Blushing: Expressions of love in poems and letters

Bibliography: Janeczko, Paul B. 2004. BLUSHING: EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE IN POEMS AND LETTERS. New York, NY: Orchard Books. ISBN: 9780439530569

Review: Love is the subject of Paul Janeczko's collection titled Blushing. In Blushing, a myriad of thoughts and feelings are expressed on the subject of love in four sections by some of the world's most beloved poets including William Butler Yeats, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, and Emily Dickinson. New love, first love, and love at first sight are expressed in “The Beginning of Love”. In “ In Love” poets express their passion and devotion as their relationship matures. “Alone in Love” features poems regarding unrequited love and the loneliness that occurs when lovers are separated. The “End of Love” details the the saddest and most terrible feelings associated with the dissolving of the most special connection two people can share and “Remembering Love” recalls the feelings of love lost and calls to mind the desires and passion that two people share over a lifetime.

Excerpt: “The End of Love”
The end of love should be a big event.
It should involve the hiring of a hall.
Why the hell not? It happens to us all.
Why should it pass without acknowledgment?

Suits should be dry-cleaned, invitations sent.
Whatever form it takes- a tiff, a brawl-
The end of love should be a big event.
It should involve the hiring of a hall.

Better than the unquestioning descent
Into the trap of silence, than the crawl
From visible to hidden, door to wall.

Get the announcement made, the money spent.
The end of love should be a big event.
It should involve the hiring of a hall.

Introducing the Poem: Definitely intended for an older audience, high school and beyond, Paul Janeczko's collection features poems regarding the topic for which poetry was created. Blushing features the most heartfelt poems and acts like sweet nectar for the soul. These ethereal and timeless poems have the power to awake the fire in the coldest heart, elicit passion in a wanting vessel, assuage the pain of a crushing break-up, and soothe one's aching memory of lost love. This collection would be best introduced by having students try their hand at poetry by recalling their own thoughts and feeling about love whether that feeling be anger, joy, or pain.

Tap Dancing on The Roof: Sijo (Poems)

Bibliography:Park, Linda Sue. 2007. Ill. By Istvan Banyai. TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978061823483.

Review: In Linda Sue Park's Tap Dancing on the Roof, Park presents 27 joyous and youthful poems in the sijo format. The sijo is much like the Japanese haiku, but it orginates from Korea. The sijo format consist of three lines with fourteen to sixteen syllables. The last line of each sijo is considered to be the the joke or as Park calls it the “twist” which contains humor, play on words, or irony. The lighthearted collection feature poems about a variety of topics such as breakfast, summertime, tennis, and art class. Tap Dancing on the Roof features an introduction by Park which gives a brief overview of what a sijo entails and the collection of poems also features an author's note and helpful tips for the reader to create and write a sijo himself/herself.

Excerpt: “Day's End”
All around, the volume turns down low.
The dark grows gently to fill
each room with peace, and me with sleep.
My mind slips out to play...


...in a world without walls.
Kaleidoscope...Calliope...Collage!


Introducing the Poem:
Due to the wide variety of subject matter Tap Dancing on the Roof, with its the youthful sijos, will resonate with children of all ages. The lively and childlike illustrations by Istvan Banjai bring the poems to life and will most certainly captivate the attention of all readers. Linda Sue Park's entertaining collection would be a great tool in introducing the sijo format. Most school children are familiar with haiku, but much less are aware of the Korean sijo. Due to the detailed and helpful instructions contained in the back of the book, children can be encouraged and inspired to experiment with and create their own special sijo.

Salting The Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets

Bibliography: Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2000. Ill. By Ashley Bryan. SALTING THE OCEAN. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 9780688161934


Review: In Nye's diverse collection titled Salting the Ocean, 100 poems are introduced by 100 different poets who were also students that Nye worked with over the years. Salting the Ocean has a wide range of poetic forms including but not limited to: free verse, couplets, ballads, and quatrains. The collection is organized by being separated into four sections with 20-30 poems in each. In “The Self and the Inner World” poems that contain introspective thoughts about the writer are presented. In the section, “Where We Live” poems reveal the thoughts and feelings the poets have toward the area they live in whether that be a street, a town, or the whole world. In “Anybody's Family” poets share their innermost desires and feelings towards their friends and loved one such as the poem titled, “My Dad”. In “The Wide Imagination”, this section may perhaps contain the more artistic and thought provoking poems that reveal how the poets see the world around them or how the poets view themselves and their own talent.

