Poetry Review: Janeczko Collection

Dirty Laundry Pile : Poems in Different Voices                      selected by Paul Janeczko                               Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Bibliographic Citation: Janeczko, Paul. Dirty laundry pile:poems in different voices. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. New York: Harper Collins. 2001.

Review: This poetry book is a compilation of many poems by many authors. The theme of the book seems to be keeping items and places clean. The broom, the leaves from a tree, the bear's cave, to using the washing machine. Then there are the poems told from the point of view of the tree, animal, and insect. The poetry selected for this book uses great wording, font and word picture to add to the meaning of the poetry.  Most of the poems are rhyming and help keep kids interested in reading one more.  A must have for every shelf!

The Vacuum Cleaner's Revenge
by Patricia Hubbell

I munch. I crunch.
I zoom. I roar.

I clatter-clack
Across the floor.

I swallow twigs.
I slurp dead bugs.

I suck the cat hair
From the rugs.

My stomach full
Of dirt and dust

I gulp another
Pizza crust.

A tiresome life -
All work, no play -

I think I'll swallow you today!

Introduction to Share:The above poem is a great way to get started with this book.  After reading the title and thinking about what the book could be about, read the poem, not the title, and see if students and guess what object it is describing.  What other objects around your house could you write a simple poem about from the object's perspective? The television? The dishwasher? The fun poetry you could come up with modeling after this poem would be great. Another fun poem in this book is the Dirty Laundry Pile.  The poem is told from the perspective of the laundry and how you cannot ignore it when it starts to smell. What other items could smell or make noise to make you notice them? What short poem or rhyming riddle could be written about that item?

Poetry Review: Poetry and Fiction

All Asleep

by Charlotte Pomerantz

Illustrated by Nancy Tafuri

Bibliographic Citation: Pomerantz, Charlotte. All asleep. Illustrated by Nancy Tafuri. New York: Greenwillow Books. 1984.

ISBN: 0-688-03762-3

Review: This sweet collection of lullabies and poems made for sharing at bedtime are the perfect end to the day with your special little one.  The sing-song lullabies help make this the best book to share to help settle someone down to fall asleep. 

Grandma's Lullaby

Close your eyes,

My precious love,

Grandma's little

Turtledove.

Go to sleep now,

Pretty kitty,

Grandma's little

Chickabiddy.

Stop your crying,

Cuddly cutie,

Grandma's little

Sweet patootie.

Issum, wissum,

Popsy, wopsy,

Tootsie wootsie

Lollypopsie.

Diddims

Huggle

Snuggle pup

And now, for Grandma's sake, hush up!

Introduction to Share: This is a great way to get children to talk about their bedtime routines.  How can each person make their routine into a short poem? What do you do the same every night? Who is always there with you? What helps you fall asleep?

See how we can connect this poetry book with the next book.



Interrupting Chicken                        written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein   

Bibliographic Citation: Stein, David Ezra. Interrupting Chicken.  Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. 2010.

ISBN: 978-0-7636-4168-9

Review: This 2011 Caldecott Honor Book is a great story about bedtime routines and telling stories before going to sleep. Only, in this story, the little chicken keeps ending the story before Dad can. He does not seem to be making any progress in getting the little chicken to sleep with his stories. Maybe he should try reading some of the poems from All Asleep.

Connection to Poetry:  This book shows the importance of what bedtime story to tell.  In Interrupting Chicken, the little chicken knew all the stories and wanted to change the ending.  If he were read the poetry, they would have that lullaby quality that helps to settle you down to go to sleep.   What are some other poems that you know that you could tell at bedtime that would help little chicken go to sleep? Students could make up a short poem as if they were trying to get little chicken to go to sleep.      

Poetry Review: Poetry by Kids

Come and Play: Children of Our World Having Fun - Poems by Children          edited by Ayana Lowe                               pictures from Magnum Photos, Inc.

Bibilographic Citation: Come and play : children of our world having fun / poems by children. Edited by Ayana Lowe. Pictures from Magnum Photos. London:Bloomsbury. 2008.

