experiencing Lizzie's worries and trepidations.

Poetry Break: a poem written in an ususual form

Introduction:
Explain to students what concrete poetry is. Show some examples of concrete poems and point out how they take the shape of the subject they are about.

Skyscraper
by J. Patrick Lewis

I

am

a

nee

dle

of

steel

glass &

cement

1o2

stories

high on a clear

day you can see

200

miles out into the

Atlantic or watch

hundreds of ants

scurrying like

people on the sidewalks

below & the yellow

bugs racing recklessly

along the city streets &

ride the elevator all the

way down in 37 seconds

FLAT

Extension:
Introduce students to books and poems that showcase concrete poetry, including the book this poem is in:

• DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE by J. Patrick Lewis
• TECHNICALLY, IT'S NOT MY FAULT: CONCRETE POEMS by John Grandits
• MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY by Joyce Sidman and Michelle Berg
• OUTSIDE THE LINES by Brad Burg

Then have students make their own concrete poems using a theme such as animals, a particular holiday, or things they find at school.

Poetry Review #2: A book of poetry for children or teens by a poet (or poets) of color published since 1995

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Jerilyn and Jesse’s older brother, Jaron, suddenly dies, and through their alternating voices in poems, their grief is explored. The poems are chronological, starting with Jaron’s sudden death; each sibling deals with the death differently, Jesse through anger and acting out, and Jerilyn through tears and heartache.

Nikki Grimes brings the voices of each sibling to life, and through them, their parents’ emotions are explored as well. Each pair of poems is titled the same; many of Jesse’s poems rhyme, while most of Jerilyn’s are free verse. The many stages of grief are explored poignantly, and we see the family change over the year the poems take place. The pain and loneliness of the family are successfully presented through poems such as, “Rush—Jesse”,”Forget your tears/ You’ve cried enough./ You’ve lost someone./ We know that’s tough,/ but now it’s time/ to move along.”/ They’re telling me/ my heart is wrong/ for hurting past/ the date they set?/ Well, I’m not ready/ to move on yet. The coupling poem, “Rush—Jerilyn”, I hold the question in,/ like a deep breath,/ till I turn blue. Mommy,/ When will you look up?/ When will you see/ you’ve still got Jesse and me?/ Please hurry./ We’re lonely here/ without you. The last poem in the book, “Photograph” is a poem for two voices, and alternates with Jesse and Jerilyn showing how they are now a new family, but one that has become strong even without their brother.

The book is illustrated by Raul Colon, who has used subdued colors to represent the family members, resonating with feelings and emotions. The paintings do not appear on every page, but instead are used just enough to carry the flow of the poems forward.
A deeply meaningful book for anyone who has experienced the grief of losing a loved one, WHAT IS GOODBYE? shows that poetry can be a powerful release of emotions.

Poetry Break #2: Poem written by NCTE poet

Introduction:
This poem makes us think about the worst itch you've ever had. Before reading, have students think about how they feel when they have an out of reach itch and possible ways to reach it.



Five
Ways To Be Alone With An Itch
In The Center Of My Back

1. Rub Myself On The Corner Of The Hallway Wall.
2. Roll On the Family Room Carpet.
3. Scratch Myself With The Kitchen Broom Handle.
4. Scratch Myself With The Kitchen Broom.


5. Drop The Cat Down My Shirt.

by Arnold Adoff


[From: TOUCH THE POEM, Blue Sky Press, 2000]

Extension:
Brainstorm other ways to reach terrible itches. Have students make another poem about trying to reach an unreachable itch. Imagine other animals such as a pet with a terrible itch and make a poem about how they would reach their itch. Expand the idea to other animals such as elephants or camels and have students make a poem about them.

Poetry Review #1: Anthology by Lee Bennett Hopkins

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1990. GOOD BOOKS, GOOD TIMES! Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. New York: Harperchildrens.

Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled an engaging anthology of poems centered around the delightful world of books and reading in GOOD BOOKS, GOOD TIMES! The book contains a variety of poems from well-known and lesser-known poets including Jack Prelutsky, David McCord, Arnold Lobel, and Lee Bennett Hopkins himself. Each poem offers wide appeal to younger children, while encouraging them to get lost in reading, including Being Lost (p.5) by Karla Kuskin, "Being lost is the perfect way to pass the time on a sky blue day", and "Books fall open, you fall in, delighted where you've never been;" (p.6) by David McCord.

The anthology combines free verse and rhyming poems, with the majority containing rhyme. The length of poems also varies greatly, with one poem containing only twelve words (p.18), while several others are a full page long. Various other poetic elements are used by the poets including alliteration, "wise delve into wisdom, wit, and wherewithal" (David McCord, p. 6). Poet Isabel Joshlin Glaser (p.21) makes use of multiple poetic elements including onomatopoeia, assonance, and rhyming with, "Is bumbling and rumbling and groaning and moaning and snoring and roaring and dinosauring?" The flow and pace of the poems are well balanced and varied, with some poems that are light and whimsical, and others that are more deep and thought provoking.

The illustrations by Harvey Stevenson fit the poems nicely. They are a colorful blend of watercolors enveloping the poems within. One possible drawback to the illustrations is the fact that of the children represented in the poems are Caucasian; this anthology was published in 1990, which should be recent enough to have considered racial sensitivity.

The poems in this anthology were all written relatively recently, between 1965 and 1986, and all have a timeless feel. Children with a passion for reading will likely love the assortment. An index of authors and titles is also included.

Poetry Break #1

Introduction
This poem plays on the fact that children tend to forget everything. Before reading the poem, share with students your own memories of forgetting things at school and what happened when you did. Ask the students to share experiences of things they left at school or at home and what happened as a result.


Whose Thumb is This?
By Kalli Dakos

Class, it's time to go home,
Make sure you have everything.

Sarah, your fingers
Are in the finger drawer.

Here's a toe.
Check your feet.
Is anyone
missing a toe?

Miguel, no wonder
You can't hear!
Your ears are on the bookcase.

Whose thumb is this?
Will someone
Please claim her thumb?

Pete, here's the neck
For your scarf.

We've lost a head!
Nobody can go home
Until we find
Pedro's head.

Tara, your behind
Is behind you!

Finally,
You have all your parts
Together,
And you look wonderful!
You may line up now.
Have a great weekend!

(Class files out the door.)

Oh, no!

Here's one last nose,
Now whose could it be?

[From: DON'T READ THIS BOOK, WHATEVER YOU DO!: MORE POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL, Aladdin, 1993]


Extension
Brainstorm with students on ways to remember things for school. Give students a string to tie on their finger or post-it notes and talk about remembering items. Follow up with students in a week or two to see if any of their methods are working to help them remember not to forget!

Poetry Breaks and Poetry Reviews

This blog is set up for the poetry class I am taking for my graduate class at TWU. I will be posting poetry breaks and poetry reviews each week-- enjoy!