Poetry Suggestions for Kids
Poets love to play with words and take the ordinary and make it special. Poets love to tell little stories with as few words as possible. Poets are dreamers. Poets don't always make sense. Do you know a few Nursery Rhymes? This is one that I like. "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!"
I like the sound of "Humpty Dumpty" and it's repeated in the second line. I enjoy saying it twice. The poem usually comes with an illustration. So I know he's a rather large egg. And he must have been important because all of the king's horses and men tried to put him back together again. Such a silly story inside a poem! But why do you remember it? The end words rhyme — wall and fall, men and again. The rhyme helps you remember the "story" in the poem. So what have you discovered so far? 
- It's okay to be silly in poems and rhyme words.
- Poems can tell mini-stories. You can do that in your poems!
- Poets don't always make sense. Don't worry too much about what your poem really means. Just have some fun with words.
- Repeating words in a poem is fine, as long as it sounds good.
- To make sure you poem is good, you will need to read it aloud again and again to yourself.
In the poem, "The Wheels on the Bus," we are told eight times in the first four lines that the wheels go 'round and 'round, but that's okay. It just makes the poem more fun. Many songs can be written down on paper because they are really poems set to music — just like "The Wheels on the Bus." In my poem "Dad Says He's King of the Castle," I have mom laughing "tee-hee-tee-hee" nine times. And when I vi
Second place
Wickham Farms
by Nathan Murray, age 10
Penfield
Wickham Farms in Penfield is so close to us,
We can get there without a fuss.
I love your ice cream in a cone,
And picking a pumpkin you have grown.
In the corn maze I get lost,
Your chicken dinner is low cost.
On the jumping pillow I go up and down,
I never ever get a frown.
Animals, playground, tractor rides,
Batting cages, mini golf, then inside…
We look for the cute little mice,
And the people that work there are so nice.
Birthday parties, field trips from school,
On holidays you really rule.
0 Comments on Second Place Winner! as of 1/1/1900
Another Chance
How often we wish for yet another chance tomake a fresh beginning.
A chance to blot out our mistakes and change failure into winning.
It does not take a special time to make abrand new start.
It only takes the deep desire to try with all our heart.
To live a little better, to always beforgiving.
To add a little sunshine in a world for which we're living.
Never give up in despair nor think you arethrough.
For there's always a tomorrow, a chance to start a new.
Author Unknown
This poem was November's winner on my Monthly Poetry Contest for kids at www.joe-sottile.com. The poem that wins has to simply be good and say something about our lives. This one is both, written by an 8th grader.
I Am Thankful
By MatthewJoseph Feyh
I am thankful for everything given tome.
I am thankfulfor a place to stay.
I am thankfulfor warmth every night.
I am thankfulfor friends that care.
I am thankfulfor food to spare.
I am thankfulfor grandparents that love.
I thoughtthat, perhaps, if I had a more predictable and interesting website wherein I shared “my best stuff” with you, my blog wouldbe more valuable to you. So, on:
Monday: My Best Internet Stuff ...This will be the best Internetmaterial that gets delivered in my mailbox that makes me laugh aloud or makesme ponder the meaning of life.
Tuesday: My Best Poem of the Week …This could be my poem or a poem thatI discovered in my readings.
Wednesday: My Best Quote of the Week …This could be a quote about writingor life.
Thursday: My Best Rambling Thoughts …This would be whatever was on mymind that needed airing.
Friday: My Best Friday Poem …This would be a poem related toPoetry Friday on JacketFlap or not.
Saturday: My Best Catch of the Week …This would be words of praise about aspecial person who has a positive impact on me—family, friends, poets orcelebrities.
Well, I hope you enjoythe line up and tune in. I thoughtthat, perhaps, if I had a more
