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Poems in the Attic is a collection of poetry that creates a tender intergenerational story that speaks to every child’s need to hold onto special memories of home, no matter where that place might be. We interviewed master poet Nikki Grimes on her process for writing poetry and if she has any tips to share.

In Poems in the Attic, the reader is introduced to free verse and tanka styles of poetry. Why were you drawn to the tanka form?

Poetry, for me, has always been about telling a story or painting a picture using as few words  as possible.  Haiku and tabla are forms that epitomize that.  I’d previously played with an introduction to haiku in A Pocketful of Poems, and I have long since been intrigued with the idea of incorporating tanka in a story.  Poems in the Attic provided such an opportunity, so I jumped on it.

Many readers are intimidated by poetry or think it is not for them. For people who find poetry difficult, where would you recommend they start?

Start with word play.  I sometimes like to take a word and study it through the lens of my senses.  Take the word “lemon”, for instance.  What is its shape, its scent,  its color?  Does it make a sound?  Does it have a taste?  How would you describe that sound, that taste?  Where is a lemon to be found?  What does it do or what can you do with it?  In answering such questions, in a line or two in response to each question, one ends up either with a poem or the makings of a poem.

Is there something people can do to be “good” at writing poetry? Where do you find inspiration when you get stuck?

There are a few answers to that question.

1. Read poetry voraciously.  If you aspire to write good poetry, you must first know what that looks like.
2. Practice, practice, practice.  Writing is a muscle that must be exercises, no matter the genre.
3. Play.  Build your vocabulary.  Experiment with a variety of forms.  For too many trying poetry, rhyme is their default.  But rhyme is bot synonymous with poetry.  It is merely one element of it.  Explore metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, and all the other elements of poetry.  Think interns of telling a story and painting a picture with words.  These practices will lead you somewhere wonderful.

What’s one of your favorite lines from a poem?

I love lines from my poem “Chinese Painting” in Tai Chi Morning: Snapshots of China.  In seeking to describe the magic of a master painter, I wrote

“a few strokes

And a bird is born

A few more,

And it sings.”

Do you prefer poetry on the page or poetry read aloud? Who is your favorite poet to hear or read?

I especially love poetry on the page, in part because not all poets read their work well.  I do love to hear Naomi Shihabe Nye, though, and I especially loved to hear the exquisite Lucille Clifton.

Learn more about Poems in the Attic on our website or Nikki Grime’s website.

---

Purchase Poems in the Attic here.

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Summer is here in full force. It’s the perfect time to curl up pool- or beachside with a good book! Look no further than our new spring and fall releases!

Finding the Music/En pos de la música

When Reyna accidentally breaks her abuelito’s old vihuela, she travels around her neighborhood trying to figure out how to repair it. In the process, she discovers her grandfather’s legacy. Written by Jennifer Torres and illustrated by Renato Alarcão.

Sunday Shopping

Evie and her grandma go shopping every Sunday. They put on their nightgowns, open up the newspapers,  and turn on their imaginations. Written by Sally Derby and illustrated by Shadra Strickland.

Poems In The Attic 

A young girl finds her mother’s poems written when her mother traveled around in a military family. The young girl writes her own related poems. Written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.

Ira’s Shakespeare Dream

Ira Aldridge dreamed of acting in Shakespeare’s plays. Because of a lack of opportunity in the United States, Ira journeys to England to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Written by Glenda Armand and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Maya’s Blanket

Maya has a blanket stitched by her Grandma. The blanket later becomes a dress, a skirt, a shawl, a skirt and a headband. This story is inspired by the Yiddish folk song “Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl” (“I Had a Little Coat”). Written by Monica Brown and illustrated by David Diaz.

New from the Tu Books imprint:

Ink and Ashes

Claire Takata discovers her deceased father’s connection to the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, and puts her and her family’s lives in danger. Written by Valynne E. Maetani.

Trail of the Dead

In this sequel to the award-winning Killer of Enemies, Lozen and her family, on the run from the tyrants who once held them hostage, embark on a journey along a perilous trail once followed by her ancestors, where they meet friends and foes alike. Written by Joseph Bruchac.

