WHERE I LIVE
Spinelli, Eileen. WHERE I LIVE. Matt Phelan,Ill. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007.
WHERE I LIVE isn't a story about a house and other material things. It's about living. Ms. Spinelli has taken an ordinary second grader with a major event in her life (moving, good-byes, sadness) and developed a intriguing story. The free verse style works well with this novel.
You are introduced to all the main characters within the first six poems. Diana describes her house, mentions her best friend, describes the sky and lets you know that it is autumn all in the first poem. The story quickly moves along with the wren's nest on the front door, Grandpa Joe's home and broken arm, the birth of her sister and her dad losing his job which causes their move.
Youthful dramatic dialog adds humor to the story. "Rose rolls her eyes. "Nebula is not a word."
..."Okay. If my friend Rose looked up at the sky more often..she would know a nebula when she saw one." Rose throws her pillow at me. "You and your sky!" Good use of dialog. Ms Spinelli provides good visuals throughout the book, "Twink puts in ...three gum balls...and her stuffed rabbit, George."
Matt Phelan's simple gray illustrations connect you to the warmth in the story. The poems could stand alone but the story would be less enjoyable or even dis-engaging without the pictures. The drawings for the poem, "Dad's Latest," presents "believable characters," although the poem could stand alone.
Dad collect jokes
like some people
collect stamps.
Here's his latest:
"what kind of dog
loves to take a bath?"
Twink guesses
"A dirty dog?"
Mom grins.
I shake my head.
"No, Twink," says Dad.
" A shampoodle!"
Spindelli includes some diversity with Rose, an African American and Sam Ling which suggest Chinese, plus he's male. I do agree with the reviewer from Booklist that the Rose's character should have been eased out the story and not just dropped. Diana's grandpa had bought her a computer to e-mail her friend and it ends there. Diana returns to her old home town for the poetry workshop but doesn't visit or call Rose. This doesn't take away from the story but I believe children could disconnect by wondering what happened to "Rose?"
One interesting note about verse novels. Yes, the pages have additional space plus they are actually thicker than regular novels pages. Reluctant readers can work through the thickness quickly. I believe the trend to publish verse novels will continue to grow which is a good thing.
Reviews
Booklist--In a market crowded with novels-in-verse, this one feels a bit facile, and some readers may wish Rose didn't drop out of the picture so completely once a new friend appears on the scene. Teachers, however, will welcome the poems' imagery and symbolism (like the fledglings nesting in, then departing from, Diana's old front door), and Diana's journey from one comfort zone to another will reassure children anticipating their own mad-sad goodbyes.
Similar Books
GROW: A NOVEL IN VERSE by Juanita Havill
HAT THAT CAT: A NOVEL by Sharon Creech
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Moden Verse---Poetry Break
Introduction
Has anyone every mentioned a word that made you wonder, "What does it mean?", or "Where did it come from?" or "Why don't you know more about that word?" Poems help us to remember people, places and things.
Indian
Margret mentioned Indians,
And I began to think about Indians--
Indians once living
Where now we are living--
And I thought how little I know
About Indians. Oh, I know
What I have heard. Not much,
When I think how much
I wonder about them,
when a mere mention of them,
Indians, starts me. I
Think of their wigwams. I
Think of canoes. I think
Of quick arrows. I think
Of things Indian. And still
I think of their bright, still
Summers, when these hills
And meadows on these hills,
Shone in the morning
Suns before this morning.
INDIANS by John Fandel
Dunning, Stephen, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith. REFLECTIONS ON A GIFT OF WATERMELON PICKLE; AND OTHER MODERN VERSE. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1996.
Extension
Read the poem a second and third time. Ask the children to close their eyes and picture the places in the poem. Have them draw a picture that reflects what they hear described in the poem. Let them look through a collection of poems from various authors that describe people and places. Have the children work in pairs and encourage students to read the poems to each other.
Has anyone every mentioned a word that made you wonder, "What does it mean?", or "Where did it come from?" or "Why don't you know more about that word?" Poems help us to remember people, places and things.
