A Jar of Tiny Stars

Bibliography:
Cullinan, Bernice E. 1996. A JAR OF TINY STARS. Honesdale, PA: Boyd's Mill Press. ISBN: 9781563970870.





Review:
Bernice E. Cullinan's A Jar of Tiny Stars is a collection of 50 poems written by 10 NCTE Award-Winning Poets. The poems were selected first by teachers and then students around the county were asked to choose their favorite five poems for each of the 10 poets. The collection itself contains poems on a wide range of topics such as the joy in changing seasons, such as David McCord's “Snowman” and John Ciardi's “Summer Song”, the excitement of new experiences like building one's first sand castle in Lilian Moore's “Mine”, and expressing the love and happiness felt from one's household pet in “My Cat and I” penned by Aileen Fisher. A Jar of Tiny Stars is a collection full of light, laughter, and happiness that children will embrace wholeheartedly.

Excerpt: “Shell”

When it was time
for Show and Tell,
Adam brought a big pink shell.

He told about
the ocean roar
and walking on the sandy shore.

And then he passed
the shell around.
We listened to the water sound.

And that's the first time
I could hear
the wild waves calling to my ear.

Introducing the poem:
A Jar of Tiny Stars was published 15 years ago, but its shine has not diminished. Although readers of any age will delight in these award-winning poems, they are best suited for kids 10 years and younger. Cullinan's collection could be introduced in a classroom setting depending on the poems or the author. Poems pertaining to seasons can be introduced as the seasons change. Also, a lesson on a particular poet could lead to an introduction to some of his/her poems. Many of the poems speak of first experiences, new friends, and favorite animals which could lead to class discussions and the sharing of ideas and memories.

Dizzy In Your Eyes

Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 2010. DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375843754.





Review:
Pat Mora's Dizzy in your eyes is a collection of poems about love and the different types of love. Many poems are about first love and crushes while others talk about the love shared between family members, friends, and even the household pet as in “My Cross-eyed Cat.” Not only is young love celebrated, but real emotions such as anger, heartbreak, desire, and laughter are expressed. Written in an array of styles and forms, Mora's collection is an honest and true representation of love.

Excerpt:

“Dear _____,”

“... When I listen to music, I imagine
slow dancing with you, and you whisper
into my hair, “You are my one true love,”
and I smile and know
why people write music and paint
and dance, lifted as if they can fly,
because this ache
crashing inside
needs to be free.
Sometimes, love
becomes a melody
others hum for years.”

Introducing the Poem:

The best environment to introduce Pat Mora's Dizzy in Your Eyes would be at a young adult level. Whether in middle school or high school, students will relate to Mora's collection of love poems because it speaks of the day to day interactions and experience's that are evidence of how people love one another. Dizzy in Your Eyes is a great tool that will inspire teens to express their feelings in their own unique style.

Dinothesaurus

Bibliography
Florian, Douglas. 2009. DINOTHESAURUS. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. ISBN: 9781416979784



Review:

In Dinothesaurs, Florian blends imaginative art work, educational details, and humorous verses to create pleasurable reading experience. Each poem in the collection spotlights a different species of dinosaur and a pronunciation guide. The poems themselves combine humor and interesting facts. “ In “Tyrannosaurus Rex”, T-Rex is described as, “ Some forty feet long. Some fourteen feet tall. Its back limbs were strong. Its front limbs were small.” In “Spinosaurus” readers will delight in Florian's comical lines, “ What kept the Spinosaurus warm/ When it was colder than the norm?/ Spines much like a solar panel. (And long underwear of flannel.?”, as well as Florian’s art that shows the large reptile clad in flannel pajamas. With its lighthearted but educational tone, Florian's Dinothesaurs is sure to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Excerpt:

“Barosasurs”

I'm higher than five elephants.
I'm longer than most whales.
My giant neck is balanced by
My forty-three-foot tail.
A tail that is my weapon.
It swings from side to side.
From nose to tail I'm ninety feet-
Hey kid, ya wanna ride?


Introducing the poem:

Although Dinothesaurs would be more suitable for younger readers, parents and teachers will enjoy reading this as well. Dinothesaurs would be a great choice as a story-time choice. Also, for classrooms, Dinothesarus would be a great starting point in introducing a lesson on dinosaurs and the different geological time periods.