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To follow on from my review of Penny & Jelly: The School Show last Friday, I am very happy to have the author, Maria Gianferrari on the blog today to share about the inspiration for her debut picture book and offer … Continue reading →

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Coming this month, Poems in the Attic is a collection of poetry that creates a tender intergenerational story that speaks to every child’s need to hold onto special memories of home, no matter where that place might be. We interviewed master poet Nikki Grimes on her process for writing poetry and if she has any tips to share.

In Poems in the Attic, the reader is introduced to free verse and tanka styles of poetry. Why were you drawn to the tanka form?

Poetry, for me, has always been about telling a story or painting a picture using as few words  as possible.  Haiku and tabla are forms that epitomize that.  I’d previously played with an introduction to haiku in A Pocketful of Poems, and I have long since been intrigued with the idea of incorporating tanka in a story.  Poems in the Attic provided such an opportunity, so I jumped on it.

Many readers are intimidated by poetry or think it is not for them. For people who find poetry difficult, where would you recommend they start?

Start with word play.  I sometimes like to take a word and study it through the lens of my senses.  Take the word “lemon”, for instance.  What is its shape, its scent,  its color?  Does it make a sound?  Does it have a taste?  How would you describe that sound, that taste?  Where is a lemon to be found?  What does it do or what can you do with it?  In answering such questions, in a line or two in response to each question, one ends up either with a poem or the makings of a poem.

Is there something people can do to be “good” at writing poetry? Where do you find inspiration when you get stuck?

There are a few answers to that question.

1. Read poetry voraciously.  If you aspire to write good poetry, you must first know what that looks like.
2. Practice, practice, practice.  Writing is a muscle that must be exercises, no matter the genre.
3. Play.  Build your vocabulary.  Experiment with a variety of forms.  For too many trying poetry, rhyme is their default.  But rhyme is bot synonymous with poetry.  It is merely one element of it.  Explore metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, and all the other elements of poetry.  Think interns of telling a story and painting a picture with words.  These practices will lead you somewhere wonderful.

What’s one of your favorite lines from a poem?

I love lines from my poem “Chinese Painting” in Tai Chi Morning: Snapshots of China.  In seeking to describe the magic of a master painter, I wrote

“a few strokes

And a bird is born

A few more,

And it sings.”

Do you prefer poetry on the page or poetry read aloud? Who is your favorite poet to hear or read?

I especially love poetry on the page, in part because not all poets read their work well.  I do love to hear Naomi Shihabe Nye, though, and I especially loved to hear the exquisite Lucille Clifton.

Learn more about Poems in the Attic on our website or Nikki Grime’s website.

 

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The delightfully ambitious Michelle at Today's Little Ditty is our Poetry Friday host today, and she has offered two challenges that I'm about to tackle.  First is Nikki Grimes's wordplay challenge which concludes the fascinating interview she gave Michelle last week:

"When I talk about wordplay, I'm talking about studying a word from top to bottom, and inside out, considering every aspect of the word:  What it looks like, sounds like, feels like.  What it does, how it's used, etc.  The idea is to bring all of your senses into the act.  The poem you create may end up being complex and sophisticated, or very simple."

Second is the Five for Friday challenge periodically set by Michelle, which is an exercise in minimalism, a ditty of five words only (although I note that many poets endow theirs with expository titles, a practice which I wholly condone).

So--for Nikki's challenge I do not choose the word "bell" or "lemon" (done that one!), "blanket,"  "leaf" or "sun," as I might usually.  Instead the news lately takes me to "bullet" and I'm a little afraid of it, but here's my Draftless Luck* effort.  The title is both expository and five words long, if you allow me a hyphenated word, so that's my Five for Friday, too.



Thank you, Michelle; thank you, Nikki; and thank you, Poetry Friday people, for reading the raw and unpolished with interest and respect.  We do each other a great favor in that.

May I also point you to this quote from George Eliot and this recording by Elvis Costello?

*With apologies to Erica Jong, this refers to my time-challenged technique of writing a poem right now, once, with the revision allowed by one hour, publishing it on the blog as though it were finished--and hoping for the best.

