Poetry+Annotations

===Poetry Annotations ===

=//Mia's Picks!//=

John Lithgow wrote this poem for a commencement speech that he gave at Harvard University. This story in verse tells about a little mouse that sets out to find food for her hungry family. She makes her way to college in the backpack of a Harvard student, and finds that she is fascinated by what she learns. She earns the respect of a professor and ends up graduating from college, while her family watches proudly in the audience. This is a great little poetic story that children will love.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:mihaliamouse.png width="107" height="125" align="left" caption="mihaliamouse.png"]]Mihalia Mouse Goes to College by John Lithgow**

Best suited for older elementary students, this book in freestyle verse tells the story of the dust bowl of the 1930’s-and what it was like to live amidst the constant Oklahoma sand and dust storms, the threat to the crops, their family, and their very existence. Perhaps living with this dust gives the lead character the strength to get through the challenges she faces in her life.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:outofthedust.png width="126" height="165" align="left" caption="outofthedust.png"]]Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse**

Becoming more and more popular are the stories written in poetry form. This one is about William Blake’s Inn. It begins: //Thus inn belongs to William Blake// //and many are the beasts he’s tamed// //and many are the stars he’s name// //and many those who stop and take// //their joyful resr with William Blake.// This gentle poem illustrates for the reader the history of the inn and the experiences of the eclectic group of travelers who have rested there. Each poem works together to tell the story of the inn, and each poem is filled with imaginative and fanciful situations.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:williamsblakesinn.png align="left" caption="williamsblakesinn.png"]]A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Traveler’s by Nancy Willard**

A collection of 74 classic poems from poets such as Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath, E.E. Cummings and many more. The poem by E.E. Cummings is one of my favorite poems for children, //“Maggie and millie and molly and mae.”//
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:barefootcollection.png align="left" caption="barefootcollection.png"]]The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems edited by Jackie Morris**

//maggie and millie and mollie and may// //went down to the beach to (to play oneday)//

//and Maggie discovered a shell that sang// //so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and//

//millie befriended a stranded star// //whose rays five languid fingers were;//

//and molly was chased by a horrible thing// //which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and//

//may came home with a smooth round stone// //as small as a world and as large as alone.//

//for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)// //it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.// //E.E. Cummings//

The poems are ones all children should know (//The Owl and The Pussycat)// and deal with topics relevant to childhood: love, playing on the beach, friendship, death, birth, dancing and singing and much more. This is a rich collection of classics that children should not missed.

In his typical humor filled fashion, Prelutsky teaches us how to write a book based on incidents from our lives. The books also offers simple instructions for writing several different types of poems. Appropriate for elementary and upper elementary.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:pizzapigspoetry.png width="129" height="192" align="left" caption="pizzapigspoetry.png"]]Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem by Jack Prelutsky**

These love poems are written to the people and objects in a child’s life: parents, snowmen, pets, siblings, and teachers…one that caught my eye was one to //Mrs. McNasty// //Dear Mrs. McNasty:// //I almost like you today.// [Signed] //Your Valentine Avenger.//
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:loveletters.png align="left" caption="loveletters.png"]]Love Letters by Arnold Adoff and Illustrated by Lisa Desimini**

There are also poems to //Mom,// and //Sis// and //Hard Working Dad//, //Dear Old Cat// and //Dear Dog Spot.//

//Dear Self// also caught my eye: //Dear Self:// //How are you?// //How am I?// //I am fine.// //Fine I am: because I am my number one valentine.// [Signed] //Your First Love.//

There are so many good poems in this book that I would love to read them all to you! These love poems are not mushy or gushy-but they successfully express love in a way that a child would express it. Children are very practical, as is shown in the love poem from a brother to a sister; he warns her to be careful using the scissors, as they are sharp. In typical brother style, he then points to the drop of blood on the letter from a cut that he got while cutting out the heart he was making for his sister. He goes on to point to the globby white stuff, that looks gross, but he assures his sister it is only paste. This may not sound like much of a love poem, and that is what makes this such a good poem-no brother in his right mind would write anything that actually sounds like a love poem for his sister, but what comes through is that it truly captures the underlying affection, expressed in a very brotherly way.


