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Professor at Texas Woman's University, editor of LIBRARIANS' CHOICES, avid reader, movie lover, and zealous traveller
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Louis Untermeyer compiled and published the landmark comprehensive anthology for children, The Golden Treasury of Poetry with Golden Press in 1959. In his seminal work, Poetry's Playground: The Culture of Contemporary American Children's Poetry, Joseph Thomas identified eight key anthologies he suggested are children’s poetry essentials beginning with this one compiled by Untermeyer. Contemporary ConnectionsUnfortunately, anthologies seem to be “out of fashion” at the moment and not as many are being published. Of course, one exception (if I may be so bold) is my own collaboration with poet Janet Wong and with 70+ other poets—
The Poetry Friday Anthology (one edition for K-5 and one edition for grades 6-8).
I think the
Sourcebooks anthologies that include CDs of poet readings are also noteworthy. Look for these selections:
Paschen, Elise and Raccah, Dominique. Eds. 2005.
Poetry Speaks to Children. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Paschen, Elise and Raccah, Dominique. Eds. 2010.
Poetry Speaks; Who I Am. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Giovanni, Nikki. Comp. 2008.
Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Hoberman, Mary Ann and Wilson, Linda. Eds. 2009.
The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Nesbitt, Kenn. 2009.
My Hippo Has the Hiccups with CD: And Other Poems I Totally Made Up. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: theartofchildrenspicturebooks;barnesandnoble;pomelobooks
Gwendolyn Brooks published Bronzeville Boys and Girls in 1956, a groundbreaking work of poetry about children growing up in an urban neighborhood. This book was re-illustrated and republished fifty years later with art by Faith Ringgold! I love these poems—they really hold up. Universal snippets of childhood that are grounded in the urban context (Chicago), but speak to kids today, too. Here’s one of my favorite poems from this timeless book.
Andre
I had a dream last night. I dreamed
I had to pick a Mother out.
I had to choose a Father too.
At first, I wondered what to do,
There were so many there, it seemed,
Short and tall and thin and stout.
But just before I sprang awake,
I knew what parents I would take.
And this surprised and made me glad;
They were the ones I always had!
Contemporary Connections
The family unit is such an important part of the lives of children as they’re developing. Poetry can capture familiar experiences and emotions and celebrate the good times as well as reflect the special challenges of these relationships and comfort us through the bad times. Here is a selection of poetry books about family-- several set in urban contexts.
1. Greenfield, Eloise. 2009. Brother & Sisters: Family Poems. New York: HarperCollins.
2. Grimes, Nikki. 1999. Hopscotch Love: A Family Treasury of Love Poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
3. Grimes, Nikki. 2000. Stepping out with Grandma Mac. New York: Simon & Schuster.
4. Gunning, Monica. 2004. A Shelter In Our Car. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
5. Harrison, David L. 1996. A Thousand Cousins: Poems of Family Life. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
6. Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1991. Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems. Boston: Joy Street Books.
7. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Ed. 2010. Amazing Faces. Ill. By Chris Soentpiet. Lee and Low.
8. Williams, Vera B. 2001. Amber was Brave, Essie was Smart. New York: Greenwillow.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: http://bookstogether.squarespace.com;tower
Iona and Peter Opie, a husband-and-wife team of folklorists, applied modern techniques to the analysis of children’s literature culminating in the publication of The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951) and The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (1959).Contemporary ConnectionsLook for a reissued version of their fun folk rhyme compilation,
I Saw Esau, illustrated by Maurice Sendak:
Opie, Iona and Peter Opie. Eds. 1992/2012.
I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book. Candlewick.
And if you have access to the
digital (microfiche) Opie Collection housed at a handful of places (like my very own university, Texas Woman’s University), spend an hour browsing through its amazing holdings. (The originals are at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England.) Look for it via Proquest
here and see some "finding aids"
here.
Joseph Thomas and Poetry’s PlaygroundScholar Joseph Thomas follows in the Opie’s footsteps in his study of poetry and verse for young people. In his seminal work,
Poetry's Playground: The Culture of Contemporary American Children's Poetry (Wayne State University Press, 2007, p. 109), Joseph Thomas identifies eight key anthologies he suggests are children’s poetry essentials. He notes he chose anthologies with editors from “differing ideological standpoints” and from a variety of “historical moments,” hoping to be “descriptive, not prescriptive” and lay the groundwork for “future inquiry.” They are listed here in chronological order.
Untermeyer, Louis, comp. 1959.
The Golden Treasury of Poetry. New York: Golden Press.
Dunning, Stephen, Luders, Edward, and Smith, Hugh, comp. 1966.
Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle. New York: Scholastic.
Kennedy, X.J. and Kennedy, Dorothy, comp. 1982.
Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry. Boston: Little, Brown.
Prelutsky, Jack, comp. 1983.
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. New York: Random House.
Koch, Kenneth, and Farrell, Kate, comp. 1985.
Talking to the Sun: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People. New York: Henry Holt.
Sword, Elizabeth Hauge and McCarthy, Victoria, comp. 1995.
A Child's Anthology of Poetry. New York: Franklin Watts.
Kennedy, X.J. and Kennedy, Dorothy, comp. 1999 (revised edition).
Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry. Boston: Little, Brown.
Hall, Donald, comp. 1999.
The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems. New York: Oxford University Press.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits:
Langston Hughes published The Dream Keeper and Other Poems, his only collection of poetry specifically for young people in 1932. That book is still in print (and is one of my top 10 favorite poetry books of all time). My favorite poem from that book? Mmmm... tough choice. Maybe the title poem:
The Dream Keeper
Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamers,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.
Contemporary ConnectionsIn recent years, several award-winning African American illustrators have selected single poems by Langston Hughes and featured them in gorgeous fully-illustrated picture books. Look for:
Hughes, Langston. 2012.
I, Too, Am America. Ill. by Bryan Collier. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Hughes, Langston. 2013.
Lullaby (For a Black Mother). Ill. by Sean Qualls. New York: Harcourt.
Hughes, Langston. 2009.
My People. Ill. by Charles R Smith, Jr. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Hughes, Langston. 2009.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers. Ill. by E. B. Lewis. New York: Disney-Hyperion.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: Tower.com;PowerHouseArena
In 1924, A.A. Milne published When We Were Very Young illustrated by E. H. Shepard, followed by Now We Are Six (1927). Here’s where we first meet the now-beloved Winnie-the-Pooh in the poem, “Teddy Bear.”One of my favorite poems from
When We Were Very Young is the rather subversive, “Disobedience.” Here’s how it begins:
"James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James
Said to his Mother,
“Mother,” he said, said he:
“You must never go down to the end of the town,
if you don’t go down with me.”