Indian
Margret mentioned Indians,
And I began to think about Indians--
Indians once living
Where now we are living--
And I thought how little I know
About Indians. Oh, I know
What I have heard. Not much,
When I think how much
I wonder about them,
when a mere mention of them,
Indians, starts me. I
Think of their wigwams. I
Think of canoes. I think
Of quick arrows. I think
Of things Indian. And still
I think of their bright, still
Summers, when these hills
And meadows on these hills,
Shone in the morning
Suns before this morning.
INDIANS by John Fandel
Dunning, Stephen, Edward Lueders, and Hugh Smith. REFLECTIONS ON A GIFT OF WATERMELON PICKLE; AND OTHER MODERN VERSE. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1996.
Extension
Read the poem a second and third time. Ask the children to close their eyes and picture the places in the poem. Have them draw a picture that reflects what they hear described in the poem. Let them look through a collection of poems from various authors that describe people and places. Have the children work in pairs and encourage students to read the poems to each other.
Nonsense Verse-Poetry Break
Introduction
Introduce children to the author Jack Prelutsky. Explain a little about his style of writing. Often you say that you don't understand things. Well this author loves to write poems that are fun to figure out. Read from Scranimals a nonsense verse picture book.
POTATOAD
On a bump beside a road
Sits a lowly POTATOAD,
Obviously unaware
Of its own existence there.
On its coarse and warty hide,
It has eyes on every side,
Eyes that fail, apparently,
To take note of what they see.
It does not move, it does not think,
It does not eat, it does not drink,
It does not hear or taste or touch...
The POTATOAD does not do much.
The day is hot, the ground is parched,
And yet it sits as if it's starched.
To pose immobile by a road
Suffices for the POTATOAD.
Prelutsky, Jack. SCRANIMALS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2002.
Extension
Let the children browse through the assortment of Jack Prelutsky books. Allow time for children to read a poem that they enjoyed. Children can quickly find the root words and see the added letters that change the words. Put the children in small groups to make up new words and let them write poems for homework.
Introduce children to the author Jack Prelutsky. Explain a little about his style of writing. Often you say that you don't understand things. Well this author loves to write poems that are fun to figure out. Read from Scranimals a nonsense verse picture book.
POTATOAD
On a bump beside a road
Sits a lowly POTATOAD,
Obviously unaware
Of its own existence there.
On its coarse and warty hide,
It has eyes on every side,
Eyes that fail, apparently,
To take note of what they see.
It does not move, it does not think,
It does not eat, it does not drink,
It does not hear or taste or touch...
The POTATOAD does not do much.
The day is hot, the ground is parched,
And yet it sits as if it's starched.
To pose immobile by a road
Suffices for the POTATOAD.
Prelutsky, Jack. SCRANIMALS. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2002.
Extension
Let the children browse through the assortment of Jack Prelutsky books. Allow time for children to read a poem that they enjoyed. Children can quickly find the root words and see the added letters that change the words. Put the children in small groups to make up new words and let them write poems for homework.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Douglas Florian Poetry Break
Introduction
Science—Douglas Florian makes studying sea animals fun with his style of poetry. Quiet the class. Explain that an animal’s name can have no relation to its physical appearance. Many of our sea creatures have unusual names.
Read two poems by Douglas Florian, “The Catfish” and “The Sea Horse.”
The Catfish
By Douglas Florian
I cannot purr.
I don’t have fur
Or claws or paws.
Don’t sleep in drawers.
I don’t chase mice.
Let that suffice.
I am a fish.
I have no wish
To be a cat.
That’s that!
The Sea Horse
By Douglas Florian
You have
No hooves.
You have no hair.
You don’t eat oats.
You don’t breathe air.
You hatch from eggs.
You cannot race.
(You have no legs
With which to chase.)
You’re not a colt
Nor mare
Nor filly.
You’re called a horse.
I call that silly.
Science—Douglas Florian makes studying sea animals fun with his style of poetry. Quiet the class. Explain that an animal’s name can have no relation to its physical appearance. Many of our sea creatures have unusual names.
Read two poems by Douglas Florian, “The Catfish” and “The Sea Horse.”
The Catfish
By Douglas Florian
I cannot purr.
I don’t have fur
Or claws or paws.
Don’t sleep in drawers.
I don’t chase mice.
Let that suffice.
I am a fish.
I have no wish
To be a cat.
That’s that!
The Sea Horse
By Douglas Florian
You have
No hooves.
You have no hair.