ISBN: 978-1-59990-246-3

Review: This beautifully written and colorfully put together poetry book is a great addition to any poetry collection. The editor refers to some of their writing as "word riffs" and poetry. I love how the "authors" sign the inside covers of the book. It gives the book that much more appeal, knowing that the students took that much pride in their book. The students were given a picture of a place and time unknown to them.  Their job was to write a poem based upon the expressions of the people in the picture and what could have been happening. In the back of the book is a reference to all the photographs for the book. It tells you about the picture and where it was taken. Most of the poetry is free verse and shows how poetry can be found in all places and in all things.

The Humanoids

Stay in your row.

Stay in your seat.

Do not wiggle or move your feet.

LIFT OFF!

It's not a Disney ride.

But what happens

when you look inside?

Introduction to Share: This poem would be great read-aloud in a monotone, robotic voice. Students would enjoy trying to figure out what the picture would look like if they were given the opportunity to only hear the poem and not see the photograph. Another great activity to do with this book would be to see if students could match the poem with the photograph.  What words made you figure out the match? Now that students understand how the authors write the poems, students could be given their own photographs to write a poem about the picture. I believe students would enjoy this activity!

Poetry Review: Sidman Poetry

This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness                                 by Joyce Sidman                      Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Bibliographic Citation: Sidman, Joyce. This is just to say: poems of apology and forgiveness. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Chicago:Houghton-Mifflin. 2007.

ISBN-13: 978-0-618-61680-0

Review: This clever book of poetry written mostly in letter form between the two persons that have had an argument of some sort, can be funny, touching and sometimes just not so sincere.  The poetry is divided into two sections.  The first part are the poems asking for forgiveness or apologizing.  The second part are the poems in response to the apology.  Students have fun flipping back and forth from the front to the back to read each poem. The short, rhyming poems have some that are familiar to all and some newly written poetry to make you think.

to Carmen
   Haiku for Carmen

    Just these few warm words,
and spring sunlight fills the room;
    my dress turns to sky.

by Ruth Merz

Introduction to Share: This poem is the response to a poem from the student apologizing for making fun of the teacher's dress.  But what a great way to get students involved in perspective.  After reading the apology and response, students could write an alternate response to the student from the teacher. Other ideas: after completing a favorite read-aloud, students could use the character to write poetry from the perspective of the character, apologizing for something they did in the story and then write what another character could say back to them.  Or, what could animals apologize for to their humans? What about bugs? Could they be sorry for biting, stinking or stinging? The possibilities could be endless for writing.  Just have fun thinking about it from someone else's point of view.

Poetry Review: Hopkins Award Poetry

Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems  by Joyce Sidman                              Illustrated by Becky Prange

Bibliographic Citation: Sidman, Joyce. Song of the water boatman & other pond poems. Illustrated by Becky Prange. Chicago: Houghton-Mifflin. 2005.

ISBN-13: 978-0-618-13547-9

Review:This beautifully written book about all the many creatures found around water and how they emerge after winter, through the summer and fall and back into winter, it just phenomenal. The side notes that give you more information regarding the insect or animal mentioned in the poem helps the reader understand a little more about this creature.  The glossary in the back of the book furthers student understanding of unfamiliar words encountered in the book.  The artwork guides you through the changing seasons and has splendid pictures of the highlighted creatures in the poetry. Each poem is a tribute to the pond animals by having each poems wording represent the way the creature may sound, its way of emerging, flying, singing, swimming.... The poem gives you the effect of taking on the personality of it's subject.

Listen for Me

Listen for me on a spring night,

on a wet night,

on a rainy night.

Listen for me on a still night,

for in the night I sing.

Introduction to Share: A great place to start with this poetry book would be to locate the soundtrack of a pond and have it playing while you are reading this book.  By doing a little background research into other creatures that are located near a pond, children could write additional poetry that could be added to this book.  Another idea would be to share the poetry without sharing the artwork and have students draw their own picture of what the poetry tells them about the pond creature.  The shared poem above would be a great way to share an origami project by having students fold a frog and write descriptive words taken from the poem on their folded frog.  What other animals could be studied and written about and placed into a book in this same manner?  Forrest animals? Desert animals/creatures?  Endless ideas could be made into more poetry books.