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April is National Poetry Month, and what better way to celebrate than by talking with acclaimed poet Nikki Grimes? Her many books include narratives in verse, prose fiction, poetry collections, and nonfiction, frequently featuring African American characters and culture. In Grimes’s latest picture book, Poems in the Attic (illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon; Lee & Low, 5–8 years), a girl describes, in free verse, an exciting discovery: a box of poems her mother wrote during her own youth. Like a diary, the poems offer the daughter an intimate first-person perspective of her mother’s world travels as the child of an Air Force captain.

1. Your author’s note for Poems in the Attic says that you moved around a lot as a child. Did you have adventures similar to your characters’? What were some of your favorite places?

NG: My life was very different my characters’, I’m afraid. My frequent moving had to do with being in the foster-care system, and my adventures primarily took place between the pages of books! However, the challenges that result from a child frequently being uprooted, no matter the cause, are challenges I can relate to. As for favorite places of my childhood, I would have to say the public library, the planetarium, and Central Park. All three were magical.

2. How did you come up with the idea of having the mother write in a different poetic form than her daughter?

NG: I’d been wanting to do a collection of tanka poems for young readers for some time. I’d originally considered creating a collection of paired poems similar to A Pocketful of Poems (illus. by Javaka Steptoe; Clarion, 5–8 years), in which the character introduced haiku poetry, but using the tanka form. However, I came up with the idea for this story and realized it provided me a perfect opportunity to use two different forms to capture the voices of mother and daughter. I had tanka on the brain at that point, so it was an easy choice for me.

3. The daughter reflects, “My mama glued her memories with words / so they would last forever.” How does poetry help to glue down memories?

NG: Poetry is the language of essence. Through the use of metaphor, simile, and the rest, the poet paints a picture, catches the essence of a subject, and plumbs all of the senses connected with that subject. What better genre is there for capturing a memory?

4. As you travel and engage with children, how do you inspire in them an interest in reading and writing poetry?

NG: That interest is already in them. Poetry is a huge part of their childhood, from the ABC song to jump-rope rhymes to “Ring Around the Rosie.” Stoking that interest only requires sharing poems with them to which they can relate. One whiff of poetry about the stuff of their own childhood, their own lives, and they are off and running. Once they’ve gotten a good taste of poetry, just try and stop them from reading and writing it!

5. Which poets inspire you?

NG: Oh, my! That list is long. My library includes Lucille Clifton, Naomi Shihab Nye, Wendell Berry, W. B. Yeats, William Stafford, Jane Yolen, Pablo Neruda, Natasha Trethewey, Gary Soto, Helen Frost, Mary Oliver, Marilyn Nelson, Shakespeare (sonnets, anyone?), Langston Hughes, Mari Evans. Yikes! Okay, I’ll stop.

From the April 2015 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.

The post Five questions for Nikki Grimes appeared first on The Horn Book.

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The heart of Young Adult Fiction descended into picturesque Charleston, SC on November 7, 2014 as 60 Young Adult authors, including 37 New York Times bestsellers, joined together for the 4th Annual Charleston Young Adult Book Festival (“YALLFest”).

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As we begin a season of reflection and celebration, we are pleased to share some of our favorite books on thankfulness and being grateful that will help young readers on their journey to understanding gratitude.

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Title: Words With Wings

Author: Nikki Grimes

Date: Wordsong; 2013

Main Character: Gabriella/Gabby

I am always amazed at how books I read one after the other share similar themes, plots or characters.

On the first leg of my trip to Amarillo, TX last week, I decided it was time to dive into Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard. Bachelard (1884-1962) was a European philosopher whose research was devoted to the domain of intimacy. I’ve only completed the first chapter of the book so far, but in this chapter he describes our relationship to houses both in dreams and daydreams and how the presence of a house in daydreams, literature or poetry through our intimate connection with them, provides a sense of protection. While dreams have been studied, daydreams are more difficult to capture and analyze but Gaston says still of significance.

“Poetry comes naturally from a daydream”.

He describes daydreams as creative and full of life. One who is bored to tears has no daydreams! “And the poetic daydream, which creates symbols, confers upon our intimate moments an activity that is polysymbolic”.

And, on the next flight, I happened to pick up Words With Wings by Nikki Grimes.