You don’t eat oats.
You don’t breathe air.
You hatch from eggs.
You cannot race.
(You have no legs
With which to chase.)
You’re not a colt
Nor mare
Nor filly.
You’re called a horse.
I call that silly.
Florian, Douglas. IN THE SWIM. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997.
ExtensionHelp the children list other sea creatures (starfish, sawfish, jellyfish, dragon fish, and vampire squid) to write poems about and use their illustrations. Give the children a worksheet with rebus puzzles to name other fish. Children can also use rebus puzzles in their poems. (Science, literature, art and fun all tied together.)
Allow children to read Douglas Florian books you have on display, "In the swim," "Beast feast", and "Zoo's who."
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
"The Sun Is So Quiet" Book Review
The Sun Is So Quiet
Giovanni, Nikki. THE SUN IS SO QUIET. Ill Bryan, Ashley. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.
The first poem in “The Sun Is So Quiet” brought back memories of my childhood. Most children will probably ask, “What is “Father John’s Medicine?” It’s a collection that allows you to feel the warmth of winter and the urgent desire for the return of the sun. The bright illustrations by Ashley Bryan connect with each poem to present an isolated moment in time. The many images of children provide a connection with various children’s age groups as well as adults.
Ms. Giovanni stirs your imagination with well placed figurative language. The poem, “Snowflakes,” begins with the simile, “Little boys are like Snowflakes, No two are alike. “ She then has the snowflakes, “waltz around my ears,” and “laugh and go away.”
I enjoyed the tongue twister, “Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile.” It’s a poem that children will repeat several times in an effort to say it correctly. You will find with the thirteen poems a use of elements that are timeless, “frogs in mud, falling snowflakes, sun that melts our names off glass windows and rainbows.”
Riding rainbows, watching stars and fairies, or licking chocolate off your fingers, the imagery will keep children reading “The Sun is so Quiet” for years to come. The images cross many cultural, ethnic and geographical lines which makes it a book for any child to enjoy.
Connie (the last part)
“quiet…like a quilt on a feather bed…and frost on
The window….we write our names knowing…the sun
Will melt them off
But the sun is so quiet…that we don’t care
We smile
Reviews
Publisher’s Weekly--- The bold, fluid lines of the gouache and tempera compositions make for a particularly eye-catching volume, just right for reeling in the read-aloud crowd and introducing them to the joys of poetry. Ages 4-up.
Booklist--- Of the 13 poems presented here, 12 appeared in books published between 1973 and 1993. The new poem, entitled "Connie," represents the best of Giovanni: a series of quicksilver images that capture a mood to perfection. Painted in Bryan's signature style, the illustrations fill the pages with sunny colors and bold patterns. Although the quality of the art and the verse is uneven, the book has plenty to offer, including illustrations that feature African American children in many cultures and settings and a warmth of feeling in both the poetry and the artwork.
Similar books
PASS IT ON: AFRICAN AMERICAN POEMS FOR CHILDREN by Wade Hudson, and Cheryl Hudson
SPLASH: POEMS ABOUT WATER by Constnace Levy
Giovanni, Nikki. THE SUN IS SO QUIET. Ill Bryan, Ashley. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.
The first poem in “The Sun Is So Quiet” brought back memories of my childhood. Most children will probably ask, “What is “Father John’s Medicine?” It’s a collection that allows you to feel the warmth of winter and the urgent desire for the return of the sun. The bright illustrations by Ashley Bryan connect with each poem to present an isolated moment in time. The many images of children provide a connection with various children’s age groups as well as adults.
Ms. Giovanni stirs your imagination with well placed figurative language. The poem, “Snowflakes,” begins with the simile, “Little boys are like Snowflakes, No two are alike. “ She then has the snowflakes, “waltz around my ears,” and “laugh and go away.”
I enjoyed the tongue twister, “Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile.” It’s a poem that children will repeat several times in an effort to say it correctly. You will find with the thirteen poems a use of elements that are timeless, “frogs in mud, falling snowflakes, sun that melts our names off glass windows and rainbows.”
Riding rainbows, watching stars and fairies, or licking chocolate off your fingers, the imagery will keep children reading “The Sun is so Quiet” for years to come. The images cross many cultural, ethnic and geographical lines which makes it a book for any child to enjoy.