(You’ll find the whole poem
here.)
Contemporary ConnectionsHere are a handful of recent poetry anthologies that feature “old” poems in “new” ways—with new art and a new look. Look for:
Andrews, Julie and Hamilton, Emma Walton. Eds. 2012.
Julie Andrews’ Treasury for All Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year. Ill. by Marjorie Priceman. New York: Little, Brown.
Hoberman, Mary Ann. Ed. 2012.
Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart. Ill. by Michael Emberley. New York: Little, Brown.
Lewis, J. Patrick. Ed. 2012.
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry. Washington DC: National Geographic.
Merchant, Natalie. Ed. 2012.
Leave Your Sleep. Ill. by Barbara McClintock. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: nationalgeographic;wikipedia
Rudyard Kipling published the poem “If” in the "Brother Square Toes" chapter of Rewards and Fairies, Kipling's 1910 collection of short stories and poems. It is considered “Britain’s favorite poem.”
It begins:
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:"
(Find the poem in its entirety here.)
Contemporary Connections
One of the few apps on poetry for young people features an extensive collection of British poetry. Look for iF Poems (Clickworks Ltd., 2011), which allows you to read, listen to, record and share your favorite poems from a collection of more than 200 classic (largely British) poems narrated by actors Helena Bonham Carter, Bill Nighy, and Tom Hiddleston and searchable by author, theme, first line or categories such as “if you are facing grief” or “if you need courage.” The poems are designated for three age groups: 0-6, 7-12 and 13 and over and the app also includes extra resources, such as a dictionary of poetic terms and mini-biographies of all of the poets.
Listen to Bill Nighy reading Kipling’s poem, “If,” in an audio sampling on the app website here.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: libraries.dal.ca; ifpoems.com
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson is published in 1885, first under the title, Penny Whistles, and includes the much-loved poems, “The Swing” and “My Shadow,” among others. “My Shadow” begins...
“I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.”
(Look for the whole poem here.)
Contemporary Connections
Illustrator Barbara McClintock created new art to illustrate selected poems for a recent picture book version of Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses (HarperCollins, 2010).
You’ll find Stevenson’s poem, “My Shadow,” (and other classics) in Caroline Kennedy’s new anthology of poems chosen for their “memorizability.” Look for:
Kennedy, Caroline. Ed. 2013. Poems to Learn by Heart. Ill. by John Muth. New York: Hyperion.
I also created a teacher’s guide for the Kennedy anthology that suggests activities for using the poems across the grade levels and connecting with Common Core standards. Look here: Poems to Learn by Heart Teacher's Guide
And while we’re looking at classic poets, check out Sydelle Pearl’s recent book, Dear Mr. Longfellow: Letters To and From the Children’s Poet, a lovely book that combines biographical notes about poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with letters from contemporaneous child readers, including facsimiles of many letters and images of Longfellow throughout his life—a unique poet biography.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: laughingelephant.com;BarnesandNoble;storypearls.com
What do the ghosts of poetry past reveal today?
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| Cover art by Sir John Tenniel |
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| Classic illustration by Sir John Tenniel |
The classic nonsense poem, "Jabberwocky,” by Lewis Carroll is featured as part of his novel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, and is first published in 1872 (a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland). It begins:
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Jabberwocky" is generally considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language.
Contemporary ConnectionsThis poem has been much adapted, interpreted and parodied. You can find musical and video versions, graphic novel interpretations, and even Savage Chicken cartoons! For a literary version, look for Canadian publisher
Kids Can Press and their graphic "Visions in Poetry" series. They have an intriguing book version illustrated by Stephane Jorisch that offers "a provocative commentary on contemporary media, politics, warfare, religion and gender roles."
Other picture book versions illustrated by Graeme Base or Joel Stewart offer younger readers interesting visual interpretations, too.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credit:goodreads.com;kidscanpress
Another snippet from the history of poetry for young people...
Edward Lear published A Book of Nonsense in 1846, a volume of limericks followed by the compilation, Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets (1870) which included the classic poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat." It begins:
"The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note."
Contemporary Connections
Over the years, many illustrators such as James Marshall, Jan Brett, and Robert Ingpen have created their own picture book versions of Lear's marvelous poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat." Which contemporary poet carries the Lear mantle, imo? Calef Brown. In fact, he collaborated with author Daniel Pinkwater to produce this picture book poem compilation of Lear-mania:
Lear, Edward/Pinkwater, Daniel. 2011. His Shoes Were Far Too Tight: Poems by Edward Lear. Ill. by Calef Brown. Chronicle.
By Calef Brown
And his solo works carry the same brand of nonsensical narrative, regular rhyme, and wacky art that marked the work of Edward Lear. Check 'em out:
Brown, Calef. 1998. Polkabats and Octopus Slacks: 14 Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Brown, Calef. 2000. Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers: 14 More Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Brown, Calef. 2006. Flamingos on the Roof. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Brown, Calef. 2008. Soup For Breakfast. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Brown, Calef. 2010. Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Brown, Calef. 2013. We Go Together!: A Curious Selection of Affectionate Verse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credit: art.com;nonsenselit.org;doodle4nf.org
More poetry history...
Original Poems for Infant Minds by Ann and Jane Taylor was first issued in 1804 in two volumes and includes the classic, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Contemporary ConnectionsJerry Pinkney created beautiful paintings for a recent picture book version of the stand alone poem,
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Little, Brown; 2011).
And for more poetry for our very youngest children, you can't beat these two wonderful collections:Yolen, Jane and Peters, Andrew Fusek. Eds. 2010.
Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems. Candlewick.
Yolen, Jane and Peters, Andrew Fusek. Eds. 2007.
Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credits: openlibrary.org;news.bbc.co.uk;creativemadnessmama.com
More history of poetry...
Songs of Innocence, an illustrated collection of 19 poems by William Blake is published in 1789, followed by Songs of Experience (26 poems) published in 1794, including the well-known poem, “The Tyger.”