 * [[image:lbs803fall09:monsterpoems.png align="left" caption="monsterpoems.png"]]The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide by Linda Ashman llustrated by David Small**

This is a book of poems about monsters from around the world, written as a travel guide of sorts. The poems are about monsters that some people believe to be true in the poems and beneath each poem the author give a brief description about the monster and where the monster is from. For example the poem //Shore Warning// talks about the Loch Ness Monster: //Be careful near Loch Ness.// //Don’t wander off, oblivious.// //Nessie likes the water,// //But she just might be amphibious.//

Beneath this poem the author provides the following information on this mythical creatures: “ The Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, is an enormous serpentlike creature who lives in the waters of Loch Ness, Scotland.”

The book includes poems about Alicanto from South America, Abatwa, from Africa, Loch Ness from Scotland, Troll from Scandinavia, Siren from Greece, Hotot from Armenia. Domovik from Russia, Ravana from India, Ki-Lin from China, Tengu from Japan. Mimi from Australia, Adlet from Greenland, and Sasquatch from North America. What an interesting way to connect the people of the world through their fears of monsters!


 * [[image:lbs803fall09:pigscalender.png align="left" caption="pigscalender.png"]]Sing a Song of Piglets A Calendar in Verse by Eve Bunting and Pictures by Emily Arnold McCully**

A poem for every month and a pig for every month-this is a cute way to teach about the months of the year. //January// //Sing a song of skiing, skiing in the snow,// //Wax your skis and bend your knees and down the hill we go.//

//September// //Sing a song of falling leaves, covering the ground.// //Scatter them and splatter them and toss them all around.//

I love these poems as they capture the essence of summer good and bad, ice cream and bee stings. The poems are quick and fun, and get us thinking about happy days to come. This might be a great end of the year book.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:summeralutl.png width="115" height="155" align="left" caption="summeralutl.png"]]Summersaults poems and paintings by Douglas Florian**

The poems are organized by the seasons. These poems are longer, more in depth poems that tell us a story about the characters. In //A Girl’s Garden// we learn about a neighbor of the speaker’s, who planted a garden as a young child. //she says she thinks she planted one// //Of all things but weed….// //Her crop was a miscellany// //When all was said and done,// //A little bit of everything,// //A great deal of none//. Each of these poems has a brief description that provides insight into the poem. As in //A Girl’s Garden// the note says: “This poem about a young girl’s garden is meant to be humorous, so Frost gives it a light and bouncing rhythm. But even though the story is a funny one, Frost makes a serious point about human nature.”
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:robertfrsot.png align="left" caption="robertfrsot.png"]]Poetry for Young People by Robert Frost Edited by Gary D. Schmidt Illustrated by Henri Sorensen**

In the poem //Birches// we learn about birch trees, that they are too flexible to support much weight. We also get a sense of the author’s struggles, not bad enough to make him want to leave this earth for good, but, sometimes wishing for a chance to start over: //It’s when I’m weary of considerations,// //And life is too much like a pathless wood// //Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs// //Broken across it, and one eye is weeping// //From a twig’s having lashed across it open.// //I’d like to get away from earth awhile// //And then come back to it and begin over.// //May no fate willfully misunderstand me// //And half grant what I wish and snatch me away// //Not to return…..//

These fun poems capture the voice of a child and the sometimes cagey relationship between a child and his or her siblings, friends and parents. The language in the poems is simple, one almost hears certain dialects at times, and this simplicity makes these poems accessible. In the poem Hat: //Teddy said it was a hat,// //So I put it on.// //Now Dad is saying, “Where the heck’s the toilet plunger gone?”//
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:sidwalk.png align="left" caption="sidwalk.png"]]Where the Sidewalk Ends the Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein**

The drawing of course, shows a little boy (or girl) with a horrified look on her face where a toilet plunger on her head.