Poetry Review: Performance Poetry

Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices                                           by Paul Fleischman                        Illustrated by Beppe Giacobbe

Bibliographic Citation: Fleischman, Paul. Big talk: poems for four voices. Illustrated by Beppe Giacobbe. Massachusetts:Candlewick Press. 2000.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-0636-7

Review: This colorful, eye-catching poetry book will have kids trying to read it, only to realize that the best way to read it is out loud with three other friends! Kids will enjoy reading and performing these poems. They are cleverly written for the older/upper elementary student to relate to, understand and enjoy.  The repetition of the poetry helps the readers read together and allow it to make sense. The rhythm of the poem will shine through as they read it aloud multiple times. The colored lines make it simple enough to follow along with your dedicated line to share.

Seventh-Grade Soap Opera

  Brenda calls Gregory

                            Derek snubs Catherine

                                                               Ingrid tells Beverly

                                                                                         Jason eyes Jacqueline

Rick gives his e-mail address to Penelope

                                                                 Faith invites Gwendolyn

                                                                 Faith invites Gwendolyn

                                                                 Faith invites Gwendolyn   Chelsea lets Brad read her answers in history.....

(my lines are not exact as in the book)

Introduction to Share:  This poetry book would be a great example of how to demonstrate why poetry is best understood when it is read aloud.  The teacher, or even a lone student, trying to read this poem to themselves or aloud to a class, would not make much sense. But, by assigning lines, the students can read their part and perform it for others to help it make better sense. Students will definitly identify with the "drama" portrayed in the portion of the poem shared. Just by giving these few lines, students can get the idea and could continue writing the poem, in their own words, to make it more relevant to their lives.  Another poem from this book is Ghosts' Grace. This poem is from the perspective of four ghosts watching and remembering what food was like when they were alive.  This poem opens the door for a very cute play for students to act out and for others to write a second act.

Poetry Review: Social Studies

Lady Liberty: A Biography

by Doreen Rappaport

Illustrated by Matt Tavares

Bibliographic Citation: Rappaport, Dorreen. Lady Liberty: A Biography. Illustrated by Matt Tavares. Cambridge:Candlewick Press. 2008.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-2530-6

Review:  The poetry of this book is divided into poems about the persons involved in the design, building and construction of the Statue of Liberty.  Each poems talks about the person, their role in helping with every part of the statue and their feelings about it.  I enjoy how the first and last poems and quotes are written by the author to set the scene for the poetry story and how she relates it to her own life.

Emma Lazarus

Poet

New York City. November 1883

Soon when people arrive in the New World,

they will be welcomed

by a caring, powerful woman.

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Introduction to Share: The many ideas that come to mind in sharing ways to expand on this author's idea are great! By going to this WebQuest: Lady Liberty WebQuest that goes along with this book, after reading the story, students can research more information regarding the statue. I made this WebQuest in another class to be a supportive addition to this book.
Another idea: students could select another American icon and write a poem about it.  Pam Munoz Ryan's book about the flag would be a great example. 

Poetry Review: Science

Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science

by J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Bibliographic Citation: Lewis, J. Patrick. Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science. Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. NewYork: Voyager. 2007.
ISBN-13: 978-0-15-205849-4

Review: This cleverly written book full of science riddles are great little rhymes to get students thinking! The author gives great information in clues within the title, through lines of the riddle, the answer below (upside down) and through the labeled picture clues. The riddles are all written upon notebook paper and look as if you are looking through a spiral.  The vivid pictures only add to the appeal of this great book.

The Old Switcheroo

My father's the arc,
My mother's the spark.
Without them you would
Be left in the dark.

Answer: Electricity

Introduction to Share: Great ideas abound when writing riddles!  Students will love being able to write a riddle about a unit of study to see if they can "trick" their classmates.  To get them started, you could begin the lesson with some basic brain-teasers or riddles, to get their brains in the correct frame of mind.  This website, NIEHS, has a few riddles to get them started. Another idea for a classroom teacher, take the riddle from this book that goes along with the unit of study and read the riddle as the opening point of attention to the lesson. What a great vocabulary builder to begin talking about the clues in the riddle to start the unit.