Contemporary Connections
I like newcomer David Elliott’s animal poems in gorgeous large size picture books each illustrated by Holly Meade. He paints a quick and poetic picture of an animal with a few key words, often stretching children’s vocabularies with his poems. So far, his poetry includes.
More history in poetry...
Elliott, David. 2008. On the Farm. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Elliott, David. 2010. In the Wild. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Elliott, David. 2012. In the Sea. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credit: Fastcodesign.com;blakearchive.org
As we seek to share poetry with children, it can be interesting to revisit the roots of the genre and appreciate the
milestones from the last 200 years and how they shape poetry for young people today. This month’s daily poetry posts focus on the history of poetry publishing for young people in English. I also offer
“contemporary connections” I think might be fun to make with each historic milestone. Your own comments and connections are welcome too, of course.
What is the first printed work of poetry for young readers (in English)?
Mother Goose, most likely. John Newbery published a collection of English rhymes, Mother Goose's Melody, or, Sonnets for the Cradle in London in 1765.Contemporary ConnectionsThere are a ton of variations of Mother Goose collections, from classic British nursery rhymes, to rhymes from different cultural and linguistic traditions, to clever “riffs” on the rhyme + nonsense formula. Here are a few of my more recent favorites.
- Crews, Nina. 2004. The Neighborhood Mother Goose. New York: Greenwillow.
- Dillon, Leo and Diane. 2007. Mother Goose; Numbers on the Loose. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.
- Hoberman, Mary Ann. 2005. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You; Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together. Ill. by Michael Emberley. Boston: Little, Brown.
- Mathers, Petra. Ed. 2012. The McElderry Book of Mother Goose: Revered and Rare Rhymes Compiled and Illustrated by Petra Mathers. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
- Merriam, Eve. 1996. The Inner City Mother Goose. Ill. by David Diaz. New York: Simon &; Schuster.
- Nursery Rhyme Comics; 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists. New York: First Second. 2011.
- Opie, Iona Archibald. 1999. Here Comes Mother Goose. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
- Opie, Iona Archibald. Ed. 1996. My Very First Mother Goose. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
- Peck, Jan and Davis, David. (Eds.) 2011. The Green Mother Goose; Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time. Ill. by Carin Berger. New York: Sterling.
- Sanderson, Ruth. 2008. Mother Goose and Friends. New York: Little, Brown.
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Image credit: Fastcodesign.com;.library.pitt.edu;zazzle.com
Over at our blog promoting our new middle school book, The Poetry Friday Anthology (Gr. 6-8), I'm posting "poem movies" that my graduate students have created for selected poems from the anthology. Look here. Each student chose one poem from the anthology and then interpreted it in a short, original, one-minute digital film-- sometimes with input from young people themselves (and with the poet's permission, of course). I'll be posting one-a-day throughout April (National Poetry Month).
Green Screen Poetry
Meanwhile, a former student, Carol Neeland, has done the same thing with her students at the international school at The Hague where she works. Her students were kind enough to share one of their videos with me and I am posting it below. Check it out! I love the idea of using technology to engage in poetry. And since I'm such a movie buff too, I love the idea of using filmmaking to interpret a poem.
Here's the lowdown on this project from Carol:
Sixth graders at the American School of The Hague in The Netherlands take an eight week IT skills course with Carol Neeland, middle school IT teacher and graduate of TWU's School of Library and Information Studies program. One of the units in the course is "Green Screen Poetry" and the guiding question is, "How can technology be used to promote communication, collaboration, and creativity?"
During this two week section of the course, students learn basic video production techniques while making creative interpretations of poems for young people. They work in groups to develop a collaborative storyboard on Google Docs that includes the lines of the poem, the photographs they will use in the background of their green screen scenes, and the actions they will do in front of the green screen to bring the poem to life.
Students operate the lights, cameras and clapperboard, edit the video using the green screen effect in iMovie, dub in voiceovers, and make subtitles showing the original text of the poem. Using Garageband loops, the kids create music that expresses the mood of their poem. They play the music during the credits which cite the sources for their background photos in addition to acknowledging everyone in the room who helped with the production.
Through the green screen poetry project, Mrs. Neeland and her students combine a passion for poetry with the craft of video production and this unique combination can be magical for sixth grade students!
I agree!
BTW: I'll be posting
daily in April here, too. (The poem movies will be at the PFAMS blog.)
Here, I'll be featuring "Blasts from the Poetry Past," snippets that look backward at the history of poetry for young people. I hope you'll stop by!
Now, let's gather at
A Year of Reading for some
Poetry Friday fun hosted by the lovely Mary Lee Hahn. See you there!
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. Video: Carol Neeland. All rights reserved.
Image credit: Fastcodesign.com
What's the deal with this Amy Ludwig VanDerwater?
Just kidding!
I am so excited to join the throng celebrating the release of Amy's first book of poetry for children, Forest Has a Song. It's a beautifully designed picture book in which the gentle watercolor paintings (by Robbin Gourley), the layout of poem and painting on each page, and even the spidery font of the text work together to create a poetry collection that is inviting and comforting at the same time. Kirkus Reviews called it "fresh and original" and I agree. It's a quiet book, perfect for sharing at laptime or with a whole class as you pause to look out the window or examine a leaf.
The natural world has been the topic of poetry for young people for ages-- and for good reason-- and Amy really taps into the child's connection with the simplest details-- pinecones and sticks, footprints and birds flying. Her poetry offers many tactile details that will invite children to touch, smell, and see the world outside their iPads in tangible ways.
I also appreciate how she offers a variety of poetic forms and layouts so children (and teachers) can see how poets use the words and space on the page (a Common Core element, too). I particularly love Amy's use of rhyme-- making it look so natural, too-- as if we all spoke in lyrical language when captured by the beauty of the forest. I live in the city and don't spend much time in woodsy woods, but I felt more alert to the wind this morning and to the cardinal in the tree outside my house because this book was on my mind. Don't miss this debut work by a promising poet.
My favorite poem in the book?
The last one:
Farewell
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Forest breathes
a spicy breeze.
It blows
into my ear.
When you go home
do not forget
my leaves
my song
my deer.
Remember
I am Forest.
Remember
I am here.
Full disclosure: Amy is also one of the poets featured in The Poetry Friday Anthology (both for K-5 and for grades 6-8), so I am already a big fan of her work. Her first stand-alone book is something very special to celebrate! And be sure to check out her very meaty website and blog, too.