The poem //Smart// illustrates how sometimes ones own impression of oneself, is not always accurate. In this poem a young boy proves how he is the smartest son, because he has turned the one five dollar bill his dad gave him into five separate pennies….and everyone knows that to have five of something is far more than to have only one of something.

In his book **Don’t Bump the Glump and Other Fantasies**, Silverstein provides descriptions of nonsensical creatures and advice on dealing with those creatures. These little poems are silly and fun and the made up words will make children giggle-and what better way to draw children into a poetry than to show them how poems can make them laugh? In his poem The Slurm: //The Slavery Slurm at the first sign of trouble// //will squiver and sqimmer and bend himself double// //and worgle his elbow up into his ear and pull in his ankles and just disappear.//

Prelutsky is a children’s poet that you must know-he has written many poems for children, humorous, fun poems, that make us laugh. //When Tillie Ate the Chili,// //she erupted from her seat,// //she gulped a quart of water,// //and fled screaming down the street,// //she coughed, she wheezed, she sputtered,// //she ran totally amok,// //she set a new world record as she raced around the block.//
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:newkidblock.png align="left" caption="newkidblock.png"]]New Kid on the Block poems by Jack Prelutsky**

//Tillie’s mouth was full of fire,// //Tillie’s eyes were red with tears,// //she was smoking from her nostrils,// //she was steaming from her ears,// //she cooled off an hour later,// //showing perfect self control,// //as she said, “What tasty chili, I should like another bowl.”//

This poetry book does a remarkable job at using the words and the pictures to depict the message.
 * [[image:lbs803fall09:doodledndies.png align="left" caption="doodledndies.png"]]Doodle Dandies Poems that Tale Shape by J Patrick Lewis images by Lisa Desimini**

__Song of the Wat____er Boatman and Pond Poems__ Written by Joyce Sidman Illustrated by Beckie Prange Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2005 Ages
 * Kailin's Picks**

This picture book of poetry is a great way to engage students in both poetry and science. Joyce Sidman's poems are simple and lyrical, yet filled with informative information about life in a pond and other water environs. Students are introduced to the dragonfly, the caddis fly,and theturtle ("Every/year, here, I sink and settle, shuttered like a/shed. Inside, my eyes close, my heart slows/to its winter rhythm.") The poems blend wonderfully with the colorful woodblock illustrations, and Sidman has thoughtfully included a glossary in the back of the book of words with which some students might not be familiar. Each poem is accompanied by a brief paragraph of prose which elaborates further on the information presented in the poem.

__Tadpole Rex__ by Kurt Cyrus Published by Harcourt, Inc. 2008

This book won my school's most esteemed Driscoll Dragon award. A book can only receive this award if voted for by the students themselves! The whole book is one poem about a little tadpole growing up during the time when dinosaurs roamed the land. The poem itself is full of onomatopoeia like "Bloop. Bloop. Bloop," and, of course, "Ribbet!" that will tickle students. The dinosaur theme will most certainly appeal to a broad range of students while simultaneously delivering delicious rhymes ("Lumbering duckbills were taken aback/to see an amphibian on the attack") and a little bit of science too!

__This Is Just to Say__ by Joyce Sidman Illustr

ated by Pamela Zagerenski Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2007

The premise of this book is that a group of sixth graders studied William Carlos Williams' poem "This Is Just to Say" and crafted their own apology poems, each of which received its own reply. The poems in the book are at times funny and cute, poignant and real--and the author has really nailed the voices of children. Children might be disappointed to find that the poems were written by the author and not by real children, so it's important to make that clear before reading them aloud. As well, there are two poems in the book that use words that might be considered controversial by some parents ("pissed" and "Christ"). Despite these two possible drawbacks, the poems in this book are too wonderful to be overlooked and if selected thoughtfully, could make for a great read aloud and an engaging poetry lesson.