Poetry Review: Biographical

Eureka! Poems About Inventors

by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by K. Bennett Chavez







Bibliographic Citation: Sidman, Joyce. Eureka! Poems About Inventors. Illustrated by K. Bennett Chavez. Minneapolis:Millbrook Press. 2002.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7613-1665-7

Review: The poetry for this book is used to describe important people and inventions that we could not live without.  Leonardo da Vinci and his many ideas, Francois-Louis Cailler, who created the first chocolate bar (which I belive many of are glad he did), George de Mestral, the creator of Velcro, and last but not least, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, which helps us all be here today. Each poem in this book is a description of the person and how their invention idea came to mind. The book is divided into time periods with a brief narrative about each inventor mentioned. The clever wording to describe their thoughts and their product make this a great book to share.

Do Ya Know 'Em?

Do ya know 'em? Can you guess

what they invented? Can you? Yes?

If you can, you'll get a jolt a'

James Watt and Alessandro Volta
or tap along with Samuel Morse
and Wilhelm Gieger (Count, of course).

And while you're at it, do not fail

to give a cheer for Louis Braile
and his countryman --le bon docteur--
the great esteemed Louis Pasteur....

Introduction to Share: This shared poem gives you the opportunity to look up more information on each person mentioned and/or their invention. What a great research tool to get you started.  Here is another place to start looking: Enchanted Learning. 

Another idea: After reading the book Frindle by Andrew Clements, students could write their own poem about the main character, Nicholas, and how his new name/invention for a pen became so popular.

Poetry Review: New 2011 Poetry Book

BookSpeak!: Poems About Books by Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrated by Josee Bisaillon






Bibliographic Citation: Salas, Laura Purdie. BookSpeak!: Poems About Books. Illustrated by Josee Bisaillon. Boston: Clarion. 2011.
ISBN-13: 978-0-54722-300-1

Review: In lieu of a traditional review, I am including a book trailer as an advertisement for this new and exciting poetry book. The rhyme, rhythm, voice of each poem, from the point of view of the book, makes this a must read! Hopefully, not only will this inspire children to read this book, but it will inspire them to read!



Used with permission by the author.

 Calling All Readers

I'll tell you a story.
I'll spin you a rhyme.
I'll spill some ideas -
and we'll travel through time.

Put down the controller.
Switch off the TV.
Abandon the mouse and
just hang out with me.

I promise adventure.
Come on, take a look!
On a day like today,
there's no friend like a book.

Introduction to Share: Calling All Readers would be a great introduction into a story time! What a fabulous way to demonstrate the wonderful things that can be found in a book (time travel, adventure, a friend!). This leading poem can inspire people to read and to write about their own adventures in books.  Have students select a book about an adventure or tell a story about an adventure.  Make connections with this poem through other books shared.
Another poem in this book, I've Got This Covered, talks about the appeal of the book jacket and how it is the first attraction to a book.  Have students make a new jacket to a book they love and want other students to be attracted to.
The ideas are boundless to share poem and book and get students enthralled in reading.

Poetry Review: Verse Novel

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Jacket art by William Steig







Bibliographic Citation: Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. New York : Harper Trophy. 2003.
ISBN-13: 978-0-06440-959-9

Review: Mrs. Creech shares the heart-warming story of Jack, a shy writer, and how his teacher uses poetry to help him express his feelings about the dog he lost.  The journal kept by Jack shows us his reluctance, excitement and energy when he discovers the amazing world of poetry.  Through this story, you feel the emotional connection to Jack as he writes about the loss of his pet, the strong voice of this main character and the healing process that keeping this journal and writing poems about his pet provides for this character.

April 26

Sometimes
when you are trying
not to think about something
it keeps popping back
into your head
you can't help it
you think about it
and
think about it
and
think about it
until your brain
feels like
a squashed pea.

Introduction to Share: This book is an excellent way to demonstrate voice in writing.  By having students keep a writing journal that they share with only their teacher, they are able to express feelings, thoughts, emotions in any form they feel comfortable with. The teacher can give them encouragement to venture into more ideas without embarrassment by sharing ideas in just the journal. The many poems written in this book are perfect jump off points to writing personal poetry about the same concept, idea, or story.  On page 37 and example shared by Miss Stretchberry in the back of the book, students could use these concrete poems as examples to write their own concrete poem.