I am also thrilled to announce that in my prescience I arranged to have Amy on
two of my presentation panels this spring. Am I psychic (and lucky!) or what?
I am presenting with Amy at the International Reading Association on Monday, April 22 (11:00am-12:00pm) along with Joyce Sidman and Janet Wong. What a wonderful group, don't you think? Our topic is "
Celebrating Poetry and Common Core Curriculum Connections." We'll show how subversive poets can be about inspiring readers while covering standards. 
THEN,
Amy will be one of the poets coming to the Texas Library Association conference and will be presenting in my annual Poetry Round Up (Friday, April 26, 4:00-4:50pm), as well as be part of the
poet panel at P*CON, the post-conference poetry institute (Saturday, April 27, 10:00-1:30). Other participating poets (also wonderful people, of course!) include: Sara Holbrook, Michael Salinger, Charles Waters, Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Robert Paul Weston, and Guadalupe Garcia McCall. What a line up, right?
April is going to be busy, but it always is for us poetry-lovers. Let's revel in National Poetry Month-- and see if we can't convert a few others to join us!
Image credit: Kerirecommends.com;IRA;TLA
Post by Sylvia M. Vardell c 2013. All rights reserved.
I'm spreading the word about a fun poetry writing contest for kids. Here's the scoop:
Jill Corcoran, compiler and contributing poet to the award-winning Dare to Dream … Change the World, a children’s collection of biographical and inspirational poems, has announced the Dare to Dream … Change the World Annual Writing Contest for Kids. The grand-prize winner will receive $1500 worth of books for a school or public library of their choice. The top thirty entries will be published as a free e-book by Kane Miller Books.
Recently released by Kane Miller Books and illustrated by J. Beth Jepson, Dare to Dream … Change the World features work from thirty renowned contemporary children’s poets, including J. Patrick Lewis, current Children’s Poetry Laureate. Each pair of poems in this anthology was inspired by someone whose actions made a difference, not only in their own lives, but in the lives of people all over the world. Subjects form a culturally diverse mix ranging from Jonas Salk to Steven Spielberg, from Christa McAuliffe to Michelle Kwan, with brief descriptions of their lives included. Poems by Jill Corcoran and Bruce Coville frame the biographical-inspired pieces.
Contributing poets to Dare to Dream … Change the World:
Ellen Hopkins*Jane Yolen*Joyce Sidman*J. Patrick Lewis* Marilyn Singer*Georgia Heard*Alice Schertle*Lisa Wheeler*Julia Durango*Joyce Lee Wong*David L. Harrison*Elaine Magliaro*Hope Anita Smith*Carol Tanzman*Alan Katz*Rose Horowitz*Hope Vestergaard*Jacqui Robbins*Jill Corcoran*Joan Bransfield Graham* Laura Purdie Salas*Curtis Crisler*Kelly Fineman*Tracie Vaughn Zimmer*Stephanie Hemphill*Rebecca Kai Dotlich*Janet Wong*Lee Bennett Hopkins*Bruce Coville
This contest “aims to promote literacy, poetry writing, and nonfiction research while inspiring students to follow their own dreams.” Following the format of the book, students in the third through eighth grade are invited to send a biographical poem together with a non-fiction paragraph about someone who not only dreamed, but took action and made the world better. Official rules can be found at daretodreamchangetheworld.com. A free, downloadable curriculum guide for the book is also available both on the contest website and at kanemiller.com.
CONTEST DETAILS
WHO: For students in 3rd through 8th grade.
WHAT: Following the format of the book, students will write a biographical poem and non-fiction paragraph about someone who not only dreamed, but took action and made the world better.
HOW: Send your entry by e-mail to daretodreamchangetheworld@gmail.com
with the subject line “DARE TO DREAM Writing Contest.”
Be sure to include your first name only, your e-mail address and your parents’ e-mail address.
Official rules at daretodreamchangetheworld.com
DEADLINE: April 30, 2013
WINNER receives $1500 worth of books for a library of their choice.
TOP 30 ENTRIES will be published as an e-book.
Fellow Texan
Guadalupe Garcia McCall is raking in the awards this season.
She was recently named a Lee Bennett Hopkins “Promising Poet!” The Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award was established by Hopkins along with the International Reading Association in 1995 to encourage new poets in their writing. These poets have only published two books (to qualify for the award), but their work has already been judged to be of high quality. The award is given every three years. Congratulations, Guadalupe! Previous recipients include.
2013 Guadalupe Garcia McCallMcCall, Guadalupe Garcia. 2011.
Under the Mesquite. New York: Lee & Low.
2010 Gregory NeriNeri, Gregory. 2009.
Chess Rumble. New York: Lee & Low Books.
2007 Joyce Lee WongWong, Joyce Lee. 2006.
Seeing Emily. New York: Abrams.
2004 Lindsay Lee Johnson Johnson, Lindsay Lee. 2002.
Soul Moon Soup. Asheville, NC: Front Street.
2001 Craig Crist-Evans Crist-Evans, Craig. 1999.
Moon Over Tennessee: A Boy’s Civil War Journal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
1998 Kristine O’Connell George George, Kristine O’Connell. 1997.
The Great Frog Race and Other Poems. New York: Clarion.
1995 Deborah Chandra Chandra, Deborah. 1993.
Rich Lizard and Other Poems. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
For more information, check out my resource book,
The Poetry Teacher’s Book of Lists.
Rivera AwardIn addition, her debut novel (in verse),
Under the Mesquite, was also named a Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award recipient—an award that doesn’t necessarily go to a work of poetry. It’s given by the Texas State University College of Education which established the award in 1995 to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. The award was named in honor of Dr. Tomas Rivera, a distinguished alumnus of Texas State University. For more information, look
here.PFA & PFAMSOf course, I'm also very proud to brag that
Guadalupe is a contributor to our Poetry Friday anthologies, too! Her powerful poems, “The Bully” and “Doña Pepita” appear in
The Poetry Friday Anthology for K-5 and “The Café” and “The Boy” appear in
The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School. For more details, go
here.TLAGuadalupe will also be speaking at the
upcoming post-conference poetry institute (P*CON) at the Texas Library Association conference next month in Fort Worth—along with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Charles Waters, Jane Yolen, Michael Salinger, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Robert Paul Weston, Sara Holbrook, and Will Richey (and teens). An amazing line up, right? I'll be sharing more info about that event along with my ninth annual
Poetry Round Up very soon.