 * Elizabeth's Picks**




 * __What a Day it Was At School__ by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Doug Cushman. New York, N.Y.: Greenwillow, 2006. Grades K-3.**

This collection of poetry addresses many common and fanciful school day events, as the title suggests. Although food fights proper are likely a rare event, they certainly exist in the imagination of most children, and a field trip with no field must be common to all. My favorite was “I’m Off to the Infirmary,” describing the many horrible symptoms (fever, dizziness, nosebleed) and ending with the wonderful line, “If I had done my homework, I might not be quite so ill.” This is a collection that even most kindergarteners will relate to with ease.




 * __I’m Small and Other Verses__ by Lillian Moore. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2001. Grades K-1.**

This collection is ideal for the youngest children. It is filled with poems about simple things like the sensation of an arm falling asleep, what it’s like to have a sneeze coming, and the sensation of finger paints. I especially liked the title poem, wherein a child experiences a very windy day and notes that, though the wind is shaking the trees and pounding walls, those things are strong and won’t fall down. The poem ends with the decision to hang onto something tight today because, “I’m small.” The least concrete, but probably most lovely, is the last poem, “Gray,” that describes the color of sky, grass, and finally, the shadow “Where I pass.”




 * __The Burger and the Hot Dog__ by Jim Aylesworth. Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. New York, N.Y.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001. Grades 2-4.**

This is a book featuring anthropomorphic food. The pictures are incredibly expressive, and the typeface of titles are messy in appearance, which seem to go along with the vivid role of food amongst children as well as their often messy eating experiences. Covering subjects such as bullies (sugar cookies ganging up on a bagel are not so sweet), bad habits (a stick of gum discovering old friends stuck to the underside of a stool – “And it’s not so nice to see!”), and feeling sad (blue berries) the book also contains it’s fair share of simply funny, silly poems – like candy canes who are sick of wearing stripes. A collection that is bound to bring laughter as well as stimulate some thoughtful responses.

Susan Allen's Picks __Rhymes Round the World __ By Kay Chorao Penguin Group, New York, NY, 2009 Ages 5-8 This is a great collection of poems for younger children. Each poem references the country from which it originated. The selection really captures the fun and playfulness of childhood. Many of the poems have “sing song” rhythms and would be a great read-aloud book. The illustrations are beautiful and represent the culture of the poem. It would be a great starting point to teach even the youngest readers about other cultures.

__Why War is Never Good __ By Alice Walker Illustrations by Stefano Vitale Harper Collins Publishers, Ages 10+ This is an amazing and powerful poem/book. Due to the subject matter and imagery it would work better with a mature audience. It juxtaposes beautiful illustrations of far-away lands and the devastation of destruction the innocent people of those lands do not see coming. I could be a great vehicle for opening discussion on war and making children aware of the struggles that go on in the world. It is also a great example of poetry that would engage older students.

