Bibliography for Poetry Breaks and Book Reviews

Poetry Book Reviews:

Bryan, Ashley. 1992. Sing to the sun. U.S.A: Harper Collins Publishers.

Florian, Douglas. 1994. Beast feast. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1976. Good morning to you, Valentine. Ill. by Tomie de Paola. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Janeczko, P. B. 2001. A poke in the I. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Prelutsky, Jack. 2007. Good sports: Rhymes about running, jumping, throwing, and more. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Sones, Sonya. 2004. one of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Poetry Breaks:

Ciardi, John. 1981. Sylvester in The man who sang the sillies, 21. Ill. by Edward Gorey. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company.

Clifton, Lucille. 1974. September in Prelutsky, Jack. 1999. The 20^th century children’s poetry treasury, 68. Ill. by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Florian, Douglas. 1998. The caterpillar in Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia, 6. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Grimes, Nikki. 2006. Dear author in Thanks a Million, 16. Ill. by Cozbi Cabrera. United States: Greenwillow Books.

Hobermann, Mary Ann. 2005. Jack, be nimble in Hobermann, Mary Ann. 2005. You read to me, I’ll read to you: Very short Mother Goose tales to read together, 8-9. Ill. by Michael Emberley. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Prelutsky, Jack. 1984. I was walking in a circle in Prelutsky, Jack. 1999. The 20^th century children’s poetry treasury, 42. Ill. by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Poetry Book Review #6

Janeczko, P. B. 2001. A poke in the I. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Paul Janeczko displays a unique conglomeration of concrete poetry in his book, A Poke in the I. For this imaginative and entertaining collection, Janeczko chose poems that don’t follow any particular pattern, only the unique feature of being concrete ties them together. The shapes, forms and language of the poetry make it fun for readers to figure out, read and share with others.

Caldecott Award-winning illustrator, Chris Raschka brilliantly adds his distinctive illustrations to the text shapes. The pictures and words are subtly intertwined and work so well together that it would be difficult to read the poetry without the illustrations and the illustrations would mean nothing without the text forms.

Paul Janeczko and Chris Raschka’s collaboration on the concrete poetry extravaganza known as A Poke in the I envelops and engages readers in a wonderful poetry experience.

Here is one of my many favorites from this collection:

A Seeing Poem by Robert Froman (p.2)

Poetry Break #6

Introduction: Sometimes people write poetry to express how they are feeling inside. Other people read books and relate their experiences with the story. This is a poem written by Nikki Grimes. It's in the form of a letter to an author and is called Dear Author. The writer of the letter expresses how the author has affected his/her life.

Dear Author

When my father died last year,

Somebody threw a switch and turned me off.

I couldn’t breathe. Or cry.

My family wondered why.

Months passed, and they figured

I must be okay. But they were wrong.

I leaked sadness everywhere I went.

No one seemed to notice or understand.

Until Lotus, the girl in your last book.

She was also drowning deep inside.

Some nights, I’d crawl between the pages

of that novel and hide for hours.

The two of you made all the difference.

I just thought you’d want to know.

Sincerely,

Grateful

(p. 16)

Extension: Have students discuss or write about how they would deal or have dealt with a difficult situation. Would they read books or write poetry? Would they do something different? These can be shared on a voluntary basis. Students could also write a poem-letter to an author who has influenced them.

Grimes, Nikki. 2006. Dear author in Thanks a Million, 16. Ill. by Cozbi Cabrera. United States: Greenwillow Books.

Poetry Book Review #5

Prelutsky, Jack. 2007. Good sports: Rhymes about running, jumping, throwing, and more. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

In his newest book of original poetry, Jack Prelutsky peers into the world of sports in an unusual and creative way. The poetry in Good Sports: Rhymes about Running, Jumping, Throwing, and More reveals Prelutsky’s perspective on this universal hobby. He shows that sports are fun and exciting no matter if you win or lose, or if you have great talent or not.

Prelutsky makes his unique voice resonate through sports poems that range in topic from Frisbee and karate to football and soccer. This Poet Laureate displays his personality in the untitled poems included in his newest poetry book. Jack Prelutsky has a unique way of describing these sports experiences that captures the feelings associated with the particular event or circumstance. He uses language and sports vocabulary creatively in his book:

I concentrate, then let it go…

I know it’s good- I know, I know.

It makes an arc, I make a wish,

Then hear the soft, sweet sound of SWISH!

(no page number)

Sports are precious and intriguing to most males; however, Prelutsky includes sports like softball and gymnastics which appeal to girls too. The poems are universal and would be a great accessory to a unit on the Olympics or to begin a physical education class. Girls and boys, along with readers of all ages will be able to enjoy the humorous, playful and rhyming poetry describing experiences in the arena of sports.

Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschka incorporates his one-of-a-kind illustrations to accompany Prelutsky’s text. The illustrations compliment the words in such a way that the reader is given a visual image to go along with their own mental picture of the poetry. The text and illustration placement enhance the design, feel and experience of Prelutsky’s poems.

Readers will find it hard to choose just one favorite out of this collection of Jack Prelutsky’s poems. Here is one of my many favorites:

My friend and I play Frisbee

In the summer in the park.

I flip the Frisbee to her,

It describes a graceful arc.

She runs and tries to catch it,

And I watch her miss and fall-

We both like playing Frisbee,

Though we aren’t good at all.

(no page number)