Words With Wings is the story of Gabriella (Gabby) who is adjusting not so much to her parent’s separation and to a new school as to her ability to constantly daydream. Gabby admits her mother cursed her from the beginning in naming her after a winged creature, the Angel Gabriel. How then could words not manage to have wings for her?

The first daydream Gabby shares takes he from her breaking dishes to hide from the noise of her parent’s arguing to the safe corner of her grandmother’s house. She goes back to the house of her childhood before feeling enough security to take us through more of her daydreams, all of which are ignited by a single word. Like most children, Gabriella doesn’t quite realize the power in her gifts but readers recognize the beauty of her daydreams and the comfort then provide her.

Nikki Grimes is a writer whose words have wings. She’s one of the few who write in open verse that actually manages to say more with fewer words.

Mine: Pretend.

Mom’s: Practical.

All we have in common

is the letter P.

In her new school, Gabby has this new teacher, Mr. Spicer (based on the real life Ed Spicer) who understands children and nurtures creativity. He’s that elementary teacher we’d want all our children to have.

I enjoyed how Grimes honored daydreaming, something that most people other than Bacheland, take very much for granted. I’d love to have a poster of the cover of this book to remind me to take my 15 minutes a day to sort through my daydreams.

Nikki Grimes also wrote Bronx Masquerade, Jazmin’s Notebook, The Road to Paris and other over 40 other books. She’s won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Works and the Coretta Scott King Award. Words With Wings is a 2014 ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book; Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and a Junior Library Guild selection. The book made the Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013 list; Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Finalist list and the Nerdy Book Club finalist list.

 

themes: writing; daydreams; school; friendship

__

Bachelard, Gaston, and M Jolas. The Poetics of Space. Boston: Beacon Press, 1994. Print.

Filed under: Book Reviews Tagged: african american, daydreams, nikki grimes, poetry, review

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So happy to recommend our rgz Circle of Stars, Nikki Grimes' new release, Words with Wings. The verse novel poetically explores protagonist Gabby's propensity to daydream. Amidst the turmoil of her parent's separation and a move, escape through thoughts is easy. Gabby preserves her memories and protects herself in her new situation by slipping away in her mind.

Stuck in Dreamland

Maybe something
is wrong with me,
all this fancy dancing
in my mind.
Where I see red and purple
and bursts of blue,
everybody else sees
black and white.
Am I wrong?
Are they right?
Too bad
I can't ask Dad.

When the daydreams interfere with life, Gabby learns to find power in her ability. The step from daydreaming to writing is made with the aid of a perceptive teacher and a new friend.

With succinct, vivid words, Nikki brings to light the thoughts and aims of two opposite characters, mother and daughter. The reader gains sympathy and understanding for both points of view.

Find Words with Wings and take the challenge to find the strength in what some see as your weakness.

Words with Wings
by Nikki Grimes
WordSong, 2013

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<!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 0 1 404 2305 wordswimmer 19 5 2704 14.0 <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

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Recently I read a great post by author Nikki Grimes. She talks about awards and the significance it can give to a book. Most of us as writers probably have fantasied about a lovely sticker being on one of our books. It’s a great feeling of course to be honored by librarians, critics and even your peers. It tells us that our writing is the “best.”

But does that mean if we don’t win an award that are writing isn’t good? The following from the post really spoke to me:

“Suppose I write a great book, but a panel of three, or six or twelve judges deem another book to be the year’s ‘best.’ Is my great book no longer great? Is great no longer good? Is good no longer good enough?

Here’s a thought. We are not called to be the best. We are called to be our best. It’s crucial that we understand the difference between the two.”

Honestly, the fact that we even get to the point of finishing a novel and getting it out there in print is something to be proud of. For that particular work, we wrote to the best of our ability. As we continue to write we get better and better. Focusing on our personal best than rather trying to be better than other writers or books.

Nikki Grimes sums up my feelings pretty much here at the end of her post:

“Say it with me: We are not called to be the best. We are called to be our best. You can’t get better than that.”

As a writer do you think if your novel(s) never won any awards that you would still be OK with that? As a reader do you give honored and awarded books more of chance over a book that hasn’t won any awards?