__Tour America __ By Diane Siebert Illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA 2006 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This book is a great find because it is not only a poetry book, but includes historical and geographical information as well as works of art. Each two page spread has an original poem by the author based on her own travels and experiences. There is also a small map showing where the state is in the U.S. and a box with facts about the state. Illustrations for each state include a variety of mediums including watercolor, photography and collage. This book would be a great tie-in with social studies/geography curriculum. **//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Deborah's Picks! //** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Nesbitt, Kenn. //My Hippo Has the Hiccups.// Illus. by Ethan Long. Sourcebooks, Inc.: Naperville, 2009. Gr.2-5. This is a collection of more than 100 zany, amusing poems that will tickle the funny bone of any reader. Subjects are ones that children of all ages will enjoy from a red, disco dancing rhinoceros to a pet banana, from a frog collector named Frank to an uncle with an ant farm. And that’s just the beginning. The use of puns and rhymes and rhythms in between create the perfect collection for even the most reluctant poetry reader. From lines like “When the musical contest for monsters convened, the Wolfman was howling and played like a fiend.” to “When vegetables are angry does it mean they’re in a stew? When morning says good morning does it ask how do you dew?”, there is something for everyone. Long’s simple black and white illustrations add that final touch to already humorous pages of poems. As a bonus, this book comes with a CD of the author reading many of the poems from this book and a few other “totally made up” poems. This would make a wonderful first book or addition for any poetry collection. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Prelutsky, Jack. //The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders.// Illus. by Petra Mathers. Greenwillow Books: NY, 2002. Gr.PreK-3. This is a wonderful collection of somewhat geographical poems that are nonsensical scenes of people and animals living their lives in various locales from Winnemucca to Tucumcari. This may be used to teach children the idea of different locations. Each poem tells a story and the antics are sure to put a smile on the faces of younger readers. Prelutsky’s perfect rhythmic meter that could almost be set to music makes these great read aloud poems. Mathers’ bright two-page watercolor illustrations compliment each poem and sometimes add a few extras to the already descriptive scenes. This is a milder, much more reserved side of Prelutsky who is known by many young readers as a poet who shares the grosser side of many subjects seen in //Awful Ogre’s Awful Day.// It is also a shorter collection so it may be easier as an introduction to poetry than some of Prelutsky’s other loner collections like //a PIZZA the size of the SUN// and //It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles.// Hopkins, Lee Bennett. //Incredible Inventions.// Illus. by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Greenwillow Books: NY, 2009. Gr.1-5. This is an anthology of sixteen poems that were selected by Hopkins to form this showcase of inventions that children everywhere love. Inventions like the roller coaster, escalators, the straw, and even Fig Newtons which are listed in chronological order are featured in this collection. The inventions range from the oldest being the jigsaw puzzle in1766 to the newest being the modern athletic shoe invented by a runner and his coach in 1964 (In 1974, their company was renamed to Nike.) Being from different poets, the poetry styles are varied, from haiku to free verse, which may add more interest to the reluctant poetry reader. Some of the poems are humorous and others are full of historical facts about the invention. Readers will be fascinated and interested in each poem. Sarcone-Roach’s colorful, cartoonish illustrations sometimes expand over two pages with splashes of color to delight the young readers. Following the poetry is a section entitled “Behind the Inventions” where the reader is given the date and facts surrounding each invention. At the bottom of this four page section, there is a timeline which shows each invention in a simple picture form. This would make the perfect lesson on inventions and non fiction books. What a wonderful way to celebrate the creativity behind some of our simplest yet most cherished inventions! __**Susan Shatford's Picks**__ This collection of free verse poems is actually written to be read in reverse line order as well. The poems are based on familiar fairy tales. The initial poem and its reversal offer changes in rhythm since each is written from the point of view of two different characters in the particular fairy tale. While in one poem of this clever book you’ll hear Snow White’s comforting words, its reversal captures the plotting of evil-hearted Queen. The illustrations help convey the theme and characters of the opposing poems. This play with words type of poetry will encourage children to try to challenge themselves and see if they can also create two different poems in one.
 * Singer, Marilyn. //Mirror Mirror//. illus. by Josee Masse. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books, 2010. Grade Levels: 3-6**

This book is a wonderful compilation of 29 various forms of poetry. The author includes poems by assorted authors along with the criteria of that form of poetry at the bottom of each page. Whether you are looking for a Cinquain, Roundel, Sonnet, Ode, or Limerick you will find an excellent example of one in addition to finding the correct number of syllables, stanzas and lines to produce your own. Since different forms of poetry appeal to different children, this book is a great resource for young writers to reference when exploring and discovering the forms of poetry that appeal to them.
 * Janeczko, Paul B. //A Kick in the Head//. illus. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2005. Grade Levels: 3-9**