Connie (the last part)
“quiet…like a quilt on a feather bed…and frost on
The window….we write our names knowing…the sun
Will melt them off
But the sun is so quiet…that we don’t care
We smile
Reviews
Publisher’s Weekly--- The bold, fluid lines of the gouache and tempera compositions make for a particularly eye-catching volume, just right for reeling in the read-aloud crowd and introducing them to the joys of poetry. Ages 4-up.
Booklist--- Of the 13 poems presented here, 12 appeared in books published between 1973 and 1993. The new poem, entitled "Connie," represents the best of Giovanni: a series of quicksilver images that capture a mood to perfection. Painted in Bryan's signature style, the illustrations fill the pages with sunny colors and bold patterns. Although the quality of the art and the verse is uneven, the book has plenty to offer, including illustrations that feature African American children in many cultures and settings and a warmth of feeling in both the poetry and the artwork.
Similar books
PASS IT ON: AFRICAN AMERICAN POEMS FOR CHILDREN by Wade Hudson, and Cheryl Hudson
SPLASH: POEMS ABOUT WATER by Constnace Levy
Poetry Break NCTE AWARD POET
Introduction
Ask the class the question, “Who loves ice cream?” Also ask, “What’s their favorite flavor?” Ask them to listen to the poems “Flavors.”
Flavors
By Arnold Adoff
Flavors
Mama is chocolate: you must be swirls
Of dark fudge,
And ripples
Through
Your cocoa curls:
Chips
And
Flips of sprinkles
On your summer face.
Flavors
Daddy is vanilla: you must be mean
Old
Bean
In the morning,
Cherry
Chunks by afternoon,
And
Sweet
Peach sometimes.
But mostly you
Are vanilla
Up
Your
Arms.
Flavors
Me
Is better
Butter: I must be
Pecans
Roasted,
Toasted;
Almond
Wal nut three
Scoop combination
Cone:
Melting under
Kisses.
It is a new color.
It is a new flavor
For
Love.
Extension
Read the poems a second time. Let the children discuss what their feelings are about the poems. Ask the children to write a poem about themselves and they can include pictures. (Their poem doesn’t have to refer to ice cream but it’s alright if it does.) The focus is imagery and their connection with the poems.
Cullinan, Bernice E. A JAR OF TINY STARS. Honesdale: Wordsong, 1996.
Arnold Adoff won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1988. Mr. Adoff loved food and he referred to food in many of his poems. His passion for food is evident in his collections of poems, EAT, GREENS, AND CHOCOLATE DREAMS.
Ask the class the question, “Who loves ice cream?” Also ask, “What’s their favorite flavor?” Ask them to listen to the poems “Flavors.”
Flavors
By Arnold Adoff
Flavors
Mama is chocolate: you must be swirls
Of dark fudge,
And ripples
Through
Your cocoa curls:
Chips
And
Flips of sprinkles
On your summer face.
Flavors
Daddy is vanilla: you must be mean
Old
Bean
In the morning,
Cherry
Chunks by afternoon,
And
Sweet
Peach sometimes.
But mostly you
Are vanilla
Up
Your
Arms.
Flavors
Me
Is better
Butter: I must be
Pecans
Roasted,
Toasted;
Almond
Wal nut three
Scoop combination
Cone:
Melting under
Kisses.
It is a new color.
It is a new flavor
For
Love.
Extension
Read the poems a second time. Let the children discuss what their feelings are about the poems. Ask the children to write a poem about themselves and they can include pictures. (Their poem doesn’t have to refer to ice cream but it’s alright if it does.) The focus is imagery and their connection with the poems.
Cullinan, Bernice E. A JAR OF TINY STARS. Honesdale: Wordsong, 1996.
Arnold Adoff won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1988. Mr. Adoff loved food and he referred to food in many of his poems. His passion for food is evident in his collections of poems, EAT, GREENS, AND CHOCOLATE DREAMS.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Hopkins Anthology
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. DINOSAURS. Ill. Tinkelman, Murray. San Diego: Voyager Books/Harcourt. 1987.
