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Gone Fishing.  by Tamera Will Wissinger. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 978047820118

Sam is really looking forward to fishing with his dad, just the two of them. When his sister, Lucy, decides she wants to join in, he’s sure the trip will be ruined with all her twirling, jumping, and playing. On the trip itself, though, Lucy and Sam surprise each other with their fishing abilities, and the bond they form as siblings. This book is told entirely in different forms of verse, in the voices of Lucy, Sam, and their dad.


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Toppling. by Sally Murphy. 2012. Candlewick. 128 pages. ISBN: 9780763659219

John is in fifth grade, and he loves dominoes. He doesn't play games with them; instead, he likes to line them up in complicated patterns, then knock them over to watch how they topple. His hobby becomes a metaphor for a precarious situation in his best friend, Dom's life, when John and his classmates learn that Dom has cancer and may die.

This book is very nicely done. It looks at a serious situation from the masculine point of view, and portrays all the complex emotions associated with childhood cancer without becoming maudlin. Though John worries about his friend's future, he remains hopeful and positive in a way that I think shows the resilience of real kids. He and "the guys" show real compassion for Dom, and the ending, though uncertain, sounds a real chord of hope and happiness. 

Kids are naturally curious about serious situations, and I think this book will appeal to that curiosity. Though the main focus is how John reacts to Dom's diagnosis, there are also plenty of great details about classrooms and childhood interactions that make the entire world of the story very vivid. I was reminded, at certain points, of the Calvin Coconut series, where Calvin's classmates and classroom also come to life in unique ways. I think kids will also appreciate the open-ended ending to the story, which allows them to decide for themselves whether Dom will beat his illness.

I enjoyed Toppling much more than Murphy's previous book, Pearl Verses the World. While Pearl's story left me feeling very sad, this book infused a sad situation with enough good humor to make me want to keep reading. This book was originally published in Australia in 2010 by Walker Books with a slightly different cover illustration. Readers who enjoy Toppling might also like Julie Sternberg's Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie and Like Bug Juice on a Burger and Eileen Spinelli's The Dancing Pancake and Summerhouse Time. Though these books are not about cancer, they focus on kids dealing with difficult emotions and finding ways to cope. 

I borrowed Toppling from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. 

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Where the Steps Were. by Andrea Cheng. 2008. Wordsong. 143 pages. ISBN: 9781932425888

In this novel in verse by Andrea Cheng, third graders at an underperforming elementary school move through their final year in the school before the building is torn down. The kids have a variety of family situations and personal problems, but they all love their teacher, who is a stable and loving presence in their lives.  

Though the book refers frequently to the fact that the school will be torn down, this story is more of a portrait of an inner city school than a story about saying goodbye to a beloved school. The characters, though interesting, are not very three-dimensional. Rather, each one is defined according to the situation he or she lives in, making them all seem like stereotypical representations of the author's impressions of this type of school. The emotions do ring true. I felt terrible for the kids in the scene where they are thrown out of a theater on a field trip for spitting, when none of them actually spit. The things the kids worry about - their parents' health, their own futures, their weight, etc. - are also realistic, but the characters who have these worries do not have distinct personalities.

Where the Steps Were is definitely timely, but I question whether the intended audience is really children. To me, it felt like the story was trying to convince adults that keeping schools like this open is important because of kids' attachments to their teachers and because kids like these have a lot of disappointments in their lives already. I think that is a perfectly fine message to send, but I wished the story was more focused on the development of individual characters than on this almost clinical analysis of what is lost when a school closes. I think teachers might be able to use this book as a read-aloud to prompt discussions about school community and fairness, but overall, it doesn't strike me as especially kid-friendly.

Andrea Cheng is a talented writer, and I see hints in this book of the style that made me fall in love with last year's The Year of the Book, which is written in prose, but with very lyrical and poetic language. This book is not my favorite of hers, but for kids who attend a school in danger of closing, this might be the story that will help them cope with their feelings of confusion and loss.


I borrowed Where the Steps Were from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. 