Amongst apples, orchards, and the changing seasons one family is portrayed in this charming collection of acrostic poems. The realistic scenarios are captured in the beautifully painted wood block illustrations. The poems engage a child’s shared experiences with a familiar subject. In addition to the poems, the author also included an informative About Apples section at the back of the book. You will hear about early apples, apple varieties, and tree grafting. There are also instructions on how to dry apple slices, bake an apple, and suggestions for a tasting party. Amazing Apples is a perfect introduction for the youngest poets of a more simplistic style of poetry. **Heather's Picks** **Nonsense! Poems by Edward Lear, pictures by Valorie Fisher. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004.** Humorous limericks by Lear are sure to tickle late elementary school children. They are simple but clever. Lear's language has a touch of sophistication and geography (“There was and Old man of the Hague, Whose ideas were excessively vague”). There is a map at the end showing where each “old man” is from and biography of Lear. The rhymes themselves might have seemed unsubstantial for an entire book, but the illustrations really pull it together. They are hilarious, colorful and full of artistic detail. Valorie Fisher's style is Charles Dana Gibson, (The Gibson Girl) meets Monty Python's Terry Gilliam. This book is a treat for the ears and the eyes! -- Heather Vandermillen
 * Powell, Consie. //Amazing Apples//. Morton Grove, IL: A. Whitman& Company, 2003. Grade Levels: K-3**
 * Gr 1-5**

**Singer, Marilyn. Mirror Mirror, illustrated by Jose Masses. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2010.** This is a collection of reversible poems all relating to fairy tales. Read in one direction the poem means one thing, read in reverse it has something new to say. Sometimes the poems are from the perspective of two different characters in the stories. The poem for //Little Red Riding Hood// is in one direction from the perspective of the little girl as she walks through the forest; reversed, the poem takes the perspective of the wolf watching her. Because the poems are about common stories children will be able to relate to them easily. They definitely get you thinking about language and word play. The beautifully painted, full-page illustrations by Josee Masse also capture the different perspectives of the poems. (My 2nd grader and my 5th grader both enjoyed this book on different levels. ) -- Heather Vandermillen
 * Gr 3-6**

**Prelutsky, Jack. My Dog May be a Genius: Poems, illustrated by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow books, 2008.** This decidedly fun book for kids proves Prelutsky is the successor to Shel Silverstein without being a carbon copy! Never sweet or pedantic, Prelutsky's joy of word play is the perfect match for outrageous situations. Kids are sure to enjoy the bickering penguins, dogs that can spell and the crazy words that Prelutsky invents. The simple illustrations are equally humorous. Prelutsky will have children rhyming, laughing and maybe writing verse of their own. -- Heather Vandermillen
 * Gr 2-5**


 * Michelle's Picks** [[image:Cinderella.jpg width="240" height="240" align="left"]]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">If the Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Written by Laura Whipple

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Illustrated by Laura Beingessner

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Published byu Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York: 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Grades 3-6

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Did you ever wonder what Cinderella’s father must be thinking about her dire situation? How about why the King decided to have a ball? There are even the thoughts of the glass slippers and the rat. These poems start with Cinderella’s Prelude and ends with Cinderella’s Coda and give an added dimension to the story of Cinderella.



//<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I Invited a Dragon to Dinner and Other Poems to Make You Laugh Out Loud //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Illustrated by Chris L. Demarest

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Published by Puffin Books: New York; 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Grades PreK-3

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This book is a compilation of humorous poetry about subjects such as mice, dragons, attics, mothers, time-outs and so much more. Included is information about the poets. The illustrations are humorous too and illustrate clearly what the poem is all about. One favorite poem (Thoughts I Was Thinking While Drinking My Juice by Dave Crawley) is about the plural of moose and goose. Why can you can have two juices but not two mooses?