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~
Congratulations to Sandy Brehl, the winner of our latest TeachingAuthors book giveaway! Sandy will receive an autographed copy of Nikki Grime's book Planet Middle School (hot off the press!)

Enjoy your prize, Sandy! Thanks again to Nikki (read her interview here), thanks to everyone who entered the contest and especially to those who gave us suggestions on what you'd like to see more of in this blog.We're always open to hear what our readers' favorite kinds of posts are ~

Watch for more book giveaways coming up! ... and now, read JoAnn's terrific post on first drafts and early risers...

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Nikki's accumulated more honors, and has written more books and more articles than we have space to list, but it's too interesting not to mention that she's also a performing artist, a fine artist, a fiber artist, a jeweler and more...as she says, she's a Jane-of-all-Trades.

I've known Nikki for a long time and have always been moved by her unfailing generosity.   Toda

17 Comments on Book Giveaway! Guest Teaching Author & Poet extraordinaire, Nikki Grimes!, last added: 9/26/2011

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Author Amok said, on 9/23/2011 5:49:00 AM

My daughter is a new middle schooler. I can't wait to pick up this book for her. Thanks for the interview.

Anastasia Suen said, on 9/23/2011 7:16:00 AM

Great interview! Thanks for participating in Poetry Friday this week!

:-) Anastasia

Myra Garces-Bacsal from GatheringBooks said, on 9/23/2011 7:43:00 AM

What a beautiful interview. I have to confess that I have not read any of Nikki Grimes' works yet - which I now think I have to remedy STAT - she appears so multi-talented and such a versatile artist.

Among the things that she has mentioned, this is what struck me - when she discussed disallowing rhyming in her workshops:
"Emphasize the idea of painting a picture with words. That is a truer understanding of the heart of poetry, I think."

This captures how I feel as well about poetry. This is such an enriching post.

Megan Frances said, on 9/23/2011 10:42:00 AM

Thanks for this great interview, April. I love Nikki's writing exercise. I may share it with my critique group this weekend.

I'd love to win Planet Middle School because the moment I read the title, it transported me back to childhood, when school really seemed like an complete universe.

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/23/2011 1:47:00 PM

Thanks for posting this, Anastasia!

And g'luck to Laura (on behalf of your new middle schooler, Myra (I absolutely agree about rhyming...I think especially for young writers, it can take them off track), and Megan Frances (Oh,yes...school really was a complete universe then...)!

Tara said, on 9/23/2011 3:35:00 PM

That was a wonderful video clip - something about Nikki's voice is just so soothing and engaging.
I'd love to win Planet Middle School because I live in a planet middle school - as a sixth grade teacher. It's hard to find poets and poems that truly "get" this tumultuous age, and I'd love for my kids to have a chance to do so with Nikki's newest book.
What would I like to see more of? Interviews and videos - to know more about the writing life.

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/23/2011 4:39:00 PM

Tara ~ Thanks so much for asking for more interviews and videos--very helpful. And may the luckiest contestant win!

Renee G said, on 9/23/2011 7:08:00 PM

I would love to win this book so that I could share it with my nephew that is struggling at a new middle school.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com

Stephanie said, on 9/23/2011 10:13:00 PM

I have enjoyed some of her other works. I would also like to add it to my classroom library. Thanks for the giveaway.

smccar1 at hotmail dot com

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/23/2011 10:36:00 PM

Renee--whether or not you win, there are lots of life-changing or just diverting middle school books out there for your nephew--I hope you'll ask a teen librarian or bookseller for suggestions based on his interests. He's lucky to have you in his corner.

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/23/2011 10:37:00 PM

Stephanie, here's to building your classroom library--thanks for stopping by!

Melissa Taylor said, on 9/24/2011 6:46:00 AM

I really loved reading Nikki Grime's favorite writing activity and her personal stories! Keep 'em coming!

Pam said, on 9/24/2011 9:04:00 AM

Hi, When I entered middle school I sometimes felt as though someone had drop me off in OZ and I wanted to go home.


I would like this book because my niece is in middle school and this would be a great book for her to read.

If possible, one interview I'd like to read is from a publisher or publishers.