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Seasons: A Book of Poems. by Charlotte Zolotow. 2002. Harper Collins. 64 pages. ISBN: 9780060266996

In this easy-to-read poetry collection, prolific children's author Charlotte Zolotow shares her impressions of the four seasons. The book is divided into four parts. Winter Bits talks of snow, wind, and warm clothes.  Spring Things focuses on birds, plants, and breezes. In Summer Thoughts, Zolotow describes butterflies, flowers, and bugs. Finally, in The Feel of Fall, the year winds down with Halloween, falling leaves, and golden fields.

I was surprised when I read the jacket of this book and found out that this collection, written just 11 years ago, was Zolotow's first book for beginning readers! She has done so many wonderful picture books that I guess I just figured she must also have written a few titles for kids who are learning how to read. Also amazing is the fact that she is still living, at age 97, and that this book was published in the year that she turned 87.

This book shares much in common with Zolotow's quiet, thoughtful picture book texts. Many of the poems consist of just one sentence, but those single sentences are filled with truth and beauty. Though her poems are very much about real things, mostly in nature, she has a lot of fun with language, making up words like "windrushing," "funnytime" and "beez." Her poems rarely rhyme, but each one has a distinct rhythm that shows how thoughtful she is about the placement of each word. She is also a very economical writer, using the most appropriate word for each sentiment, and no extras.

Zolotow has a lovely way of getting inside the mindset of a child. She articulates thoughts that children have in a way that makes them easy to understand, even if her child readers could not have put them into words themselves. In a poem called "Grown-ups" she poses questions: "Do mothers ever feel lonely? / Do fathers ever feel sad?" In "Birthdays", which is on the very next page, she takes note that mothers enjoy flowers more than the birthday cake preferred by kids. These wonderings and observations resonate very strongly with children who are just figuring out how the world works.

Though her poetry, Zolotow also compels kids to think differently about their worlds. In a poem called "Me" the speaker points out that if she were someone else, "there would be other things / to hear and see / for I'd be someone else / not me." This short sentence seems obvious to adults, but for children this might be a startling thought, and the beginning of empathy for people in circumstances unlike their own. In "My Cat" the speaker wonders about what her cat might think about. "Some Days"  talks about how things might have been different in a child's day if he or she had not "done something mean."

Though these poems claim to be about the seasons, they are about many things: emotions, family, friendship, solitude, nature, home, and happiness. Zolotow captures each of these things on just the right level for an early reader and provides lots of food for thought, something lacking in many readers for beginners. I recommend this book very highly, especially for teaching poetry in kindergarten and first grade classrooms and library programs.


I borrowed Seasons from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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Seeing Emily. by Joyce Lee Wong. 2007. Abrams. 288 pages. ISBN: 9780810992580

Emily is a Chinese-American  teenager who is an artist, a good student, and a hard worker in her parents' Chinese restaurant. Though her immigrant parents don't approve of her dating, wearing lipstick, or defying their rules, when Emily meets Nick, she begins trying on different identities and getting a feel for life as Nick's girlfriend. She likes how it feels when he kisses her, until she realizes Nick only sees her ethnicity, not who she truly is. 

The book jacket makes it sound like this is a story about a prim and proper young woman who throws caution to the wind and becomes a rebel in order to impress her boyfriend. The story inside the cover is quite different. This is not a wild romance, or a tale of teenage rebellion. Rather, it is a story about identity, and about coming of age as one's true self. At the start of the book, Emily is struggling to create an "interior self-portrait" for her art class. She is meant to draw an interior space that represents who she is, but everything she draws comes out darker than she expects. As the story progresses, Emily explores that darker side of her personality, not as a meaningless demonstration of her independence in the face of strict parents,  but as a personal journey of discovery. Emily ends up exactly where she belongs, in the end, but not until she has satisfied her curiosity about those sides of her personality she has not yet uncovered.  