//<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Mathematicles! //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Poems by Besty Franco

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Illustrated by Steven Salerno

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books: New York; 2003

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Grades 2-5

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The cover of this book has words + math + seasons = Mathematickles! The illustrations are very colorful and free flowing. The poems tell the story of a girl and her cat as they tour the four seasons. These poems are written in mathematical form. The first poem is

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">crisp air <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">shadows tall __<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">+cat’s thick coat __ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">signs of fall

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">and ends with lightningbugs x jar = summer lantern


 * Britt Sorensen's Picks**

**Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. Illustrated by David Diaz. __Cesar: Si Se Puede! Yes We Can!__ New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2004. Grades 3-6.**

Cesar: Si Se Puede! Yes We Can! is a book of free verse poems about the life and work of Cesar Chavez. The poems are short, easy to read, and biographical in nature. Each poem tells about a part of Chavez’s life from his childhood to his death. The book has quotes from other works about his life that are referenced in a Notes section at the back. There is also a Spanish-English glossary, a prose section explaining more about Cesar Chavez, as well as a chronology, sources and “In His Own Words” section. Diaz’s illustrations are bright and colorful and almost seem to glow. This book of poems would make an excellent elementary resource for civil rights, bilingual education, and biography. The way the author combines poetry with nonfiction makes it especially useful for students seeking to learn more about the history of Cesar Chavez and his work.


 * Berry, James, editor. Illustrated by Katherine Lucas. __Around the World in Eighty Poems.__ San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002. Grades 2-6**.

__Around the World in Eighty Poems__ is a collection of poems selected by James Berry that includes both traditional poems and poems written by individual authors. The front of the book has a child-friendly world map that locates the origins of each poem. The selection is truly diverse and brings a world of poetry to the reader. While the illustrations are all done by the same person and as such don’t necessarily represent a style from each country, they give a beautiful insight into the natural or cultural world of each poem. This is an excellent poetry resource for global education and contains a range of poetry that has a little bit of something for everyone.


 * [[image:http://stores.homestead.com/Bookwagon/catalog/BW-61237-Poetry-W%20Shakespeare.jpg width="164" height="144" align="left"]]Kastan, David Scott and Marina, editors. Illustrated by Glenn Harrington.** **__William Shakespeare (Poetry for Young People)__. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2000. Grades 4-8.**

This illustrated collection of Shakespeare poems includes excerpts from Shakespeare’s most famous plays as well as Sonnets. The illustrations help the reader to visualize the main ideas and tone of each poem, and the introduction gives valuable background information about Shakespeare and his time. What makes this book very valuable to young readers is the brief summary in plain English at the beginning of each verse, paired with vocabulary definitions at the end of each poem, instead of in a glossary at the end of the book. For young students, Shakespeare can be very difficult to comprehend, but this book does a wonderful job of simplifying the main ideas and making the language more accessible. By breaking the poetry into small pieces and explaining each part, the authors help Shakespeare to be more easily understood by young readers without sacrificing the original artistry and beauty of his writing.

Tracy's Picks
<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Giovanni, Nikki.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//**Hip Hop Speaks to Children:A Celebration of Poetry With a Beat**// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**. Illinois:Sourcebooks, Inc., 2008.** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Ages: 9-12**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a compilation of fifty-one poems by forty-two poets and performers including Langston Hughes, Kanye West, Eloise Greenfield, Queen Latifah, and Maya Angelou. The collection contains poems about love, self-esteem, respect, and dreams. There are funny poems, serious poems, powerful poems, and thoughtful poems. The poems are drawn from blues, gospel, jazz which can help students see the evolution of poetry. The book is beautifully illustrated with vivid pictures that capture the mood of each poem. The companion CD contains thirty wonderful performances that is exquisite on its own and creates a complete audio visual experience when combined with the books illustrations. Hip Hop Speaks to Children is an excellent way to expose children to rhythm and rhyme and develop an appreciation for poetry through poems that speak to them. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Katz, Alan.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//**Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs**// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**. New York:Simon and Schuster, 2008.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> **Ages: 5-9** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Smelly Locker// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> contains fourteen silly poems that explore the trials and tribulations of elementary school. “Smelly Locker,” “Stressed About the Test,” “Mad About Math,” and “Heavy Backpack!” are a small sample of the poems that describe, from a student’s point of view, the tragic and happy happenings of school life. Each poem is illustrated with imaginative pictures that contain images of school children with overly expressive faces which fits right in with the overall silliness of the book. Each poem can be sung to the tune of a different classic children’s song (“Heavy Backpack!” is paired with “Oh Susanna!”) which adds to the fun. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Prelutsky, Jack.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//**Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face and Other Poems**// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**. New York:Harper Collins, 2008.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> **Ages: 7-11** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This enchanting volume contains 112 wonderful Jack Prelutsky poems. It combines old favorites with fifteen previously unpublished works. Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face is divided into five sections of related poems. In It’s Hard to be an Elephant, you will learn about the eating habits of four ferocious tigers, find out why it is hard to be an elephant, and be moved by the sad life of a boneless chicken. In Oh, Breakfast, Lovely Breakfast you will be horrified by an Ogre’s breakfast, disgusted by worm puree, and lose your appetite when you discover rat is for lunch. Once They all Believed in Dragons will enchant you with dragons, gargoyles, goblins and other fantastic creatures. In Is Traffic Jam Delectable you will marvel at performing bananas and flying hot dogs. There Was a Little Poet will teach you why it is important to wash your shadow and why Sam is not allowed to go to the store anymore. At the end of each section, there are some activities which encourage the reader to look for hidden objects, complete search-a-words, and practice rhyming and matching skills. The book is wonderfully illustrated with art that is colorful and matches the mood of the verse. This particular edition contains a CD on which the author performs thirty selected poems complete with music and sound effects. Opening this book will be the beginning of a wonderful journey.
 * Lauren R.'s picks: **

