POETRY BY KIDS

SOFT HAY WILL CATCH YOU

Photo Retrieved from Amazon.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compiled by Lyne, Sandford. SOFT HAY WILL CATCH YOU: POEMS BY YOUNG PEOPLE. Ill. by Julie Monks. Simon and Schuster: New York, NY, 2004. ISBN  978-0689834608

B. REVIEW AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this anthology collected by Sandford Lyne, young writers fro eight to eighteen share their thoughts on life, loneliness, and family.  It is the result of spending his time working with students and teaching them the art of writing and poetry. This compilation of one hundred poems is set up in six sections by theme, such as "The Inward Fire", "My Fire Casts Shadows", and "Smoke and Embers."  The poems are short, and demonstrate features such as imagery and free verse writing.  This collection touches on many emotions, and is a great book to share with readers of all ages.  The work done in this collection reminds us that poetry is for everyone, and everyone has the potential to write beautiful and resonating poems.  With just a few words and lines, these children share the infinite emotional interconnections we share as human beings.  From losing a pet to leaving one's home country, there is a poem in this book for everyone.

This collection includes a table of contents, and an index of the poets featured in the book. The illustrations by Julie Monks are featured delicately among the pages, and compliment the poetry nicely.

C. HIGHLIGHT POEM AND POETRY BREAK

For Social Studies, when discussing Economics, such as work and earning money, present this poem to the class.

All Work No Play

I've worked all day
and now my body is full of hurt.
My father says you have to work
to make a living.
Now as the sun goes down
I think about today.
He didn't make me work
so I would be mad.
He made me work so I could make
more out of my life.
That's why I got to drive the tractor.
That's why I got to hammer the nails.
And now as I settle down for bed
I pray for my father.

After reading this poem, discuss thoughts about work.  Ask these questions:

• Why do our parents make us do chores?
• Should they let us learn how to work once we are old enough?
• What is the value in helping our parents?
• Why did he pray for his father?

FREE CHOICE

GIFT TAG

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 A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vardell, Sylvia & Janet Wong. GIFT TAG.  PoetryTagTime.com, 2011. ASIN B0069RU7CE

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND REVIEW

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong teamed together to tag and create an anthology of poems written by twenty-eight notable poets, on a set of three simple rules. This is a fun and playful collection of poems and interesting photographs.   Given these rules, poets such as Jane Yolen, Charles Waters, and Helen Frost take their writing hand and make poetry writing seem effortless and easy.

Using a photo, thoughts upon seeing the photo, and a maximum of 250 characters, these poets managed to create deeply meaningful works, all intended for a Kindle version of the book.  The single pages are a nice feature, as they allow the reader to first study the photo, then read the poem. These poems are each truly a gift, as they pull together the many tender feelings about tradition and the spirit of the Holidays.  In "Nativity," Lee Bennett Hopkins writes about a photo of a stained glass portrait of the Nativity scene at the Birth of Christ.  This was my favorite, as all of the traditions and familiar objects of Christmas come together in this very short poem.  

In this unique format, the websites provided in the foreword are a nice feature, and the information about each author at the end is great for more exploration.  Information is provided about the photographs, and the ideas shared about how to use photography was an added bonus!

C. HIGHLIGHT POEM AND POETRY BREAK

This is a great book to present over a projector, since it is intended for a Kindle.  I have my Kindle account set to my PC, so it is easy to project books this way.   

Schedule time in a computer class or a cart with laptops, iPads, etc. Read and present through the projector the following poem:

Gift Tag by Janet Wong 

I was about to write 

with love

from me to you

but that sounded too aw-

fully familiar so I’ll write 

just our names. Nothing 

else, only your name, 

happy on its own line, 

and mine, joined, sharing 

all that is unwritten.

Discuss the poem as a class.  Have students find a picture about school that means something special to them.  Encourage them to choose much like in the book: simple, unassuming, and clear.  Once they choose their photo, they can write something about the photo using 250 characters or less.  

Vardell, Sylvia; Janet Wong (2011-11-17). Gift Tag (PoetryTagTime Book 3) (Kindle Locations 240-244). PoetryTagTime.com. Kindle Edition. 

AN EXTRA REVIEW I REALLY ENJOYED

HONEYBEE: POEMS AND SHORT PROSE

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A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nye, Naomi Shihab. HONEYBEE: POEMS AND SHORT PROSE. Greenwillow Books: NY, NY: 2008. ISBN 9780060853907

B. REVIEW AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Naomi Nye begins her book of poetry and prose with an introduction into how she became interested and involved with the lives of bees.  She provides a wonderful background into her study of bees for her writing, and shares many of her findings in these insightful first few pages.

In this mix of poetry and prose, Nye connects bees lives to the the lives of our own.  She blends this poetry with a first person narrative of relationships, politics, and the simple journeys of life.  As an Arab-American, the main character brings a thoughtful approach to everyday life and nature through her point of view.

Nye provides insight into the natural and often unnoticed connection between nature and human existence.  The delicate balance between this insect and our existence is highlighted, as she plays thoughtfully throughout the book with her poems about these creatures.