I appreciate the subtlely of Wong's style. She addresses many issues in the three sections that comprise Emily's story, but she doesn't draw clear conclusions for the reader. Nick's behavior toward Emily - and his father's reception of her - are certainly examples of pretty egregious racism, but the author lets the reader figure that out based on context clues. She lets us understand, from Nick's words and Emily's reaction to them, that she is uncomfortable in the relationship, and that his behavior is unacceptable, but she doesn't give a lecture to the reader. This kind of open-endedness makes this a great book for discussion about cultural identity, and about the subtleties of human relationships that sometimes make it hard for girls to realize when they're in a bad one. Some readers might be turned off by the uncertainty of not being told what to think about various events. Myself, I had some trouble with the ending, which, while happy, does not tie things up that neatly or satisfyingly. Still, I can't imagine a different ending working better. Wong remains true to her style all the way through her book, and what emerges is a portrait of one girl doing her best to grow up into the person she is meant to be. 

Seeing Emily will appeal to female young adult readers from all backgrounds, especially those who feel at odds with their parents' ideals, and those who have been in relationships with boys who don't really see their true selves. It would also make a great addition to high school poetry lessons. There is a lot of beautiful figurative language throughout the book that would provide interesting opportunities for analysis, while also allowing students to enjoy a relevant and interesting story.

I borrowed Seeing Emily from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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Where I Live. by Eileen Spinelli. 2007. Dial. 112 pages. ISBN: 9780803731226

Diana loves where she lives. A family of birds has a nest over the back door, and her best friend, Rose, lives close enough that they can wave to each other from their windows. When Diana's dad loses his job, and the family decides to move in with Diana's grandpa, Diana just can't imagine what it will be like to live somewhere else. It is only after she says goodbye to her old house and old friends that she realizes that change brings happy things along with the sad.

This short chapter book in verse covers very familiar ground. There are countless children's books about moving, and many of them repeat the same events and emotions over and over again. This story is different, though, because it's not just about the moving process. About half of the book actually occurs before the move, so the reader gets a sense of Diana's life in her old house. Because the reader is invested in her old life, he or she is able to sympathize that much more with Diana when she learns she is moving. This means that Diana's feelings about where she lives - not the move - become the central focus of the story. The book becomes less of a "moving" book and more of a presentation of how our lives are affected by where we live.

The unique language of Spinelli's verse is another notable feature of this book. I picked out several lines and phrases that struck me as particularly evocative and interesting. One such phrase was "purpy flopple," which is the nickname Rose has given to the floppy purple hat she allows Diana to keep as a going away present. This is such a small, silly phrase, yet it's one of the most memorable in the book. I also thought Spinelli did a lovely job writing the moment at which Diana and her family drive away from their old house and Diana watches as Rose gets further and further away.

I watch her from the back window
until she is a tiny speck -
the hardest goodbye of all.
There is also a wonderful description of Diana's little sister, Twink, that sums up her personality perfectly.

Twink's tub water
turn blue...
dark...
dreamy...
like a lake
after midnight.
Twink is always
making stuff like this happen.
Accidentally.

I love these specific moments of insight into the characters. I also enjoyed the friendship between Diana and Rose, where they share each other's diaries and manage to get along despite their major differences of opinion about subjects like astronomy. I also like that, when Diana does make a friend at her new house who likes things that Rose does not like, she does not feel guilty or assume that she is replacing her best friend. This is yet another plot point that separates this book from others on the same subject.

Where I Live is similar to Julie Sternberg's Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, and its tone also reminds me of Lulu and the Duck in the Park and Lulu and the Dog from the Sea. Though it is written in verse, I think it will appeal mainly to girls in grades 2 to 4, especially those with little sisters and fun best friends of their own.

I borrowed Where I Live from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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Something Sleeping in the Hall. by Karla Kuskin. 1985. HarperCollins. 64 pages. ISBN:  9780060236342

Though the title at first suggests something sinister, Something Sleeping in the Hall is a collection of poems about a child's desire to have a pet. Short, easy-to-read poems celebrate birds, cats, pigs, dogs, dragons, elephants, and every other kind of animal imaginable. Some poems are sweet, others funny, but they all relate to that universal wish kids have for a pet to love and care for.