Keeping the Night Watch

Bibliography

Smith, Hope Anita. 2008. Illus.by E.B. Lewis. KEEPING THE NIGHT WATCH. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN: 9780805072020


Review:

In this emotionally charged story, C.J., a young boy, deals with the fact that his father, who once deserted the family, has now returned. His feelings of resentment, anger, and distrust are expressed expertly by Hope Anita Smith. In Keeping the Night Watch, C.J.'s family begins to accept their Dad's place in the family while C.J. avoid his father and struggles with feelings of betrayal and resentment. As time goes by, C.J. Begins to heal, he and his father resolve their issues and learn to embrace one another. Smith concludes the story by having the whole family dance away their anger and pain, “They dance to free themselves for their fears. They dance to exercise their sadness. They dance to celebrate the ties that bind.”


Excerpt: “Mountain Climbing:

It takes
all of Daddy's energy to
move his words across the chasm
that separate us.
When he speaks, he words echo
and have lost all meaning when
they finally reach my ear.
I hope, one day,
that my snowy mountain of anger will be
so weighed down with Daddy's apology,
I will be overwhelmed
by an avalanche of forgiveness.

Introducing the Poem:

Definitely targeted for older children in middle school or high school, this book deals with sensitive issues such as single parent household and serious emotions such as anger, fear, and resentment. This a great read that will open up young people's eyes to the many struggles that people face. For those that come from a two-parent household great understanding and empathy will be gained for those that come from single parent homes. For students that have actually dealt with these family issues, Hope Anita Smith's words offer support and show there's reason to hope and that there's joy in forgiving.

Sharing the Seasons: a book of poems

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennet. 2010. Ill. By David Diaz. SHARING THE SEASONS: A BOOK OF POEMS. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 9781416902102.

Review:

In Sharing the Season, Lee Bennet Hopkins has selected an array of poems that celebrate each season of the year. There are 48 poems in all with each season receiving 12 poems. Hopkins's collections features many talented poets such as Marilyn Singer, Carl Sandburg, and even several by Hopkins himself. Many of the poems display various patterns as well as similes. Personification is also used as in Karla Kuskin's “Moon, Have you met my mother?” in which the snow says it can make everything more beautiful even “warehouses, train tracks, and old fence, cement. Readers of every age will love to read this collection and the long wintry days and warm cozy autumns of their memories.

Excerpt: “Winter” by Lee Bennet Hopkins

Snowballs
snow people
icicles
frost.

always-
always-
a mitten or two lost

scarves
boots
earmuffs
sleighs

and
books
to curl up with
on
long
wintry
days.

Introducing the poem:

Although the book and the poems are a little more advanced for young readers, even the youngest of readers will be drawn in by Diaz's illustrations. Bright yellows and pinks color springtime and summer, warm brown and orange depict autumn, and winter is wrapped in soft white and blue. This collection is easy to introduce to a class as it follows the seasons and major holidays. Many of the poems could be introduced at the beginning of the day to welcome the season and celebrate the holiday.

Stampede!: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School

Biblography:
Salas, Laura Purdie. 2009 STAMPEDE!: POEMS TO CELEBRATE THE WILD SIDE OF SCHOOL. New York, NY. Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780618914883



Review:
In Stampede, Laura Purdie Salas invites us into the crazy and zany world of school. Traditional new student experiences are described such as getting lost in a new school and typical school experiences that induce such emotions as fear, loneliness, embarrassment, and frustration are dealt with in a comical light- hearted tone that will have everyone laughing and sharing similar stories. Salas reinforces the comparison of the school as a wild zoo by dotting her poems with metaphor and simile such as the the child that is afraid of his own stench drawn as a skunk and the poem titled “Blush” that compares a girl running away from her crush to “blazing cardinal, winging away.” With Stampede, Salas, helps students learn to laugh at their embarrassments and to realize that they are not alone in fear and frustrations.

Excerpts: “Nesting”

I'm one quiet fox.
My desk is my den,
with quizzes, smooth rocks, and
a note from a friend.

I tuck deep inside
the hollowed-out wood
to make me feel safe when I'm
not understood.


Introducing the poem:
With the entire book of poems entirely set in a school environment students will have no problem relating to the poems. Also, not only will the poems grab their attentions but the bright and comical illustrations will cause many fits of unruly laughter. One way to introduce the poems in a fun way would be to read them to the class as they are applicable such as the first day of class, lunch time, picture day, and recces. Children will learn that others share the same fears and joys as they do and may be interested in sharing their similar experiences.