Mr. Hopkins has given us a look back in time through poetry about dinosaurs. The collection includes poems by Hopkins and several poets like; Patricia Hubbell, Valerie Worth, Victoria Day Najjar, and Bernard Most. The theme of this anthology is to remember dinosaurs and to praise these mighty creatures who once roamed the earth. The cover and illustrations connect with the poems (they look old). The book includes a table of content along with poets for each poem. I liked this poem at the beginning of the book that captured the theme.
WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH
by Patricia Hubbell
Brontosaurus, diplodocus, gentle
trachodon,
Dabbled in the muds of time,
Once upon, upon.
.....
Allosaurus awed his foe,
He sawed his friends who passed,
His teeth were made for tearing flesh,
His teeth were made to gnash.
Taller than a building now,
Taller than a tree,
He roamed about the swamp-filled world
And ate his company.
Children learn the names and the habits of dinosaurs by reading this poem. The other poems are enjoyable and educational. It's not a collection about fear or blood and guts. Hopkins connects the past to our museums which house many bones of past dinosaurs. Children can extend their knowledge and be enriched. A poem that indicates their age is "Fossils."
FOSSILS
by Lilian Moore
Older than books,
than scrolls,
older
than the first
tales told
or the
first words
spoken
are the stories
in forests that
turned to
stone
in ice walls
that trapped the
mammoth
in the long
bones of
dinosaurs--
the fossil
stories that begin
Once upon a time
It's an inspiring collection and has encouraged me to search for more poems by the other poets. Children will find it easy to read. 2-6 grades
Review
From School Library Journal--Grade 3-6 Joining the ever-growing collection of dinosaur lore is Hopkins' new poetry anthology. Not a bad idea, and there is no question as to the literary merit of these poems; the poets include Lillian Moore, Myra Cohn Livingston, and Lillian M. Fisher. But Hopkins has dug up bones, not dinosaurs. These poems celebrate museum displays, not teeth-knashing, tail-twitching giants. Although well executed, the black-and-white ink drawings reinforce the book's dreamy and reflective but ultimately static mood. Yes, it's a good book, but one can't help wishing a real tyrannosaurus or two had stumbled onto these pages, to raise the dust and spew a little excitement into these placid poems.
Mr. Hopkins has given us a look back in time through poetry about dinosaurs. The collection includes poems by Hopkins and several poets like; Patricia Hubbell, Valerie Worth, Victoria Day Najjar, and Bernard Most. The theme of this anthology is to remember dinosaurs and to praise these mighty creatures who once roamed the earth. The cover and illustrations connect with the poems (they look old). The book includes a table of content along with poets for each poem. I liked this poem at the beginning of the book that captured the theme.
WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH
by Patricia Hubbell
Brontosaurus, diplodocus, gentle
trachodon,
Dabbled in the muds of time,
Once upon, upon.
.....
Allosaurus awed his foe,
He sawed his friends who passed,
His teeth were made for tearing flesh,
His teeth were made to gnash.
Taller than a building now,
Taller than a tree,
He roamed about the swamp-filled world
And ate his company.
Children learn the names and the habits of dinosaurs by reading this poem. The other poems are enjoyable and educational. It's not a collection about fear or blood and guts. Hopkins connects the past to our museums which house many bones of past dinosaurs. Children can extend their knowledge and be enriched. A poem that indicates their age is "Fossils."
FOSSILS
by Lilian Moore
Older than books,
than scrolls,
older
than the first
tales told
or the
first words
spoken
are the stories
in forests that
turned to
stone
in ice walls
that trapped the
mammoth
in the long
bones of
dinosaurs--
the fossil
stories that begin
Once upon a time
It's an inspiring collection and has encouraged me to search for more poems by the other poets. Children will find it easy to read. 2-6 grades
Review
From School Library Journal--Grade 3-6 Joining the ever-growing collection of dinosaur lore is Hopkins' new poetry anthology. Not a bad idea, and there is no question as to the literary merit of these poems; the poets include Lillian Moore, Myra Cohn Livingston, and Lillian M. Fisher. But Hopkins has dug up bones, not dinosaurs. These poems celebrate museum displays, not teeth-knashing, tail-twitching giants. Although well executed, the black-and-white ink drawings reinforce the book's dreamy and reflective but ultimately static mood. Yes, it's a good book, but one can't help wishing a real tyrannosaurus or two had stumbled onto these pages, to raise the dust and spew a little excitement into these placid poems.
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