The poems in this collection are untitled, and visual cues are used instead to mark where one poem ends  and the next begins. I missed the cues at first, because  I tend to look more closely at text than images, but kids who are just learning to read are more likely to do the opposite, so they would probably be tuned into those cues much more closely than I was. I'm not sure it wouldn't have been more effective to just name the poems, but the tiny illustrations marking when the poem is about a bird, when it is about a pig, when it is about multiple animals, etc. are a distinctive feature of  this book that I think kids will like.

Kids will  also like some of the dark humor in a few of  the poems. For example, there is a hog in one poem who eats both a dog and a frog. The end of that poem says, "And then he lay down / bang - / and died." Other poems joke about a cat eating mice and a bear who walks down the street greeting and eating every creature he meets.  Early elementary schoolers love to be grossed out, and they love to be surprised, and these poems really deliver those two key components.

This collection is a great introduction to poetry for the youngest readers. It shows that poems can be playful, and that they can talk about everyday things in interesting ways. Some of the poems in this collection are only one or two sentences long, such as "It makes me squirm / to watch a worm." Even older kids who are intimidated by poetry might find relief in the fact that such a short and simple sentiment is actually a complete poem. I also like the way some of  the poems toy with the conventions of early reader books, such as the one on pages 14 and 15 that talks about a "blue bird on a branch," a "wild bird on a wig," and a "third bird in a bunch." The illustrations for that poem are almost like a rebus and they help kids decode the words while also letting them laugh over the silliness of the text.

Though Something Sleeping in the Hall is almost as old as I am, it still holds up for today's beginning  reader audience. The book is out of print, but my library system still has a copy and I suspect many others will as well. I plan to use at least two of the poems at my beginning  reader story time - either as rebuses or flannel boards. Share this book with animal lovers who are learning to read and watch them enjoy their first experiences with poetry.

I borrowed Something Sleeping in the Hall from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. 

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Make Lemonade. by Virginia Euwer Wolff. 1993. Henry Holt and Co. 200 pages. ISBN: 9780805080704

This distinctive novel in verse tells of two young women - LaVaughn and Jolly- whose lives intersect when fourteen-year-old LaVaughn answers seventeen-year-old Jolly's ad for a babysitter. LaVaughn needs to make as much money as she can so she will be able to get out of this neighborhood and go to college. Jolly needs a babysitter because though she is not yet eighteen, she has two little ones at home. What starts out as a mutually beneficial employment situation evolves slowly into much more, as LaVaughn helps Jolly to see herself in a new way and to seek the help she needs to make a life for herself and her children.

There is no other book in all of YA literature like this one. Each of the characters is fully three-dimensional. Jolly, in particular, comes to life as a person, rather than just a statistic, and the reader is able to really empathize with her and understand her worries and suspicions about welfare and going back to school. Though LaVaughn is an outside observer for much of what happens to Jolly, she, too, is remarkable, because she goes above and beyond a babysitter's call of duty. Even though her mother - herself a presence looming large on the edges of the story - suggests time and again that LaVaughn would be better off away from Jolly, LaVaughn feels such sympathy for her she can't let go until she knows she  will be okay.

Books like this often have the misfortune of being "issue" books. It's easy for an author to become preachy and start using his or her books to caution kids against the dangers of pre-marital sex and teen pregnancy. Though this book certainly didn't make me want Jolly's life, it also didn't read like a cautionary tale. This book isn't just about the path down which our mistakes can send us. It's also about the unlikely people who can make differences in each other's lives, through the most unusual of circumstances.

This book is amazingly well written. Not only is the language beautiful, but I think the poetry makes it easier to get lost in the world of the story. Poetry gets at the heart of LaVaughn's feelings for Jolly, and also captures the rhythm and flow of how  each of the characters sounds to LaVaughn. There is also a beautiful metaphor of a lemon tree that is mentioned many times throughout the story.  LaVaughn tries to help Jeremy plant a lemon tree, but no matter what they do, it just can't bloom until, finally, his mother gets her life together.

The story also doesn't draw any easy conclusions, making it a great one to discuss in high school English classes or in book discussion groups. Does LaVaughn take advantage of Jolly when she takes the babysitting job? Is it wrong for Jolly   to place such heavy burdens on  LaVaughn? Would the average teen have the strength and courage to help someone like Jolly? The author provides no answers, but the readers' love for the characters prompts them to consider the morality of the entire story, and to consider what the truth is for them.