Next?I know Guadalupe is working on the finishing touches for another novel in verse and I can’t wait to see it. Meanwhile, be sure to check out her lovely novel of magical realism (not in verse),
Summer of the Mariposas. Clearly, Guadalupe is a talent to watch...
Image credit: TeenLitRocks
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
I’m pleased as punch to announce a new poetry collaboration with my amazing poet colleague, Janet Wong.
It’s The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School (grades 6-8), officially available today! (The purple version on the left features the Common Core poetry standards and the red version on the right features the TEKS standards in Texas.) We’re so proud to feature 110 never-before-published poems by 71 of the best poets writing
for tweens and teens today. You’ll find heaps of information at our book blog
here including links to ALL the poets in the book and details on our book giveaway contest! What? A free book?!
YES! Want the book now? Details
here.
Once again, we provide a “Take 5” set of 5 activities for every poem incorporating the Common Core standards (and TEKS in Texas) and presenting the poem in ways that are particularly meaningful and engaging for middle school students. How do you help connect
tweens and young teens, in particular, with poetry?
Here are a dozen of my favorite approaches featured in the Take 5 strategies in this book:- make poem Wordles, slide shows, and “poem movies,”
- pose in poetry tableaux,
- create a poem glog,
- text and tweet favorite poem lines,
- sketch Pictionary-style poem drawings,
- grab a designated poetry prop,
- create a quick graphic “novel” rendering of the poem in panels,
- make cross-genre connections with nonfiction books, newspaper/magazine articles, and TED talks,
- do quick collaborative research related to the poem,
- create poetry-based graphs and polls,
- incorporate sign language in poem performances, and
- connect with relevant web sites like the CloudAppreciationSociety, Video.NationalGeographic, VoiceThread, IMDB, Census.gov, HowStuffWorks, TromboneExcerpts.org, HealthyPet, SI.edu (Smithsonian), SoundCloud, Photography.NationalGeographic, Howcast, AllPosters, and Shorpy.
Each of these activities helps highlight poetry skills from the standards such as the use of hyperbole, repetition, sensory language, alliteration, metaphors, personification, internal rhyme, line breaks, and more.
I hope you’ll check it out and help us spread the word to all middle school teachers, librarians, students, and parents of students—just in time for National Poetry Month (in April). Buy the book (in paperback and/or e-book form) from Pomelo Books
here. And let us know what you think!
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
I noted last week that the Cybils award went to BookSpeak! by Laura Purdie Salas. This seems like a good moment to round up a few other recent poetry award announcements.
The 20th recipient of the
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award is
Water Sings Blue by Kate Coombs.
The Claudia Lewis Poetry Award this year went to
The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry edited by J. Patrick Lewis.
The most recent (2012) Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry goes to
Roots and Blues: A Celebration by Arnold Adoff.
Congratulations, winners! Thanks for setting the bar high for all of us. And thank you, award committees, for these marvelous, diverse selections. So glad to see science poetry, anthologies, and African American heritage get this special recognition.
ToolboxesOver the last few years. my wonderful library school students and I have worked to create toolboxes of guides and digital trailers for each of the poetry award and honor books to help teachers, librarians, and parents share these wonderful books with young people. Be sure to check them out!
The
Lee B. Hopkins Poetry Award Teaching Toolbox. Click
here.
The
Claudia Lewis Poetry Award Teaching Toolbox. Click
here.
The
Lion and Unicorn Poetry Award Teaching Toolbox. Click
here.
We'll be working on creating resources for the newest winners very soon!
My favorite poetry books of the year
I'm back! Sorry for the long, long absence, but I took a wonderful holiday break, plus celebrated my son's graduation from college and then jumped into another project (more about that soon) and started a new semester. All that is to say... life intervened.
So, I hope you'll indulge a bit of wrap up for 2012 as I head to the ALA Midwinter conference next week to research my 2013 "Sneak Peek" list of upcoming poetry.
I always like to post my list of my favorite poetry books of the year as a way to highlight some of the wonderful titles that were published. It's always a challenge, since I enjoyed nearly all of the poetry books that crossed my desk! But my goal is to help nudge readers to buy more poetry and advocate for adding more poetry to their school and library shelves. So, here goes.
My Favorite Poetry for Young People 2012
1. Coombs, Kate. 2012. Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems. Ill. by Meilo So. San Francisco: Chronicle.
2. Corcoran, Jill. Ed. 2012. Dare to Dream… Change the World. San Diego, CA: Kane Miller.
3. Elliott, David. 2012. In the Sea. Ill. by Holly Meade. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
4. Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Wild Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
5. Florian, Douglas. 2012. Unbeelievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings. New York: Beach Lane.
6. Harrison, David. 2012. Cowboys. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
7. Heard, Georgia. Ed. 2012. The Arrow Finds its Mark: A Book of Found Poems. New York: Macmillan.
8. Heidbreder, Robert. 2012. Noisy Poems for a Busy Day. Ill. by Lori Joy Smith. Toronto: Kids Can Press.
9. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Ed. 2012. Nasty Bugs. Ill. by Will Terry. New York: Dial.
10. Hoyte, Carol-Ann and Roemer, Heidi Bee. Eds. 2012. And the Crowd Goes Wild!: A Global Gathering of Sports Poems. Ill. by Kevin Sylvester. Neche, ND: Friesens Press.
11. _______. 2012. I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tail. Ill. by Ramsingh Urveti. Tara Books.
12. Jensen, Dana. 2012. A Meal of the Stars; Poems Up and Down. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
13. Lewis, J. Patrick and Yolen, Jane. 2012. Take Two! A Celebration of Twins. Ill. by Sophie Blackall. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
14. Lewis, J. Patrick. Ed. 2012. Book of Animal Poetry. Washington DC: National Geographic.
15. Lewis, J. Patrick. 2012. If You Were a Chocolate Mustache: Poems. Ill. by Matt Cordell. Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
16. Merchant, Natalie. Ed. 2012. Leave Your Sleep. Ill. by Barbara McClintock. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
17. Newman, Leslea. 2012. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
18. Singer, Marilyn, 2012. Every Day's a Dog's Day: A Year in Poems. New York: Dial.
19. Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A Strange Place to Call Home: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats and the Animals That Call Them Home. Ill. by Ed Young. San Francisco: Chronicle.