Thanks, Pam Matar

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/24/2011 1:05:00 PM

Melissa--thanks for the vote to keep more writing activities and personal stories! And Pam--since we're TeachingAuthors, our plan has always been to interview only other authors who teach...perhaps we'll see if there's a way we can tie in a publisher to our theme. Thanks for the suggestion.

Beth said, on 9/25/2011 5:12:00 PM

I love the title of her book! : )

jan godown annino said, on 9/26/2011 4:14:00 AM

This poetry exercise will be a spark for my poetry group.
And having just returned from a book festival where no one was in my signing line (so that means I had no line at all) at the author's table, I love & am lifted by Nikki's tenderness to other writers.

I'm not entering to win because I read the posts of individuals who have specific young people or schools where it seems this wonderful middle school new relese is tendended best to go.

As for suggestions on future topics, this may have already been covered but it might be fun to see a series of posts on the connection between the other arts & writing. As Nikki said, she puts soft music in the background of her workshops. So posts linking our world of wrting & some of the visual arts.
One of my favorite inspirational books that boosts my writing process is by the amazingly talented & legendary dancer/choreographer, Twyla Tharpe: THE CREATIVE HABIT. (I am always learning much from other disciplines.) In this book, she talks about how Maurice Sendak is part of her support system.

Many thanks to Teaching Authors for fascintating & supportive posts.

April Halprin Wayland said, on 9/26/2011 10:55:00 AM

Jan ~ yours may be one of the most generous comments we've gotten--ever! Thanks especially for your topic suggestion--that'll give us something to chew on!

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One of the most compelling features of poetry–and a book like Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade which mixes poetry with longer prose–is how the voice of the poems creates an intimacy on the page between reader and narrator, offering a glimpse into interior lives that are usually hidden from view.Using words and images that are direct and raw, Grimes’ poems come straight from the hearts of her

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A Girl Named Mister, by Nikki Grimes, came out last fall. Kirkus Reviews says, "This novel in poetry looks clearly at both teen pregnancy and struggles with faith. Mister is exceptionally well characterized...The language is intimate and immediate."

Diva Lorie Ann wrote about it recently on this blog (Nikki is a member of the readergirlz Circle of Stars) and the cover is one that I've stared at a bit in the bookstore, so I had to ask Nikki about the back story. Here she is:

"OMG, I am so in love with the current cover, I'd completely forgotten what it took to arrive at it! I had no musings on a cover when I wrote the text. I never do. But when it comes to covers, I definitely know what I do or don't like when I see it.

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Nikki Grimes' Dyamonde Daniel books (Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel is the first; Rich, the second, is out; and the third, Almost Zero, comes out in September) have gotten tons of great buzz, so maybe you're way ahead of me in reading them! Saturday morning, I got up early to grocery shop. I was having an English muffin before leaving, and I thought, "I'll just read the first chapter of this before I go." Instead, I tore through the whole book. It's not that it's action-packed or full of cliffhangers. It's just engaging. It was so easy to read, to stay there and hang out with zippy 3rd-grader Dyamonde--who wouldn't want to? Dyamonde has moved to a new neighborhood and a new school, and she's feeling kind of left out. She's not one to let others decide her fate, which I love about her. So she sets out to remedy the situation.

This short chapter book (about 4200 words) covers a longer period of time than most--maybe a month or two? I don't have it in front of me to double-check. Anyway, that time span gives Dyamonde's adjustment and her growing friendship with Free, a new boy, a more genuine feeling than I usually get in chapter book friendships. There's plenty of humor and attitude here, and it's easy to see why this book is such a hit!

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Nikki Grimes' latest picture book, Voices of Christmas (Zonderkidz, 2009), is one of those books that makes me go, Why hasn't someone done this before? It's a collection of poems that together tell the story of the birth of Christ. Each spread introduces the character with a Bible quotation and then presents a poem from that person's point of view. These poems are from real, human people, with real, human failings: nosiness, greed, selfishness, etc. But also bravery, love, and faith. And the illustrations by Eric Velasquez are stunning. So gorgeous and evocative. Here's the poem for Gaspar, introduced as "In the time of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who was born King of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising.' "

All those years of poring over
charts and scrolls on astronomy,
then suddenly, it was as if
the Morning Star
leapt from the page
and rose into the sky.
I have waiting for its appearing
so long, I know its shape by heart.
This star marks the Messiah's birth.
God, at last, has come to earth
and I must find him!
"Brothers, it is time for us
to begin the journey
for which we were born.
Pack quickly and take
a gift for the King.
We leave in the morning."