Make Lemonade is one of the best young adult books I have ever read, and I recommend it very highly. I loved it so much, I am almost afraid to read the sequels - True Believer and This Full House - because I'm afraid they might not measure up. Still, I care so much about these characters now, I think I will have to take the risk just to find out what happens to them going forward. Make Lemonade contains mature content and will be best appreciated by readers who are prepared to grapple with difficult questions and who can maturely respond to discussions of sexual violence, poverty, and teen parenthood.

I borrowed Make Lemonade from my local public library. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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Like Bug Juice on a Burger. by Julie Sternberg. April 2, 2013. Amulet Books. 176 pages. ISBN: 9781419701900

This short novel in verse is the sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. Eleanor, now fully adjusted to life with a new babysitter, has been given an unexpected treat by her grandmother - the opportunity to go to sleep-away camp at Camp Wallamwahpuck, where her mother went as a little girl. Eleanor has heard from her friend Katie that camp is all about eating candy, riding horses, and jumping on a floating trampoline, so it comes as a bit of a shock when her camp experience is somewhat different. The food is gross, and candy is forbidden. There is a floating trampoline, but Eleanor has to wear a life jacket if she wants to go anywhere near it. Even nighttime sounds upset Eleanor. All she wants is to go home! But through her friendship with a girl named Joplin, and her connection to a goat she has secretly named Cornelius, Eleanor learns that though she might not love camp, maybe she can still make the best of it.


Like the first book about Eleanor, this story focuses on the complicated emotions kids sometimes experience in new situations. Though it might sound like Eleanor is a pessimist, the story is not a depressing meditation on the woes of going to camp. Rather, it is an exploration of healthy ways to handle unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations. Especially noteworthy is the way the adults in Eleanor's life take her feelings seriously, but also give her little boosts of encouragement to help her get through the difficulties she faces at camp. Kids are comforted when they know they have supportive adults to turn to, and this book is a great reminder that kids are never alone with their feelings of frustration or confusion, and that there is usually something to be gained from every new experience, no matter how unpleasant it seems.


Julie Sternberg does a nice job of getting inside the nine-year-old mind. The passages describing Eleanor's humiliation about being in the lowest swimming category of anyone in her cabin reminded me of similar experiences from my own summer as a nine-year-old camper who could not swim. Sternberg understands how little things can seem big to a child, and her story manages to validate the feelings of kids in those situations, and to provide advice on how best to survive them.


Though it is a sequel, Like Bug Juice on a Burger will stands on its own. Nervous new campers who sympathize with Eleanor might also enjoy Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail and Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look. Eleanor is also sure to become a new friend to readers who love Clementine. Like Bug Juice on a Burger is a great follow-up to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, and I hope we'll see Eleanor conquer more of her fears in future stories!

I received a digital ARC of Like Bug Juice on a Burger from Amulet Books via NetGalley. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. 

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I really like writing exercises with strict boundaries. One of the best pieces I wrote in my high school creative writing class was a one-page story told entirely in one-syllable words. I also like haiku, because the poet has to count syllables, and anything else with challenging limitations. This is why the concept of Lemonade is so appealing to me. The poet, Bob Raczka, wrote each poem in this book using only the letters that make up that poem's subject. For him, this limitation was anything but limiting. Rather, each of these poems perfectly captures its subject  in just a few salient words.

In the poem entitled "Friends", Raczka simply writes: Fred finds Ed. "Creative" states: I crave art. "Vacation" becomes action in a van. Each poem is nearly perfect, and I don't think there was one truly weak one in the bunch. My favorites, which I won't reproduce here, include "Earthworms", which gives an amusing and practical warning for avoiding worms after a storm, "Television," which describes exactly what most folks do in front of their TV sets, and "Halloween," which sets a spooky scene in just 8 words, the longest of which is five letters long.