Poetry Review: Poetic Form

Dogku by Andrew Clements

Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Bibliographic Citation: Clements, Andrew. Dogku. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2007.

ISBN-13: 978-0-68985-823-9

Review: The Haiku rhythm found in this story makes it a must share. The endearing story, told through the 17 syllable pattern per page, of a stray dog looking for a home, makes for the perfect book for trying your own version of haiku.  The imagery evoked from the specific vocabulary, used to produce this pattern, appeals to readers of all ages due to the familiar circumstances when meeting a stray animal.

Morning brings children.
Hugs, licks, barking, and laughing.
Warmer than sunshine.

Introduction to Share: Haiku: 17 syllables arranged in a 5/7/5 pattern. The possibilities are limitless for ideas when writing haiku.  This story uses this pattern to tell the whole story. The sample given above is a perfect example of how just a short pattern can tell a small story.  Students will find it easy to write about a pet when using words as in this sample. Each haiku could be used individually as an example or the author's note in the back of the book, expressing his reasons for writing haiku, could be used to "hook" students into writing. 

Poetry Review: Douglas Florian Poetry

Poetrees written and illustrated by Douglas Florian








Bibliographic Citation: Florian, Douglas. Poetrees. New York: Beach Lane Books. 2010.
ISBN-13: 978-1-41698-672-0

Review:This cleverly written book about the different shapes, sizes and origins of tress has great rhyme and rhythm to the poetry ear. There are a couple of concrete poems that add to the appeal of the imagery and illustrations of this book.  Mr. Florian's witty concept of having the book open to read from top to bottom only adds to the interest building about this book.  The vocabulary used to add vivid pictures makes this book a must share.

Scribbly Gum
The scribbly gum's smooth gray bark
Has lines where larvae left their mark.
Their nibbling left a scribbly drawing -
A work of art by boring, gnawing.
From their munching, lunching, chewing -
Lovely woodcuts for the viewing.

Introduction to Share: Reading this book aloud to students would be a wonderful treat all by itself. In a science class that is studying larvae and all that they do, students can get a visual image of this poem without ever seeing the illustration.  The vocabulary used to describe what the larvae does and how it looks, leads to students being able to draw what they hear. Teachers and students could bring in - or go outside and find - seeds, leaves, bark, flowers and describe their object. When they combine all their poems, what a wonderful science/nature book they have made.

Poetry Review: Multicultural Poetry

Yum! MmMm! Que rico! America's Sprouting by Pat Mora
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez







Bibliographic Citation: Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que rico! America's Sprouting. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books. 2007.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58430-271-1

Review: Pat Mora's book of native American foods in haiku's is truly an original piece of work.  Because of the specific wording needed for haiku, using the precise number of syllables, vocabulary knowledge is essential.  The words she selected are a vivid combination of imagery and sensory words.  She makes you feel and taste how wonderful each food item is that is mentioned.  The added narrative of information regarding the origins of each of the foods only adds to the deeper meaning and sentimental value as to why they were selected for this book. The colorful illustrations add to the whimsical feel of this book so that you feel as though you are part of the enjoyment through picture and words.

Peanut
Smear nutty butter,
then jelly.  Gooey party,
my sandwich and me.

Introduction to Share: This book just screams for you to bring in the mentioned food items and share!  What a great vocabulary builder when students begin describing the foods in these poems.  They can use their new words to make new poems to go along with Mrs. Mora's.  As an extension, different types of foods - a favorite food - could be brought in for student to describe using sensory and descriptive words.  Using these new words, students can write a haiku to follow Mrs. Mora's pattern in her book.  Once their haiku is written, they can research the origin of the food they wrote about.

Poetry Review: NCTE Award Poetry

Spot the Plot : A Riddle Book of Book Riddles by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger







Bibliographic Citation: Lewis, J. Patrick. Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. San Fransisco: Chronicle Books. 2009.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-4668-4

Review: This cleverly written book will have teachers and children reading more to guess the answer!  Each poem is clues to a well-known book. The rhythm of some of the poems is catchy to the student, with the added bonus of trying to tie the clues together. Some poems even have clues within the poem by playing on the word. (ex. Toto - ly)  A couple of concrete poems add to the appeal of this book.  For those that get stuck on the story, the answers are provided in the back of the book!