Excerpt: “My Dad”

My father sails he sails
in his sleep he sails when he's awake
I think he falls asleep by listening
to the waves hit the hull of his imaginary boat
and the sail clanging against the mast
I love my father I know he will
fall asleep and never awake
but I will be happy because he
will still be sailing in his lake.

William V. Lange


Introducing the Poem: Since the collection features poems written by students from grades one through twelve, the anthology is appropriate for any age and perfect for any level. Although some sections of the collection may be too difficult for the younger readers with so many poems to choose from readers of any age will definetly find something to relate to whether that be a poem about a family member or the beauty of nature. Due to all the different poetry formats available in Nye's collection this book would be a great introduction to the different types of poetry. Teachers and Librarians could spotlight a different format and share the poems that fall under that category.

Seeing Emily

Bibliography: Wong, Joyce lee. 2005. SEEING EMILY. New York, NY: ABRAMS Books. ISBN: 9780810957572. Review: Written in elegant free verse, Seeing Emily is a typical tale of a not so typical 16 year old girl. Emily is a high school student dealing with all the troubles that being a teenager entails, but must also handle the struggle that comes with being a Chinese-American. In Wong's debut novel, readers accompany the lovely Emily on her journey of first love, disappointments, revelations, and self-discovery. During her journey of self-discovery she deals with the responsibilities of school, working in her family's restaurant, and a new boyfriend. Emily also struggles with her identity as Chinese and American. She longs to please her parents who have traditional Chinese values and with the ways of the land she has always called her home. It is not until Emily visits Taiwan with a family friend that Emily comes to the realization that she does not have to be one or the other, she can be both Chinese and American, and completely herself. Excerpt: "Speaking the Language" "...Mama and Baba say I used to speak beautiful Chinese, my accent clear and the tones perfect. But then when I started kindergarten, I remember how the other kids laughed at the way I couldn't understand any English at all. Mama says it wasn't long before I spoke English exactly like my classmates. But she said I refused to speak Chinese anymore. Even at home with just Baba and Mama and no one else to hear, they spoke Chinese to me and I answered them in English. Introducing the Poem: Seeing Emily is definitely a novel aimed for high schoolers and readers who enjoy the verse novel format will love this novel. Seeing Emily will definitely appeal to first generation Americans, but will also appeal to those that feel like outsiders. Seeing Emily is a great novel to introduce to those new to poetry or those that dislike the more challenging formats due to it's relateable story and fun format.

Messing Around the Monkey Bars

Bibliography: Franco, Betsy. 2009. MESSING AROUND THE MONKEY BARS. Ill. by Jessie Hartland. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Review: Franco’s Messing around the monkey bars includes 19 poems written about the zany and fun field experiences that can occur during school hours. From wild bus rides, classroom boredom, to the uncontainable anticipation for recess this book bring alive the typical school day. Franco also gives an introduction to the book which details how the poems are intended to be read. Each line that is bolded should be read by an entire class or a group and each line that is not bolded should be read by an individual. When read aloud in classroom environment Betsy Franco’s poems come alive and are sure to bring a fun and memorable experience to all participants.

Excerpt: "I Can’t Wait."

Today’s the day I can’t wait. At recess time, I won’t be late. I’ll meet you by the mulberry tree. And then you’ll make the trade with me. I’ll trade my little green iguana… For my little sister Donna!

Introducing the Poem: Messing around on the Monkey Bars was written with the intent to be experienced not just read so introducing the poem to a classroom environment is necessary. Franco’s book is a great introduction to poetry as its subject matter will relate to its readers and that each poem is intended for two or more voices. Although the poems can be read silently, the poems make more sense, and are more enjoyable, when read by a small group or an entire class. Teachers may take joy in splitting the students up into small groups in order to perform individual poems in front of the class.