Anyone - adult or child - who loves word play will love this book. I would love to see ways that teachers might use it to teach poetry, and to encourage kids to write their own based on a word of their choice. The cheery color scheme and ink and watercolor illustrations by Nancy Doniger really complement the poems and illustrate their meanings perfectly.

Also, just a word about the title.  Until I read some other reviews, I was reading it as Lemonade Lemonade, as in, that which is squeezed from lemonade. The concept of this entire book is about squeezing poetry out of just one word, and I assumed the title was a play on that idea. As it turns out, though, the title page calls the book simply Lemonade, and I felt like that was kind of a let-down in comparison to my initial misconception. But this is not really a criticism of the book, which is truly wonderful and not to be missed, however you choose to read the cover.
 

I borrowed Lemonade from my local public library.

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The poems in this book were originally written in Danish by the late poet Halfdan Rasmussen, who died in 2002. They have now been translated into English for the first time by Marilyn Nelson and Pamela Espeland. Marilyn Nelson is the former poet laureate of the state of Connecticut, and has won a Newbery Honor (in 2002, for Carver: A Life In Poems), and a Michael L. Printz Award, (in 2006, for A Wreath for Emmett Till.) She has collaborated previously with Pamela Espeland on another book of Rasmussen poetry entitled, Hundreds of Hens and other poems for children. According to the book jacket, Rasmussen granted Nelson express permission to produce English versions of his work before he died.

This collection includes a variety of poetry, from silly little rhymes about elves and little bitty people, to contemplations on war and clouds. Rasmussen clearly had a whimsical view of the world, and it seems like writing in a child's voice came very naturally to him. What also impressed me greatly about this book is the rhyme. Surely if these poems rhymed in Danish, much would have to be altered to also make them rhyme in English. And the fact that the translators were able to create that rhyme and still remain true - as far as I can tell, at least - to the poems' original meanings seems like a huge feat, and one to be applauded.

Here are just a couple of excerpts from poems in this collection that I especially enjoyed:

From "What Comes Next," a poem that takes us through the seasons based on who and what we see in nature at different points during the year:

First come the schoolboys with bare knees and feet,
and then come young girls with spring flowers.

Then come the plows and the planters of wheat,
and then come the clouds and the showers.

From "Days," which characterizes the days of the week as though they are people with personalities:

Poor old blue Monday
with plumes in his cap
met up with Tuesday,
a likeable chap.

Wednesday came whimpering
after this pair,
and lonesome gray Thursday
with snarls in her hair.

I didn't have many weeks that felt whimpering or lonesome when I was a kid, but I can totally relate to this poem as an adult with a full-time j

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14. Poetry Friday #13: Review: Hot Potato: Mealtime Rhymes, Selected by Neil Philip, illustrated by Claire Henley

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By: Katie, on 7/15/2011
Blog: Secrets & Sharing Soda (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  source: public library, genre: poetry, meme: poetry friday, reviews, Add a tag

 Hot Potato: Mealtime Rhymes

Selected by Neil Philip, illustrated by Claire Henley
2004 | 32 pages | Poetry

Hot Potato is a collection of poems all about food. From the act of eating, to favorite foods, to silly desserts - this book includes everything, literally, from soup to nuts. Since it's Poetry Friday, I'll share some of my favorite bits of poetry from this book.

From "My Mouth" by Arnold Adoff:

my tongue says

we are

full today

but 

teeth just

grin

and

say 

come in

i am always hungry.

From "Cake Mistake" by Douglas Florian:

The mother in this poem accidentally frosts the cake with glue, so...

The children sit so quiet now, 

Andchewandchewandchew.

Other wonderful poems include "The Spoon" by Elizabeth Fleming, which reflects on the distorted images of a child's face in his pudding spoon, "Send my Spinach" by Douglas Florian, which offers alternate suggestions for what to do with spinach besides eating it, and "Yellow Butter" by Mary Ann Hoberman combines a tongue twister ("Yellow butter purple jelly red jam black bread.") with a lesson in table manners (Don't talk / With your mouth full!)

