Pirates

Harrison,David L. Pirates. Wordsong, 2008.

Illustrator: Dan Burr.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-455-6

Poetry Review:
Twenty poems in this collection detail every aspect of a pirates' life, from the terrible food and flogging to the fights and captures that went with the job, as well as the monotony of day to day living on the water. Many of the poems elicit the emotion of the struggles of mutiny and betrayal, and worse the dreaded consequences that followed. The paintings are larger than life and full of detailed expression, vast richness and natural color schemes. The end of the book offers a a further explanation of the world of piracy to encourage students to read more about the subject matter.

Poem Excerpt: "Blackbeard"
His name alone numbed men with fear:
Blackbeard.
His own crew quaked when they came near
Blackbeard.
He plundered, pillaged year by year,
no one had a bloodier career than
Blackbeard.
Unbeatable at his brutal game,
Blackbeard.
Had no conscience, had no shame,
Blackbeard.
Ruthlessly he earned his fame.
Set his own black beard aflame:
Blackbeard.

Poem Introduction to Students:
Most boys, I find, love to read about pirates. This would also be a great time to start dressing up and get into character. To help add to the "hook" I find showing a brief video of "Pirates of the Caribbean" help set the stage for all students. Set the scene in the library by having a narrow carpet serve as the "plank" for students to walk. Have a paper parrot hanging around or a stuffed monkey. This would be a great time to get a theme going during reading time. 5th graders study explorers, so why not include the seedier side with pirates. Develop a list of the known "sayings" of pirates and have students develop tag-a-longs. Or have students convert these well known verses into a different voice, for instance a "Valley girl" voice. Or a space martian voice.

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. My America: a Poetry Atlas of the United States. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2000.

Illustrator: Stephen Alcorn.

ISBN-13: 978-0-689-81247-7

Poetry Review: This collection of poems are based on the states of the United States and are written by many different authors, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. There are Fifty-one poems, which speak about the uniqueness, similarities and differences of the country, as well as specific subject matter that is identified with a particular state. For instance, a poem about the Indians of South Dakota in "Sioux Lullaby." This book is arranged into geographical regions, each of which is introduced with a map and a page of state facts. However, some states have more than one poem, while others aren't mentioned at all.

Poem Excerpt:"Mauna Loa" by Tom Robert Shields
While Pacific Ocean's
White surf gleams
Rolling seas glide
Shifting dreams.
Sudden thunders -
A tumbled tune
Breaking lazy-beauty
Of a calm-quiet noon.
Birds of paradise scatter
As all birds do
Mauna Loa gulps -
Fire!
Long over due.

Poem Introduction to Students:
2nd grade and 5th grade both study the states in America quite extensively. It would be fun to help students remember facts about a particular state by reading poems and also creating poems. Students can list words that describe their state, and then find rhyming words to match. Encourage a different style to writing by using acrostics and anagrams to the mix. Students could present these in library class or in their homeroom classes. Also, I have a Bingo style game that we play at the conclusion of their units.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

Florian,Douglas. Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars: space poems and paintings by Douglas Florian. Harcourt, 2007.

ISBN-13: 978-0-15-205372-7


Poetry Review: This book looks at the stars, planets, and comets through a "star gazers telescope" of poetry. Each page has a short poem about an object in our solar system such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe. The drawings or paintings depict each objects along with distinguishing features and accompanying moon/s. The illustrations are child-like in appearance, and vary from page to page, and include a variety of techniques: drawn, painted, collages, and cut outs (which some pages are to add to the subject matter).
The last pages carry "A Galactic Glossary" with a paragraph on the topic of each poem, followed by a list of books and Web sites.

Poem Excerpt:"Pluto"
Pluto was a planet.
But now it doesn't pass.
Pluto was a planet.
They say it's lacking mass.
Pluto was a planet.
Pluto was admired.
Pluto was a planet.
Till one day it got fired

Poem Introduction to Students:
3rd graders study the solar system for several weeks, even creating a mock solar system and report w/presentation. How fun it would be to include a segment of poetry in their report. Begin by reading the selected book and then help students determine what words describe their planet and begin finding rhyming words. Have plenty of dictionaries and thesauruses available. Students could present these in library class or in their homeroom classes. Use could also have a celebration and have "freeze dried" food from NASA available for students to try.

Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word

Raczka, Bob. Lemonade --And Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. Roaring Book Press, 2011.