--Nikki Grimes, all rights reserved

I don't read many religious books, but I really enjoyed this one. I can't wait to listen to the CD that came with it, too, with the book read by Nikki.

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Why should Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, and Nikki Grimes have all the fun? In support of the rollicking story game being played by these and a crew of other award-winning, talented and versatile authors and illustrators, the Exquisite Prompt writing contest from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org uses writing prompts inspired by the “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure” authors and illustrators to get K-12 students to flex their own writing muscles.

From October through June, two new writing prompts will be available each month.  Winners in four grade level categories will be selected for each prompt.  Prizes include online publication at Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, autographed books, and classroom visits with authors and illustrators via Skype.

The first Exquisite Prompt, inspired by Jon Scieszka, asks students to share a family story.  Based on the author’s recollections of family togetherness in his memoir Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka, the leveled prompt and online resources help students to think about their history and heritage and tell a family story.

Also for October, a prompt inspired by author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen and his book If I Built a Car that is sure to fuel imaginations and take creative and persuasive writing skills for a ride.

All Exquisite Prompts are accompanied by author/illustrator biographies, bibliographies, interviews and links to resources and primary sources related to the prompts. Resources for educators from Reading Rockets and AdLit include strategies for teaching writing and a writing basics toolkit.

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You oughta meet Danitra Brown
the most splendiferous girl in town.

This is just a little post on Poetry Friday to say that you oughta check out Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, as well as the sequels.

They aren't verse novels, but a collection of poems told in the voice of a young girl, almost all about her best friend. The language and rhythm and rhymes are catchy, but the situations and feelings are raw and real, both sad and joyous. All in all, it's stuff kids love while, at the same time being GOOD LITERATURE. (Am I the only one who says "GOOD LITERATURE" in a booming doom-and-gloom voice?)

I also love the pictures by Floyd Cooper. These girls looks real, like the ones on my library. Hair slightly messed from running all over the neighborhood, crazy fashion choices, and entirely realistic.

It's another great book for those of us looking for books featuring characters that just happen to be African-American, but the book doesn't focus on race.

Also, isn't splendiferous the greatest word ever?

round up is over at Under the Covers!

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National Poetry Week Goings-On...

If you're looking for ways to get your daily shot of the poetic during April (which, of course, is National Poetry Month) here are two great options:

• GottaBook's 30 Poets/30 Days. Poet and blogger Gregory K. Pinkus has put together quite a National Poetry Month celebration. Every day in April on GottaBook he'll be posting a previously unpublished poem by a different children's poet, including Jack Prelutsky, Mary Ann Hoberman, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Douglas Florian, Nikki Grimes, Jane Yolen, Pat Mora, Nikki Giovanni, Adam Rex, Jon Scieszka, and many many more. Click here to read the full list.

• Poetic Asides' Poem-a-Day Challenge. Poet's Market editor, blogger (and my super-duper co-worker) Robert Lee Brewer is holding his annual Poem-a-Day Challenge on the Poetic Asides blog. Throughout April Robert will post a daily poetry prompt and poets are encouraged to post their prompt-inspired work on the blog (every day if they're up to the challenge). In May Robert's 50 favorite poems will be offered in an e-book. It's all free and there's no registration to complete--poets simply write and post.
  

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Ooooh Nikki Grimes. Love her! And now...I love Paul Morin too. Can't believe I haven't seen this one before! This is such a beautifully illustrated book and it's content is perfect for a Sunday morning. Enjoy!

At Break of Day, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Paul Morin, is basically the Creation story accompanied by some of the coolest illustrations ever. Though quoting from Hebrews and not Genesis, Grimes and Morin tell the how God made the Earth, universe, stars, animals, etc....in a beautifully, thought provoking manner.