Besides the poetry, which is diverse, clever, fun, and tasty, I also really liked the warm illustrations in this book. The cookies on the end papers really invited me into the book, and I liked the way each poem was given its own page and illustration. The drawings do a wonderful job of interpreting the poems and giving the reader hints as to what these poems mean. The diversity in the illustrations is wonderful, and the contemporary feel of the book gives even the oldest poem a new shine.

 

Poetry Friday is a weekly celebration of poetry. This week's host is A Year of Reading. To see my previous Poetry Friday posts, click here.

4 Comments on Poetry Friday #13: Review: Hot Potato: Mealtime Rhymes, Selected by Neil Philip, illustrated by Claire Henley, last added: 7/18/2011

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Mary Lee said, on 7/15/2011 6:44:00 AM

In the past, my students and I have recited "Yellow butter..." for the fun of the language...and to remind them about their manners! I'll have to remember that one for next year's class. (or, since the school supplies are out in the stores already, does that make them THIS year's class?!?!)

Myra Garces-Bacsal from GatheringBooks said, on 7/15/2011 10:34:00 AM

This is sooo nice. I haven't come across this book yet. Lovely review. I will definitely check the book out. Nice!

Katie said, on 7/15/2011 12:18:00 PM

Mary Lee - I have a very vague memory of possibly reciting this poem in school, but I can't remember the details. I can imagine it's fun to do in a big group, though! I am amazed at how quickly the summer is going - let's call it next year's class until August hits! Haha.


Myra - It's amazing the books I've discovered shelving non-fiction this month. Enjoy this one when you check it out!

Kelly said, on 7/18/2011 3:00:00 PM

Thanks for the book recommendation. Of course I love Florian's entry. He is always so clever!

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15. Poetry Friday #10: Review: You Read To Me, I'll Read To You by Mary Ann Hoberman

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By: Katie, on 6/24/2011
Blog: Secrets & Sharing Soda (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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 You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley

2001 | 32 pages | Picture Book - Poetry

In the tradition of Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman, but with simpler words for early readers, this is a collection of poems meant to be shared between a child and an adult. The color-coded text indicates when the readers speak separately, and when they read in unison, and the short poems discuss many childhood concepts, while also introducing rhyme, rhythm, meter, and repetition. Michael Emberley's illustrations portray warmth, coziness, and humor , and they provide visual cues that enhance what is described in each poem.

The refrain, "You read to me, I'll read to you," is repeated throughout this book, which keeps the theme running through every page. Some of the poems themselves include silly concepts (a snake named Jill or a snoring bear, for example), while others focus on conversation, including a telephone call, and a meeting between two new friends. The repetition of the reading theme wore on me after a while, but the concept is wonderful, and has luckily been expanded into a series which includes You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together, and You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together.

Here are just a couple of my favorite snippets from the book. I tried to maintain the color scheme for the different speaking parts as best I could, but the format would be difficult to replicate here. I especially love the way each poem sounds like conversations actual children have in their day-to-day lives. The writing here seems simple, but there is a lot going on!

From "New Friends"

Well, let's be friends.
I'd like that fine.
Now you're my friend.
And you are mine.
Do you know how to read? 

Do you?
I asked you first. 

I can.
Me too.
Well, if we both can read,
let's do!
You read to me!
I'll read to you!


From "I Like"

2 Comments on Poetry Friday #10: Review: You Read To Me, I'll Read To You by Mary Ann Hoberman, last added: 6/27/2011

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Mary Lee said, on 6/24/2011 2:16:00 PM

My fourth graders LOVE these books! They are so popular that I occasionally have to "ban" them during our Poetry Friday pair and share poetry time so that I can get kids into different books! They are PERFECT for performing and are naturals at helping kids develop fluency.

