Carver, a Life in Poems. By Marilyn Nelson. ISBN # 1-886910-53-7
This book is a poetic biographyabout George Washington Carver was born a slave some time around 1864 and was raised by a white couple that had owned Carver’s mother. He went on to be a world renowned botanist, artist, and inventor.
Marilyn Nelson writes this biography in chronological order and does a beautiful job of intermingling her poems with actual photos of George Washington Carver. The poems capture the true feelings of Carver as he travels on a fantastic journey. Carver’s personality comes through beautifully in these poems. We see Carver as a humble, intelligent man who quietly follows his diverse passions. A religious man, Carver spent his life helping Black farmers produce increased yields of crops as well as the other pursuits mentioned above.
It is the beauty of Nelson’s poems that make this book such a success. In a regular biography of Carver, an author might say that Carver was a quiet, intelligent man who was nicely treated by strangers, but Nelson, in the poem “A Charmed Life” has another way:
Here Breathes a solitary pilgrim sustained by dew
And the kindness of strangers. An astonished Midas
Surrounded by exponentially multiplying miracles:
Many of these poems are written in the voice of people from Carver’s life. This adds to the bank of evidence to show that George Washington was an exceptional man. Marilyn Nelson couldn’t have done a better job to show this.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
A Fire in the Hands, by Gary Soto
A Fire in My Hands. By Gary Soto. ISBN # 978-0-15-205564-6
This book is a collection of poems about Gary Soto’s youth in Fresno, CA. This book’s 32 poems capture his everyday teen years. A few of these 32 poems deal with more recent times in Soto’s life.
Soto does a good job of showing the reader how he felt growing up in Fresno. His poems deal with varied topics from his first date to how bad he is at math. My favorite poem is titled “Door-to-Door”, which is about Soto’s experience of going door-to-door when Soto’s mom sold Avon products. In this poem, Soto clearly shows how he disliked one customer, not because the customer was cheap but because how his mother was disrespected.
There two things in this book that distract from the poetry. First, every poem has an explanation of what motivated the poem. I think that this distracts from the mystery of the poetry. Secondly, the interview with Soto does not add to the poetry. The interview and the explanations of each poem give this book an instructional flavor, which is something I did not expect when I opened this book.
This book is a collection of poems about Gary Soto’s youth in Fresno, CA. This book’s 32 poems capture his everyday teen years. A few of these 32 poems deal with more recent times in Soto’s life.
Soto does a good job of showing the reader how he felt growing up in Fresno. His poems deal with varied topics from his first date to how bad he is at math. My favorite poem is titled “Door-to-Door”, which is about Soto’s experience of going door-to-door when Soto’s mom sold Avon products. In this poem, Soto clearly shows how he disliked one customer, not because the customer was cheap but because how his mother was disrespected.
There two things in this book that distract from the poetry. First, every poem has an explanation of what motivated the poem. I think that this distracts from the mystery of the poetry. Secondly, the interview with Soto does not add to the poetry. The interview and the explanations of each poem give this book an instructional flavor, which is something I did not expect when I opened this book.
Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech
Love That Dog, a Novel. By Sharon Creech. ISBN # 0-06-440959-7
This is a novel written in free verse poetry in which Jack, a member of Miss Stretchberry’s English class, is introduced to poetry. In a spare fashion, Creech writes about Jack’s growth considering the understanding and joy of poetry. In the beginning of the story, Jack says that poetry is for girls. Every so slowly, Jack begins to embrace poetry as the great poets introduce him to some of the famous poems. Jack soon challenges his own naiveté with poetry, and tries to write his own. True, his poems are directly modeled after what he is reading, but at the same time he stops criticizes the poets and poems, and begins to enjoy the poetry. Jack loves the poetry of Walter Dean Myers and invites him to his class.
Sharon Creech knows her poetry and she nicely interjects some great poems in this text. For example, Jack is exposed to “The Red Wheelbarrow, by William Carlos Williams and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost among others.
This is a cute little book that doesn’t deal with life or death issues but just the love of poetry.
This is a novel written in free verse poetry in which Jack, a member of Miss Stretchberry’s English class, is introduced to poetry. In a spare fashion, Creech writes about Jack’s growth considering the understanding and joy of poetry. In the beginning of the story, Jack says that poetry is for girls. Every so slowly, Jack begins to embrace poetry as the great poets introduce him to some of the famous poems. Jack soon challenges his own naiveté with poetry, and tries to write his own. True, his poems are directly modeled after what he is reading, but at the same time he stops criticizes the poets and poems, and begins to enjoy the poetry. Jack loves the poetry of Walter Dean Myers and invites him to his class.
Sharon Creech knows her poetry and she nicely interjects some great poems in this text. For example, Jack is exposed to “The Red Wheelbarrow, by William Carlos Williams and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost among others.
This is a cute little book that doesn’t deal with life or death issues but just the love of poetry.
Winter Poems
Winter Poems. Selected by Barbara Rogasky. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. ISBN # 0-590-42873-X
This book positively captures the different feelings and moods of winter. This is possible, in part, because of the beautiful merging of the poetry and wonderful illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. The mood can be light like this short passage from “I Heard a Bird Sing” by Oliver Herford
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
An anonymous Japanese poet shows a more somber mood in “Moon”.
The moon hangs up at night;
Her beams are cold and bright;
Seeing her shadow low
The water’s frozen now.
The list of poets selected by Barbara Rogasky is like a who’s who in the last 200 years of poetry. Some of the poets included in this volume are: William Shakespeare, Wallace Stevens, Richard Wright, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, and Carl Sandburg. With the list of poets just mentioned, you might think that this book is not approachable for tweens. This is not the case. As an adult, I have read this book numerous times, and I enjoy more with each new reading.