Though I grabbed this from the library, it's one I definitely want on my home shelves for my kids. These illustrations are indescribable, you must see them for yourself. And the text? It tells the story of my God and his creation in a beautiful way. I have absolutely no complaints. Loved it.

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

At Break of Day
Nikki Grimes
32pages
Picture Book
Eerdman's Books for Young Readers
0802861045
October 1999

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I attended an event called "Poetry on the Spot" at the Minnesota Reading Association's convention last Saturday. Featured guest Nikki Grimes (whose Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope is #1 on the NYT Bestsellers List) joined with five area (Minnesota-Wisconsin) poets: Joyce Sidman, Susan Marie Swanson, Lisa Westberg Peters, Sharon Chmielarz, and Rob Reid for a kinda-sorta-little-bit-likea-poetry-slam.


Sharon Chmielarz, Nikki Grimes, and Rob Reid




Susan Marie Swanson, Joyce Sidman, and Lisa Westberg Peters

The event was sponsored by the Children's Literature Network, and it worked like this: Nikki would read a poem, any poem, from any of her many published or unpublished works. Then it would go around the table, with each poet reading a poem of their own that in some way connected with Nikki's poem.

It was fun to see their minds scrambling as they sought and found connections between poems. Sometimes it was serious: "This poem also touches on the theme of goodbye or loss." Other times it was more tangential: "This poem also mentions a shoe!"

Some of my favorite poets were reading here, and in addition to enjoying their poetry, I learned a few tips about presenting poems in front of a large room! I've got to work on my own presentation style as I get ready to present and promote my book Stampede! next year, so I'm going to try to remember that:

While quiet, serious, or wry poems may work well in a smaller, coffeehouse-intimate setting, you have to really have presence to pull them off in front of a large room. I think each person in the audience has to be focused solely on you, and you have to have created a connection. For a scattered audience, like teachers tired after a long conference day, very funny or very dramatic (not quietly dramatic) poems work best.

Sometimes it works well to have a "poetry persona." You can tell Susan Marie does tons of school residencies and works with kids a lot. She has a "poem voice," a child's voice and inflection that isn't present in her regular speech but that comes out when she reads her kids' poems. It helps the audience connect the poem to kids, I think.

Update your poems! Rob Reid performed a fabulous rap (I'm going to have to find out exactly what it's called and where you can find it), and he said later that the original was decades old, but that he updates it periodically. It now contains a reference to Harry Potter and other more recent cultural touchstones.

Be dramatic. Nikki Grimes has a dramatic, confidence voice when she reads her work. She demands attention--and gets it.


My daughter Annabelle is also naturally dramatic. Here she is during open mic.

Speak up. Sometimes, in quieter, more serious poems, the poets let their voices drop to reflect the intimacy of the thoughts in the poem. But that just made it hard to hear.

Slow down. Listening to poems is hard work. The language is dense, and a lot is going on in just a few words. I really appreciated it when the poets spoke clearly and very slowly, giving my mind a chance to keep up.

OK, right now, I just have to work on being able to say my poems out loud without my voice shaking. Lisa Peters called me up for the open mic part, and I read one poem from Stampede! But the presentation was not good. But once I master the basics and get decent at reading in front of a crowd, I'm going to try to implement some of the things that worked beautifully during this Poetry on the Spot event. After the event, I got to chat with the poets (most of whom I already knew because they're local). That was fun to catch up and also to chat with Rob Reid, whom I didn't already know. And then later that evening, my husband and I went to dinner with Nikki Grimes. It was terrific to get to chat with her about her travels, her experiences with her Barack Obama book, and lots of other things. And I tried Indian food for the first time. (I know, I know. I'd NEVER eaten at an Indian restaurant. I don't like the flavor of curry, and I thought pretty much all Indian food had curry in it. Wrong.) The whole evening was delightful!

Me with Nikki Grimes

Poetry Friday is at Yat-Yee Chong this week. Enjoy!

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Last night I stayed up to watch Barack Obama as he claimed his victory in the U. S. presidential race. I wanted to be a part of this important time in history. I was not disappointed. His speech was inspiring-- hope-filled. A unifying speech for all of our people.

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