Spinelli, Eileen. //**Polar Bear, Arctic Hare: Poems of the Frozen North**//. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong, 2007. Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes Target audience: pre-school- 5th grade This book consists of lyrical poems about the animals and environment of the Arctic. The rhythmic language creates vivid imagery, including visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic imagery. The language of the poems includes rhymes, including assonance and alliteration. One poem included onomatopoeia, and the pattern of lines in another poem reinforced the image of caribou moving. Metaphor was also used in a poem to compare the snowy owl to a scrap of fog across the Arctic night. Additionally, the realistic pictures are very beautifully painted with such detail and depth that I felt like I was in the Arctic. Interesting facts about Arctic animals and the environment are included in the back of the book. The informative, yet fun style of this poetry book makes it perfect to use in a class when students are learning about the Arctic, how animals adapt to their environment, or the predator/prey relationship. I really enjoyed reading these poems by Eileen Spinelli because of the combination of rhythmic language, vivid imagery, beautiful paintings, and information about the Arctic.

Heard, Georgia. **//This Place I Know: Poems of Comfort.//** Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2002. Illustrated by various illustrators, including Eugenie Fernandes Target audience: 1st- 6th grade This collection of poems was compiled by Georgia Heard when she was asked by her friend, the superintendent of District 2 in Manhattan, to find comforting poems to read to the children of New York City who witnessed the 9/11 attacks. The themes of these poems are hope, comfort, and kindness. All different styles of poems, including lyrical and free verse, are included in this collection. The emotional response elicited from these poems is especially strong. The pictures enhance the poems by reinforcing the message of the poem, such as a picture showing the kindness of a girl who is taking a thorn out of a lion’s paw. I enjoyed the feeling of hope elicited from these poems, however I also felt sad because of the remembrance of the terrorist attacks.

Hopkins, Lee B. //**Sky Magic.**// New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2009. Illustrated by Mariusz Stawarski Target audience: pre-school- third grade This collection of lyrical poems about the sky, including the sun, stars, and moon, has been compiled by Lee Hopkins. The illustrator, Mariusz Stawarski's paintings are based on what he saw in the sky as a child. The rhythmic language includes rhymes, including alliteration and assonance. Figurative language is included by the use of similes that compare the sun to a rising loaf of bread. The shape of one poem is also used to reinforce the image of the sun setting. The pictures enhance the visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and gustatory imagery. I really enjoyed the word play in this book. The image of the sun being a star on center stage was enhanced by the illustration of the sun being in a play. This book of poems would be good to use with students who are learning about space, especially the stars and constellations.