20. Wong, Janet. 2012. Declaration of Interdependence: Poems for an Election Year. PoetrySuitcase.
Plus, I have to include my own book and since I didn't write any of the poems, I hope it's not too shameless to plug it!
Vardell, Sylvia and Wong, Janet. Eds. 2012. The Poetry Friday Anthology. Princeton, NJ: Pomelo Books.
Janet and I are so pleased that our book has been such a hit! There has been a hue and cry for a middle school version of this anthology, so.... that's what we're working on now! Stay tuned as we hope to release it in early March just in time for National Poetry Month.
Meanwhile, I hope you'll revisit these and other poetry gems for 2012 and I look forward to sharing my next list of poetry to anticipate in 2013.
Has the weather been crazy where you are?
Here in Texas we had a mostly cold January (as one would expect) and then this week it kept warming up til yesterday it hit 80 degrees! That's nutty, even for (Dallas) Texas. And then I heard there might be four feet of snow coming to the northeast. FOUR FEET! Now I'm heading to Seattle (for the ALA Midwinter conference) and there it is supposed to be chilly and predictably wet. So, of course this got me thinking about the poetry books I know that feature weather as their thematic thread. And there are quite a few! I have found that
kids really enjoy weather poetry-- they are very tuned in to the weather (like puppies!) and enjoy how poets describe various weather-y days. In addition, this is a topic that is very
appealing to children learning English as a new language. Weather words quickly become part of their conversational vocabulary (Is it raining? I am cold, etc.), so the poetry is accessible and relevant, too. Something to think about!
Poetry about the seasons offers many observations about nature, but some poets focus specifically on
the weather in writing for young people. Snow, ice, rain, clouds, storms are all elements that fascinate both children and poets. Check out these examples.
- Alarcón, Francisco X. 2001. Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems/ Iguanas en la Nieve y Otros Poemas de Invierno. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
- Bauer, Caroline Feller. Ed. 1986. Snowy Day: Poems and Stories. New York: HarperCollins.
- Cooper, Kay. 2001. Too Many Rabbits and Other Fingerplays about Animals, Nature, Weather, and Children. New York: Cartwheel Books.
- Engle, Margarita. 2011. Hurricane Dancers; The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. New York: Henry Holt.
- Florian, Douglas. 2003. Autumblings. New York: Greenwillow.
- Francis, Lee. 1999. When The Rain Sings: Poems by Young Native Americans. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- Gray, Rita. Ed. 2010. One Big Rain; Poems for Rainy Days. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
- High, Linda Oatman. 2004. City of Snow: The Great Blizzard of 1888. New York: Walker.
- Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Ed. 1994. Weather: Poems for All Seasons. New York: HarperTrophy.
- Hubbell, Patricia. 2010. Snow Happy! San Francisco: Tricycle Press.
- Kosaka, Fumi. 2001. Let’s Count the Raindrops. New York: Viking.
- Levy, Constance. 1998. A Crack in the Clouds. New York: McElderry.
- Paolilli, Paul and Brewer, Dan. 2001. Silver Seeds. New York: Viking.
- Prelutsky, Jack. 1984/2006. It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing! Winter Poems. New York: HarperCollins.
- Salas, Laura Purdie. 2008. Seed Sower, Hat Thrower: Poems About Weather. Minneapolis, MN: Capstone.
- Yolen, Jane. Ed. 1993. Weather Report. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills.
- Yolen, Jane. 1998. Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills.
- Yolen, Jane. Ed. 1997. Once Upon Ice and Other Frozen Poems. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills.
Do you enjoy lists of poetry books? I have over 150 of them in my book,
The Poetry Teacher's Book of Lists. This "weather poetry" list is one of them. Check it out!
Here's the book-blog with mini-samples of every list.
And join the rest of the
Poetry Friday gathering hosted by Tabatha at
The Opposite of Indifference. See you there!
Watch for my "Sneak Peek" list of forthcoming poetry for 2013 next week.
Image credit: VectorJungle.com
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
I’m still working away on gathering my notes and scribbles about the forthcoming poetry for 2013 (which I’ll post soon), but meanwhile I wanted to give a shout-out to the
poetry books that got a nod at this week’s announcements of awards at ALA Midwinter.
The good news? There were several wonderful poetry (and near-poetry) books recognized. T
he bad news? There were woefully few. (Nonfiction books seemed to be the biggest winners.)
The biggest thrill and surprise was the Newbery winner, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, which I felt was a work of poetry—although many disagree with me. Either way, it’s a tender story beautifully rendered. Spare and thoughtful. With prose written by a gorilla of a writer. You may remember Katherine Applegate’s novel in verse,
Home of the Brave—also powerful writing from an authentic (YA) point of view.
Bryan Collier won the Coretta Scott King illustrator award for his art for the classic Langston Hughes poem, “I, Too, Am America.” His graphic collages give the beautiful a fresh and slightly edgy interpretation in the picture book adaptation.
And congratulations to
Lesléa Newman for garnering a Stonewall award honor for her heart-breaking novel in verse, October Mourning. That story (about Matthew Shepard’s murder) is so hard, and the poetry from multiple points of view is achingly beautiful—so well crafted.
And that’s it! As far as I saw, these were the only poetry books among the big winners—although the Notables list (released separately) did include several poetry gems. Yay! And I had a good conversation with an ALSC board member about
proposing an award for poetry (finally) and he was glad to help move that idea forward. Double yay! He said the task might be “Herculean,” which I know, but we’ll keep hoping that the stars will eventually align to make that happen. That’s my dream: to see an ALA award that showcases poetry for young people every year. And just poetry. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? (I’ll keep you posted, but it will take AWHILE since many good people have been working on this for some time already, myself included!)
Happy February everyone. Watch for the sneak peek list of 2013 poetry coming soon.
And join the Poetry Friday party at
Teaching Authors. See you there!
Image credit: schools.woboe.org
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
It’s sneak peek time again!
I was able to glean a few more nuggets about
forthcoming poetry in 2013 while attending the ALA Midwinter conference in Seattle last week. It seemed to me that the numbers were down a bit and there wasn't as much poetry set to be published this spring as usual, but maybe I missed a bunch. Anyhoo, here is my stab at my annual “sneak peek” list of the poetry titles that are scheduled to be published in 2013, thus far. Of course this is subject to change with additional titles likely as the year rolls along.
