Tag Archives: poetry

Singing with Elephants

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by Margarita Engle

Oriol, an 11 year old Cuban immigrant lives in California with her veterinarian parents is a thoughtful, somewhat lonely girl. Things change for her when she meets Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Oriol shares her world of words and learns that in order for change to happen, one must open up and share those words like her new friend. She discovers the strength to do so when a baby elephant that her parents care for is in danger of being sold away from its mother into a life with someone who just wants to use it for entertainment and money. Oriol mobilizes the community with her words and discovers friendships and confidence along the way.

This lyrical story, told in verse form is a beautifully written and carries a message that even the youngest citizens can help the world be a better place. People just need to listen to the words.

Champion Chompers, Super Stinkers and Other Poems by Extraordinary Animals

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written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Aparna Varma

Part science, part poetry and part riddle/puzzle book – what’s not to love about this delightful book? Nineteen animals that are record-holders of some sort (fastest, slowest, tallest, stinkiest and so forth) are introduced by a personified mask poems and a portion of the animal to tease the reader. Turn the page and the full animal is there along with a paragraph detailing its claim to fame along with some well-chosen extra facts. At the end, there is information about protecting endangered animals and suggested websites. There is also guidance about measurements and mask poems. Finally, there is a glossary and recommended reading for further investigation.

The fun game-like format along with the accessible poetry and information makes this a book that should be in everyone’s library. It is nonfiction that can be used in so many ways (examples are animal units, nonfiction studies, poetry units, conservation lessons). But, not only is it a great book for lessons. It is a fascination, fun read for students. And, that makes it a winner in all areas!

A is for Oboe : The Orchestra’s Alphabet by Lera Auerbach and Marilyn Nelson

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“A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet” is a poetic journey through music and instruments. Each letter is on a page or two page spread with at least one musical word. Many are recognizable, such as drum and clarinet. Others are less obvious, like meter and motif. We are introduced to the notion that musical instruments can be a ‘he’ or ‘she’ or even somewhat gender-bending (glockenspiel) because to musicians the instruments are ‘beings’ with character and mood.

Illustrations are vibrant and full of detail, with a great diversity in orchestra members. Text flows and is rich in tone and meaning. This book, while not necessarily a quick read for a student, will be a wonderful read aloud for music teachers as an introduction to the orchestra and all its members/instruments. Recommended

White Rose

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This novel, written in verse, is based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group. Sophie, her brother, and soldiers in his regiment, are disillusioned by Nazi propaganda and together they formed the White Rose,a group that conducted an anonymous leaflet and graffiti campaign for a few years in the 1940s. Sophie and her brother were arrested in 1943 for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators.

The books is organized in sections that move backward and forward in time. We hear Sophie’s thoughts, those of her boyfriend, Fritz, who served in the German army, and those of the Gestapo interrogator. This is a tragic but powerful story which is beautifully told. It is appropriate for middle school and high school students, and adults interested in history and novel in verse will also appreciate White Rose.

EL Crossover by Kwame Alexander

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This is the Spanish edition of Kwame Alexander’s award winning novel in verse, Crossover. This is the story of two 12 year old brothers, Josh and Jordan Bell, who live and breathe basketball. They are whizzes at the crossover dribble (a player dribbling the ball switches the ball rapidly from one hand to the other, to make a change in direction in an effort to deceive the defender). Things start to fall apart when Jordan meets the new girl at school.

Crossover won the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. 

Having a Spanish edition of this popular title will be a real asset to our school libraries, and is relevant to upper elementary, middle school and high school students.

Gone Camping

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In a follow up to the popular Gone Fishing, a camping trip with grandpa is told through a variety of poetry forms. Siblings Lucy and Sam head off to the woods with grandpa when their dad comes down with a cold. Lucy is skeptical about the ‘fun’ of a trip, but Sam is all in. Their adventures, from setting up the tent to early morning fishing, are all part of a trip that goes from bad idea to wonderfully exciting for Lucy.

Each poem tells part of the story and is labeled with the poetry form, which is described in the back of the book. Poetry rhythm, rhyme and techniques are also explained, making this book multi-faceted. It is a series of short poems that expand into a full story for the reader. In addition to reading this for fun (highly recommended), this book can be used very successfully for a poetry unit.

Illustrations are done in black ink and are scattered liberally throughout the story. They add to the fun and exuberance of the words.

This book is a wonderful tribute to time spent with a grandparent. Adventures range from worries about possible critters in the tent to yummy s’mores and cannonballs into the lake. Who wouldn’t love to spend time with a grandpa (or any loving adult) doing just that?

Crawly School for Bugs: Poems to Drive You Buggy

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Who would have thought that bugs could be fun? Well, open this book of bug poetry and be prepared to laugh your way through a day of fun at insect school. These little critters are learning some important lessons in each poem. For example, Hiding from Spiders: Run, Don’t Count. “Teacher says, Don’t count their eyes, If you count eight- it’s too late.” And, the school motto is spot-on: “Never eat a friend at school”.

The short, rhyming poems with the accompanying humorous, multi-media illustrations are a perfect introduction to insects and poetry. The language is lively and is matched well to the actions of the buggy students and staff of this very unique school. Readers will giggle their way through a day at insect school. Add this book to your poetry collection to liven it up a bit. Highly Recommended

Vanilla by Billy Merrell

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Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

The book Vanilla by Billy Merrell is beautifully written and have quickly become one of my favorites. The story follows two high school boys, Vanilla and Hunter, who have been in love since middle school. Their relationship is based first on friendship and later on romantic feelings. Although things have progressed physically over time, Hunter is ready for much more than Vanilla is ready to give. The two are struggling in their relationship for the first time; both are emotionally invested and have feeling of love for one another, but Vanilla continually backs away from sex any time the two discuss it or get close to trying – ultimately causing a rift between the two. Written in verse, Vanilla, will appeal to reluctant readers because of the lyrical nature and the unusual formatting, it makes for a very quick read. Ultimately, Vanilla allows readers to watch as the characters struggle with their own sense of self-discovery. Anyone looking to add diverse reads to their collection should consider Vanilla a must-have.

Voices from the March on Washington

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This book in verse tells the story of the March on Washington through the (fictional) voices of many. The focus is on the voices of six, representing a cross-section of those who were there on the mall in Washington. While many think of that day as the day Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous speech, the amazing poems in this book speak of what some people endured to get to D. C., why they came, what their hopes and aspirations were. They describe personal moments: hearing Mahalia Jackson sing, drinking from the same water fountains as whites for the first time in their lives, the awe inspired by such an immense yet peaceful demonstration when they were so conditioned to violence. The inspirational poems make this historical event accessible to students who might not pick up a history book by choice.  Another excellent addition to any library in commemoration of those events.