Illustrator: Nancy Doniger

ISBN: 978-1-59643-541-4

Poetry Review: This little diddy of poems is a thinking book filled with anagrams and rebus word puzzles. I chose this book because of the main title containing the word "lemonade" and the thoughts and feeling that come to mind when this word is imagined; summertime, play-time, free-time, cool drink on a hot day, those things I did as a child growing up. And this book of poems does not disappoint as many of the themes are childlike in nature.
However, this book is a thinking book, and one must first solve the word patterns in order to enjoy the simplistic nature of the idea conveyed. Once the reader solves the puzzle patters, you find that you reread the poems and a smile begins to appear on your face, this might be due to the fact that you solved the riddled pattern, or perhaps you find yourself relating to the theme and the words that describe the themed singled word. A return to simple and easier times in life; childhood.

Poetry Excerpt:"Vacation"
Vacation
ac tion
i n
a
va n

"Chocolate"
Chocolate
h at
co at
h o t
c oco a

Poem Introduction to Students:
This series of poems takes quite a bit of "thinking" and "imagination." After showing it to our Gifted and Talented teacher, she is quite eager to get her hands on this book to present to her 5th graders as these students spend a unit on poetry. We were brainstorming ideas of an activity, and the best way to present this styling of poetry would be to explain how and what anagrams, rebus word puzzles are and look like. Start out with the more simple poems to check for understanding. Give each student a section of the book to look over (not showing them the "answers on the following page) and discuss with a partner how the poem is constructed. Discuss as a group their poem. Then if there is a struggle, show the students the "correct" poem construction. Next students will construct a poem anagram of their own (or with a partner). But before having them disperse, discuss themes they could write about.

Color Me A Rhyme

Abstract Poetic styling


Yolen, Jane. Color me a rhyme : nature poems for young people. / Wordsong/Boyds Mill Press, 2003.

Photographs: Jason Stemple.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-172-2

Poetry Review:
Jane Yolen first began writing poetry long before her career hit as a children's writer. And in this collection of poetry based on colors, Yolen explores the color of Mother Nature and the expression of colors created. Describing a color as "green" is just not enough, as there are many varying changes in tone and texture to describe a simple leaf as "green." These poems use many of the figurative languages to correlate to color in nature to send the reader on a journey through sight, sound, smell, and even taste. These poems describe colors and their richness of the world we live in, clear and clean.

Poetry Excerpt:"White"
A star fell from the sky one night
And landed in the forest, white
Against the green of a leaf and vine.
The star, through fallen, still was bright;
It cast its reel of brilliant light
The dark woods to entwine.

Moral:
If you should fall from such a height,
Do not despair about your plight,
Just rise-
and shine.

"Its fleece was white as snow...." - Mother Goose

color wheel: chalk, pearl alabaster, snow, bone

Poem Introduction to Children:
I find most children love colors and this would be a great book to review/introduce students to the color wheel of nature. As you begin reading this book, have color names mentioned in the book readily available for viewing and the names. We always try to teach students to use "colorful" words when writing, so having the names of colors related to the designated color will help. Depending upon ages you could have students write additional words using a thesaurus, students could tell you what color they think they are, or even their favorite color and the meaning behind these colors, that is always fun to do.

Poetry for Young People: Carl Sandburg

Free Verse Styling


Sandburg, Carl. Poetry for Young People. Sterling Pub. Co., p1995.
Bolin, Frances S. (editor), Arcella, Steven (illustrator).

ISBN:0-8069-0818-1

Poetry Review:
Carl Sandburg is known at the "Roaming Hobo" of American poetry, as Sandburg's poems describe the turbulent changes and rocky road of American History throughout the Great Depression, Native American, and several international wars. But just as much as Sandburg describes struggles of the common people, he also has the ability to demonstrate his ability to be fun and loving, especially when discussing his own account of his family and in particular his daughters. Sandburg's free styling evokes a clear picture of the struggle many common people shared when America entered the 20th Century, whether these were farmers or city folk, struggles were the same for all.

Poetry Excerpt: "Last Answers"
I wrote a poem on the mist
And a woman asked me what I meant by it.
I had thought til then only of the beauty of the mist, how
pearl and gray of it mix and reel,
And change the drab shanties with lighted lamps at
evening into points of mystery quivering with color.

I answered:
The whole worlds was mist once long ago and some day
it will all go back to mist,
Our skulls and lungs are more water than bone and tissue
And all poets love dust and mist because all the last
answers
Go running back to dust and mist.


Poem Introduction to Children: This particular poem would be best suited for older students in high school who can relate to the cycle of life and death, the meaning of questioning and finding answers to our significance on earth.
Before reading the book, students will need to understand what free verse poetry is about, describing that it uses strong imagery to convey a particular emotion within the reader through the use of language and words. Students will also need a vocabulary review, in particular: mist, shanty, lighted lamps, and quivering.
Read the poem and begin by asking what the tone or mood is of the poem, how does it make them feel. Explore these feelings.
Then discuss what underlying meaning of life and death and the need to search for answers and the meaning of life.