Please let me know of any others I can add. I’ll be coming back to this posting throughout the year and continually adding titles, hoping to offer a one-stop spot here for referencing a 2013 list of poetry for kids throughout the year (and beyond). (Last year there were 82 titles published, so we have a way to go before hitting that mark!) Meanwhile, I am happy to share my beginning list of titles of poetry for young people (including novels in verse) coming soon…
- Ada, Alma Flor and Isabel F. Campoy. 2013. Yes! We Are Latinos. Ill. by David Diaz. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
- Argueta, Jorge. 2013. Tamalitos: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem. Ill. by Domi. Toronto: Groundwood.
- Brown, Calef. 2013. We Go Together!: A Curious Selection of Affectionate Verse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Engle, Margarita. 2013. The Lightning Dreamer. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- Engle, Margarita. 2013. Mountain Dog. New York: Holt.
- Engle, Margarita. 2013. When You Wander. New York: Holt.
- Flood, Nancy Bo. 2013. Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo. Ill. byJan Sonnenmair. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
- Frost, Helen. 2013. Salt. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
- Gerber, Carole. 2013. Seeds, Bees, Butterflies and More! Poems for Two Voices. New York: Holt.
- Gerber, Carole. 2013. Spring Blossoms. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
- Grimes, Nikki. 2013. Words with Wings. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
- Held, George. 2013. Neighbors: The Yard Critters Too. Ill. by Joung Un Kim. New York: Filsinger & Co., Ltd.
- Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2013. All the World’s a Stage. Ill. by Guy Billout. Minneapolis, MN: Creative Editions.
- Kennedy, Caroline. Ed. 2013. Poems to Learn by Heart. Ill. by John Muth. New York: Hyperion.
- Lewis, J. Patrick. 2013. Face Bug: Poems. Photos by Frederic Siskind. Ill. by Kelly Murphy. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
- McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. 2013. Teddy Bear Patterns. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
- Ode, Eric. 2013. Sea Star Wishes: Poems from the Coast. New York: Sasquatch Books/Random House.
- Powell, Patricia Hruby. 2013. Josephine. Ill. by Christian Robinson. San Francisco: Chronicle.
- Prelutsky, Jack. 2013. Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems. New York: Greenwillow.
- Rampersad, Arnold and Blount, Marcellus (Eds). 2013. Poetry for Young People: African American Poetry (reissued, re-illustrated). Ill. by Karen Barbour. New York: Sterling.
- Singer, Marilyn. 2013. Follow, Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems. New York: Penguin.
- Smith, Charles R., Jr. 2013. Brick by Brick. New York: Amistad/ HarperCollins.
- Sones, Sonya. 2013. To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- Thompson, Holly. 2013. The Language Inside. New York: Delacorte.
- VanDerwater, Amy Ludwig. 2013. Forest Has a Song. New York: Clarion.
- Weston, Robert Paul. 2013. Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdon of Spiff. New York: Razorbill/Penguin.
- Worth, Valerie. 2013. Pug. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
- Yolen, Jane and Dotlich, Rebecca. 2013. Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy Tales with a Twist. Ill. by Matt Hahurin. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
ALSO NEW: One other title that I am particularly excited about is my latest collaboration with poet and friend, Janet Wong (along with 70 other wonderful contributing poets). It is the middle school companion to our
Poetry Friday Anthology for grades K-5 that we published last year. It's entitled, appropriately enough:
The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School (Grades 6-8)And it
will be available March 1. It has a poem-a-week for every grade (6, 7, 7) by top poets (like Naomi Shihab Nye, Marilyn Nelson, Sonya Sones, Joyce Sidman, and MANY others) and offers "Take 5" teaching connections for every single poem tied to the Common Core standards (and TEKS in Texas). Stay tuned for further details VERY soon!
Meanwhile, join us at
A Teaching Life where Tara is hosting the always fabulous
Poetry Friday line up.
Psssst... the Cybils committee just chose the POETRY winner for 2012. We'll announce it next week! Image credit: ADifferentForest.com
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
Just giving a poem—any poem-- is a lovely Valentine gesture, but if you’re looking for
poetry for young people specifically ABOUT Valentine’s and all kinds of love, you won’t have much trouble. Poets have been pouring out their hearts for centuries. Young readers feel this same longing and often gravitate to very emotional “love” poetry—both in their reading and in their writing. You might even be surprised how popular these can be with adolescent readers (both boys and girls). This list is one of 150+ similar topical lists from my book,
The Poetry Teacher’s Book of Lists. I hope you’ll check it out. Meanwhile, Valentine's poetry...
“Love” poetry for children- Adoff, Arnold. 1997. Love Letters. New York: Scholastic.
- cummings, e e. 2005. Love: Selected Poems by e e cummings. Ill. by Christopher Myers.
- Greenfield, Eloise. 2003. Honey, I Love. New York: HarperCollins.
- Grimes, Nikki. 1999. Hopscotch Love: A Family Treasury of Love Poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
- Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2005. Valentine Hearts: Holiday Poetry. New York: HarperCollins.
- Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Ed. 2005. Days to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More. New York: Greenwillow.
- Katz, Alan. 2010. Too Much Kissing; And Other Silly Dilly Songs About Parents. Simon & Schuster.
- Lear, Edward. 2007. The Owl and the Pussycat. Toronto: Kids Can Press.
- Levine, Gail Carson. 2012. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. Ill. by Matthew Cordell. HarperCollins.
- Livingston, Myra Cohn. 1985. Celebrations. New York: Holiday House.
- Livingston, Myra Cohn. Ed. 1987. Valentine Poems. New York: Holiday House.
- Marzollo, Jean. 2000. I Love You: A Rebus Poem. New York: Scholastic.
- Mora, Pat. 2001. Ed. Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers. New York: Lee & Low.
- Pearson, Susan. 2006. Slugs in Love. New York: Marshall Cavendish.
- Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. It’s Valentine’s Day. New York: HarperTrophy.
- Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Singer, Marilyn. 2011. Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom. New York: Knopf.
- Steptoe, Javaka. Ed. 1997. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers. New York: Lee & Low.
- Strachan, Linda. 2003. What Colour is Love? London: Bloomsbury.
- Thomas, Joyce Carol. 2001. A Mother’s Heart, A Daughter’s Love: Poems for Us to Share. New York: HarperCollins.
- Walker, Rob D. 2009. Mama Says: A Book of Love For Mothers and Sons. Ill. by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Scholastic.