Isil Simsek said, on 6/27/2011 7:08:00 AM

This looks like a lovely book.I'd love it if you linked up to book sharing monday on my blog :)

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16. Poetry Friday #9: Review: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg

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By: Katie, on 6/17/2011
Blog: Secrets & Sharing Soda (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  reviews, middle grade, genre: realistic fiction, source: public library, genre: poetry, meme: poetry friday, Add a tag

 Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie
by Julie Sternberg, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
2011 | 122 pages | Middle Grade / Novel in Verse

This short, quick novel in verse is the story of a childhood event few authors have covered - the loss of a favorite babysitter. Eight-year-old Eleanor is distraught when her parents sit her down in August and tell her that her beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move to Florida to take care of her sick dad. This news is "as bad as pickle juice on a cookie. As bad a spiderweb on your leg. As bad as the black parts of a banana." Eleanor's parents try to convince her to like her new babysitter, Natalie, but Eleanor can't imagine loving anyone as much as she loved Bibi, who never wore jeans, called her Ellie, and reminded her not to swallow cherry pits.

Eleanor's mourning process is very realistic, and though there is still a lot of happiness in her life, the sadness of losing Bibi is very real. The differences between Natalie and Bibi make Eleanor miss Bibi that much more, but their similarities remind her of how sad she feels. Slowly, though, over time, Eleanor begins to cope with the changes in her life, and comes to accept the new, while still fondly remembering the old.

This book deals with a situation that many children undoubtedly face. With so many families with two working parents, lots of kids are cared for by nannies and babysitters who become part of a child's extended family. I'd never thought about it before reading this book, but obviously, losing one of those caregivers could be very upsetting and difficult for a child. This book gives careful attention to the feelings a child might experience in that situation and also provides a positive and uplifting message - that this, too, shall pass, and while things may never be the same, they will be good again.

I enjoyed this book, zipping right through it in one sitting. Accompanying the poetic text are little sketches of objects, people, and scenes from the story, which give this book - and Eleanor as its main character - a personality. I also really liked the font of the text and the bubble letters used for the chapter headings.

I hope Julie Sternberg continues writing - this is a wonderful first book!

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Poetry Friday is a weekly celebration of poetry. This week's host is Check it Out. To see my previous Poetry Friday posts, click here.

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0 Comments on Poetry Friday #9: Review: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg as of 1/1/1900

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17. Poetry Friday #9: Review: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg

0 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Katie, on 6/17/2011
Blog: Secrets & Sharing Soda (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  reviews, middle grade, genre: realistic fiction, source: public library, genre: poetry, meme: poetry friday, Add a tag

 Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie
by Julie Sternberg, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
2011 | 122 pages | Middle Grade / Novel in Verse

This short, quick novel in verse is the story of a childhood event few authors have covered - the loss of a favorite babysitter. Eight-year-old Eleanor is distraught when her parents sit her down in August and tell her that her beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move to Florida to take care of her sick dad. This news is "as bad as pickle juice on a cookie. As bad a spiderweb on your leg. As bad as the black parts of a banana." Eleanor's parents try to convince her to like her new babysitter, Natalie, but Eleanor can't imagine loving anyone as much as she loved Bibi, who never wore jeans, called her Ellie, and reminded her not to swallow cherry pits.

Eleanor's mourning process is very realistic, and though there is still a lot of happiness in her life, the sadness of losing Bibi is very real. The differences between Natalie and Bibi make Eleanor miss Bibi that much more, but their similarities remind her of how sad she feels. Slowly, though, over time, Eleanor begins to cope with the changes in her life, and comes to accept the new, while still fondly remembering the old.

This book deals with a situation that many children undoubtedly face. With so many families with two working parents, lots of kids are cared for by nannies and babysitters who become part of a child's extended family. I'd never thought about it before reading this book, but obviously, losing one of those caregivers could be very upsetting and difficult for a child. This book gives careful attention to the feelings a child might experience in that situation and also provides a positive and uplifting message - that this, too, shall pass, and while things may never be the same, they will be good again.

I enjoyed this book, zipping right through it in one sitting. Accompanying the poetic text are little sketches of objects, people, and scenes from the story, which give this book - and Eleanor as its main character - a personality. I also really liked the font of the text and the bubble letters used for the chapter headings.

I hope Julie Sternberg continues writing - this is a wonderful first book!

---

Poetry Friday is a weekly celebration of poetry. This week's host is Check it Out. To see my previous Poetry Friday posts, click here.

---

0 Comments on Poetry Friday #9: Review: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg as of 1/1/1900

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