One special train.
One little boy.
One Christmas gift -
not quite a toy:

A reindeer bell
jingling good cheer
that only believers
in Santa hear.
        (The Polar Express)

Introduction to Share: For younger students unfamiliar with the related stories, it would be wise for a teacher to have a copy of these books out in front of the students for them to see and pick from while reading the poems.  This gives the perfect opportunity to introduce a great story to read later. For older students, make the book into a puzzle: have the clues from the poetry written on a card that students have to match with the title of the book.  After sharing the poetry in this story, teachers could have students make their own poetry (rhyming, concrete, haiku...) with their favorite story and they could trade their clue-poem with other students.  Added depth, have students design their own illustrations to go with their clue-poem to make into a collection.

Poetry Review: African American Poetry

My People by Langston Hughes
Photographs by: Charles R. Smith, Jr.







Bibiliographic Citation: Hughes, Langston. My People. Photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. New York: Ginee Seo Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2009.
ISBN: 978-1-41693-540-7

Review: This beautifully written poem is illustrated with poignant photographs that are so purposefully chosen to depict the words of the page. The smiles, the eyes, even the souls are seen in each picture as stated with each word.  The tone of the poetry is that of pride for the many generations of people. The poetry is easy to read and understand with a repeating theme of "my people". Langston Hughes makes you think about what makes a person beautiful.

Excerpt from My People:
The stars
are beautiful,
so the eyes
of my people.

Introduction to Share: This excerpt from the poem is a great example to share with students in having them think about why the author compared stars to eyes.  What picture comes to your mind when you hear these words? Do you see a little kid's face/eyes when they open the best gift on Christmas morning? or do you see the stars on a clear night and the sparkle in someone's eyes?  It makes you think about the wording and the comparisons of the two concepts.

Poetry Review: Hopkins Collection

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrator: Stephen Alcorn

Bibliographic Citation: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2000.

ISBN:978-0-689-81247-7

Review:  This compilation of poems about the places and things you see all around the United States is a great poetry book to start a geography unit.  The book is divided into sections of the country and the poems are related to that region.  Each author has their own style for writing, but each poem is beautifully written and artistically draws a mental picture with words what the regions, area, or town would look like. The tone set for this book is one of pride for the different areas of our great country.  You can truly tell that the poems selected show the parts of the country that we are proud to call home. The many authors selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins demonstrate the beauty they see for that area.

City Blockades
    by Lee Bennett Hopkins
I feel so small
standing beneath the tall
buildings that wall
me and the pigeons in
from the light of the
sky.

Introduction to Share: Geography lessons abound with this poetry book.  Pick a section of the country and read a few of the poems aloud to see if the students can figure out what state or region the author is describing (as long as the poem does not give the state name).  The poem selected could be used to discuss where this person is - based upon the vocabulary used, we know that tall buildings are blocking the light and that there are pigeons, letting us know that we are in a big city, maybe New York.

Poetry Review: School Poetry

Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School by Laura Purdie Salas                 Illustrator: Steven Salerno

Bibliographic Citation: Salas, Laura Purdie. Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School. Ill. by Steven Salerno. Boston: Clarion Books. 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-618-91488-3

Review: Laura Purdie Salas has written a collection of colorful school poetry with an undelying connection to animals.  Students and teachers will love the rhyming words and patterns of each poem and how the students in the poem are related to an animal. The title of the book prepares you for the animalistic school characteristics of this book and the illustrations show how the author's interpretations of each poem/animal relate.  It is an easy to read-aloud poetry share.

Turtleneck

I tuck my face into my sweater,
still as can be.

I should have studied, but I didn't.
PLEASE - don't call on me.

Introduction to Share: This poem would be great to share with the class and talk about many aspects for school:  How to be prepared for class, Responsibilites as a student, The mood of the student hiding. You could also talk about how the teacher always seems to know which student did not do their homework or study like they should have.  This is also a great lesson for animal adaptations: the turtle hides when it is frightened. How does this apply to a student in a classroom?