- Wilson, Karma. 2003. Bear Hugs: Romantically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes. New York: McElderry Books.
- Yolen, Jane. 2009. How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? New York: Scholastic.
- Young, Ed. 1997. Voices of the Heart. New York: Scholastic.
“Love” poetry or young adults- Block, Francesca Lia. 2008. How to (Un)Cage a Girl. New York: Joanna Cotler.
- Fletcher, Ralph J. 1998. Room Enough for Love: the Complete Poems of I Am Wings and Buried Alive: Poems. New York: Aladdin.
- Franco, Betsy. 2008. Falling Hard: Teenagers on Love. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
- Hemphill, Stephanie. 2012. Sisters of Glass. New York: Knopf.
- Herrera, Juan Felipe. 1999. Crashboomlove. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
- Herrick, Steven. 2004. A Place Like This. New York: Simon Pulse.
- Herrick, Steven. 2004. Love, Ghosts, & Facial Hair. New York: Simon Pulse.
- Holbrook, Sara and Wolf, Allan. 2008. More Than Friends; Poems from Him and Her. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
- Janeczko, Paul B. Ed. 2004. Blushing: Expressions of Love in Poems and Letters. New York: Scholastic.
- Merriam, Eve. 1983. If Only I Could Tell You: Poetry for Young Lovers and Dreamers. New York: Knopf.
- Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes. New York: Knopf.
- Myers, Walter Dean. 2009. Amiri and Odette: A Dance for Two. New York: Scholastic.
- Pockell, Leslie. Ed. 2003. The 100 Best Love Poems of All Time. New York: Warner.
- Sayer, Viv. Ed. 2008. Poems of Love and Longing. London: Pont Books.
- Soto, Gary. 1990. A Fire in My Hands. New York: Scholastic.
- Soto, Gary. 2009. Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing. Orlando: Harcourt.
- Tregay, Sarah. 2012. Love & Leftovers. New York: Katherine Tegen.
- Vecchione, Patrice. Ed. 2004. Revenge and Forgiveness. New York: Henry Holt.
Image credit: Teachingwithheart.blogspot.com
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
The Cybils awards are being announced today and I’m happy to join the chorus celebrating the poetry winner...
BookSpeak! By Laura Purdie SalasThe
CYBILS are the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary awards and I was lucky enough to serve on the second round of judges that selected the winner.
Congratulations to all the Cyblis Poetry Finalists:In the Sea by David Elliott
Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen
Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry compiled by J. Patrick Lewis
UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
Water Sings Blue by Kate Coombs
Here’s our “official” review of BookSpeak!If a book remains unopened
and no reader turns its page,
does it still embrace a story
or trap words inside a cage?
BookSpeak! celebrates all things books. One of our judges stated that it shows kids "how to look at a common object with new eyes." Another said, "I love the many 'voices' she created within the book world." A third judge noted, "when read aloud, I feel these poems have heaps of personality--and utility, too."
Laura Purdie Salas, explores reading, writing, stories, and book components in a wide variety of poetic forms, styles, and imaginative voices. From the lyrical "Skywriting" to the clever personification of “Index,” the poems flow from beginning to end, providing helpful models that young writers may enjoy exploring and imitating. Josee' Bisaillon's use of collage, digital montage, and drawings completes the whole package. Complemented by a distinctive use of typeface and energetic and expressive illustrations, BookSpeak! is a book of book poems that readers of all ages will return to again and again.This book has been such a hit with my students—who are teachers (and I think will be with kids of all ages). One student created
a digital trailer for the book available here. (Thank you, Kendra Duckworth!)
I also loved
Laura’s previous poetry collection, Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School! (Clarion. 2009) and reviewed it
here.And Laura also
created a wonderful set of 10 poetry picture books tied to the content areas and produced by Capstone publishing:
1. Lettuce Introduce You: Poems About Food
2. Fuzzy-Fast Blur: Poems About Pets
3. Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz: Poems About the Rain Forest
4. Always Got My Fee: Poems About Transportation
5. Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights: Poems About Fall
6. Seed Sower, Hat Thrower: Poems About Weather
7. Tiny Creams, Sprouting Tall: Poems About the United States
8. And Then There Were Eight: Poems About Space
9. Flashy, Clashy, and Oh-So-Splashy: Poems About Color
10. Do Buses Eat Kids? Poems About SchoolIn the spirit of full disclosure, I should also like to add that Laura has contributed poems to
The Poetry Friday Anthology (both for K-5 and for the new book for 6-8) and we have so enjoyed working with her. Good thing we grabbed her BEFORE she got hugely famous!
Finally, be sure to check out
Laura’s blog, Writing the World for Kids, full of helpful teaching and writing tips and her
website, of course.
Thanks to our noble chair, Jone MacCulloch and my fellow committee members, Diane Mayr, Renee LaTulippe, Ed DeCaria, and Linda Baie. What fun we had talking/writing about poetry in depth!
Image credit: LauraSalas.com
Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
View Next 25 Posts
Paschen, Elise and Raccah, Dominique. Eds. 2005. Poetry Speaks to Children. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
What I'm especially proud of with our editions of The Poetry Friday Anthology is the fact that these hundreds of poems are all original, previously unpublished poems by a Who's Who of poets writing today. I think that makes our books quite special.
Another recent anthology (and one that makes a great gift) is The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry by J. Patrick Lewis. It is the DEFINITIVE book of animal poetry. One neat feature of that book is the way contemporary and classic poems on the same theme (such as horses) are grouped together.
Mark your calendars for August l3 when my new collection ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE appears, illustrated by Guy Billout (Creative Editions). This YA anthology features an eclectic look at the Seven Ages of Man based on Shakespeare's monologue from AS YOU LIKE IT. Poems include work by Lewis Carroll, Ralph Fletcher, Elizabeth Barrett Browning -- and Janet Wong. www.leebennetthopkins
Looking forward to your new anthology, Lee!
I've been on the road lately (as you KNOW!) ;0) and enjoyed popping in my CD from "Poetry Speaks to Children" on my journeys.
I'm so thankful you and Janet have poured so much TLC and wisdom and experience into your new anthologies.
And I can't wait to read ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE a few months hence!
Woo hoo! A new anthology from Lee Bennett Hopkins! ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE has been on my "sneak peek" list and I can't wait to see it! Thanks for the advance info, Lee.