This is Just to Say

Bibliography: Sidman, Joyce. 2007. THIS IS JUST TO SAY Ill.by Pamela Zargarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618616800

Review: Inspired by Williams Carlos Williams' simplistic but beautiful poem by the same name, This Is Just To Say is a collection of poems based on forgivness and apologies of Ms. Merz's sixth grade class. The collection of poems is separated into two sections. The first part consists of apologies and the second half of the book contains responses to some of the previous section's poems. The poems have a range of style, type and mood. The collection contains free verse poems, haiku, rhymes, pantoums, and more. Many are laugh out loud funny such as “I got carried Away” by Reuben who apologized to his friend, Kyle for an overzealous game of dodge ball while others are heart wrenching such as Raneesha's “A Waste of Heart” which expresses her hurt feeling over an unrequited love.

The illustrations contained in This is Just to Say are also a highlight of the book. The illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski, created the art with a sixth grader and an art teacher in mind. Each poem receives its own illustration and each is specific to the poem. Many of the illustrations are cartoonish and comical much like the poems themselves. The poems and illustrations of This is Just to Say come together to create an enjoyable reading experience.

Excerpt: Dodge Ball Crazy Sorry, /Reubs,/ for belting you/ as hard/ as I could/ in dodge ball/ I'd like/ to say/ I wouldn't/ do it again/ but I'd/ be lying by Kyle

Introducing the Poem: This Is Just to Say would be great to introuduce to an English class of any age though those in middle school and younger grades would be best. This collection would be great to use in introducing poetry for the first time due to it's wide range of topics and wide range of poetic styles. Students new to poetry will understand that poetry can be written in any style they wish and regarding any topic they desire to write about whether that be dodgeball, a pet hamester, or even a delicious plate of brownies. A classroom may even be inspired to create their own series of apology poems after reading This Is Just To Say.

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano

Bibliography:
Engle, Margarita.2006. THE POET SLAVE OF CUBA: A BIOGRAPHY OF JUAN FRANCISCO MANZANO. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN: 9780307583079

Review: Margarita Engle writes the moving biography of the famous poet Juan Francisco Manzano. The biography details Juan's early life, as a slave who yearns for freedom and education. At times, Juan finds joy and solace in other's words. At the same time, Juan also begins to develop a talent for reciting poems and for creating his own poetry. At other times throughout the novel the reader is made aware of the harsh realities of slavery like when Juan's master discovers him looking at her books she reacts by locking Juan in a cellar with a piece of charcoal in order to remind him of his hopeless situation. Through each of the novel's hopeless situations, Juan is able to do the impossible; by holding dear his love of poetry, Juan is able to endure the pain of of his past and present and hope for a better future. Told in free verse, this impressive biography is difficult to read, but at the same time extremely hard to put down. Readers will be intrigued by Juan's story and enthralled by his unceasing hope for a better life.

Excerpt: “Juan''

My mind is a brush made of feathers
painting pictures of words
I remember
all that I see
every syllable
each word a twin of itself
telling two stories
at the same time
one of sorrow
the other hope

I love the words
written with my feathery mind
in the air
and with my sharp fingernails
on leaves in the garden

When my owner catches
a whiff
of the fragrance
of words
engraved in the flesh
of succulent geranium leaves
or the perfumed petals of alelí flowers
then she frowns because she knows
that I dream
with my feathers
my wings

Poetry cools me, syllables calm me
I read the verses of others
the free men
and know
that I'm never alone

Poetry sets me aflame
I grow furious
dangerous, a blaze
of soul and heart, a fiery tongue
a lantern at midnight.

Introducing the Poem:
Due to it's realistic account of the realities of slavery this book is best presented to an older audience such as students in higher middle grades and high school students. Engle's biography would be great in a classroom environment for a lesson on slavery. Also, for an English class, students could use Engle's biography as a resource for a project or the instructor could create an entire lesson revolving around The Poet Slave of Cuba. The Poet Slave of Cuba is a realistic and though provoking story that gives readers a glimpse into Juan's amazing life. Those that read Juan's story will finish Engle's biography wanting to know more about the inspiring poet Juan Francisco Manzano.