This book positively captures the different feelings and moods of winter. This is possible, in part, because of the beautiful merging of the poetry and wonderful illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. The mood can be light like this short passage from “I Heard a Bird Sing” by Oliver Herford
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
An anonymous Japanese poet shows a more somber mood in “Moon”.
The moon hangs up at night;
Her beams are cold and bright;
Seeing her shadow low
The water’s frozen now.
The list of poets selected by Barbara Rogasky is like a who’s who in the last 200 years of poetry. Some of the poets included in this volume are: William Shakespeare, Wallace Stevens, Richard Wright, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, and Carl Sandburg. With the list of poets just mentioned, you might think that this book is not approachable for tweens. This is not the case. As an adult, I have read this book numerous times, and I enjoy more with each new reading.
Jazz- A.B.Z
The Jazz A·B·Z. By Wynton Marsalis. Illustrated by Paul Rogers. ISBN 0-7636-2135-8
This is a beautiful and informative book that provides an introduction to 26 jazz giants. The cover of the book is designed to look like an album cover, and the title page looks like a 78 record. For each letter of the alphabet there is an alliterated poem about a different jazz artist and a poster-like illustration that is striking enough to frame. In the back of the book there is a biography of each artist and extensive notes on the various poetic forms, along with an explanation of why a particular form was chosen to write about a particular musician. For example, the notes explain that a haiku was selected for Thelonius Monk because “What a good haiku must do is create a sharp, pure, and resonant image, like the deep-song sound of Thelonius Monk’s piano and the short distinctive themes that characterize his compositions.” Using poems to convey the feel of each artist’s style is an interesting concept, but at times the constriction of alphabetic alliteration weakens the poetry.
This is a beautiful and informative book that provides an introduction to 26 jazz giants. The cover of the book is designed to look like an album cover, and the title page looks like a 78 record. For each letter of the alphabet there is an alliterated poem about a different jazz artist and a poster-like illustration that is striking enough to frame. In the back of the book there is a biography of each artist and extensive notes on the various poetic forms, along with an explanation of why a particular form was chosen to write about a particular musician. For example, the notes explain that a haiku was selected for Thelonius Monk because “What a good haiku must do is create a sharp, pure, and resonant image, like the deep-song sound of Thelonius Monk’s piano and the short distinctive themes that characterize his compositions.” Using poems to convey the feel of each artist’s style is an interesting concept, but at times the constriction of alphabetic alliteration weakens the poetry.
Sing a Song of Popcorn
Sing a Song of Popcorn, Every Child’s Book of Poems. Selected by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, Eva Moore, Mary Michaels White, and Jan Car. Illustrated by Marcia Brown, Leo and Diane Dillon, Richard Egielski, Trina Schart Hyman, Arnold Lobel, Maurice Sendak, Marc Simont, and Margot Zemach. ISBN # 0-590-40645-0
This volume of 128 poems is a varied collection. Drawn from all poetry, ancient to contemporary. These poems encompass most forms of poetry from limericks to free verse. Famous poets such as Carl Sanburg, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and William Butler Yeats are included in this book.
The book is divided into nine categories: Fun with Rhymes, Mostly Weather, Spooky Poems, Story Poems, Mostly Animals, Mostly People, Mostly Nonsense, (Seeing, Feeling, Thinking), In a Few Words. The titles of these categories seem childish and aimed at younger children, but this is not true. The poetry in this volume is for all ages. On one side of the spectrum you have a poem by A. A. Milne titled “Furry Bear”, which begins as follows
If I were a bear,
And a big bear too.
I shouldn’t much care
If it froze or snew;
I shouldn much mind
If it snowed or friz-
I’d be all fur-lined
With a coat like his!
An example from the other side of the spectrum is a passage from a Li Po poem titled “Firefly”
I think
If you flew
Up to the sky
Beside the moon,
And you would twinkle
Like a star.
The beauty of this book is that it is a good entering point for anyone who is unfamiliar with poetry. Since the book is divided into nine sections and is liberally illustrated by nine Caldecott Medal artists, the book is quite approachable by students unfamiliar with poetry. This book is enjoyable just to pick through and read what you want according to your mood. I recommend this book as a volume of poetry for all ages.
This volume of 128 poems is a varied collection. Drawn from all poetry, ancient to contemporary. These poems encompass most forms of poetry from limericks to free verse. Famous poets such as Carl Sanburg, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and William Butler Yeats are included in this book.
The book is divided into nine categories: Fun with Rhymes, Mostly Weather, Spooky Poems, Story Poems, Mostly Animals, Mostly People, Mostly Nonsense, (Seeing, Feeling, Thinking), In a Few Words. The titles of these categories seem childish and aimed at younger children, but this is not true. The poetry in this volume is for all ages. On one side of the spectrum you have a poem by A. A. Milne titled “Furry Bear”, which begins as follows
If I were a bear,
And a big bear too.
I shouldn’t much care
If it froze or snew;
I shouldn much mind
If it snowed or friz-
I’d be all fur-lined
With a coat like his!
An example from the other side of the spectrum is a passage from a Li Po poem titled “Firefly”
I think
If you flew
Up to the sky
Beside the moon,
And you would twinkle
Like a star.
The beauty of this book is that it is a good entering point for anyone who is unfamiliar with poetry. Since the book is divided into nine sections and is liberally illustrated by nine Caldecott Medal artists, the book is quite approachable by students unfamiliar with poetry. This book is enjoyable just to pick through and read what you want according to your mood. I recommend this book as a volume of poetry for all ages.
What is Goodbye, by Niki Grimes
What is Goodbye? By Nikki Grimes Illustrations by Raul Colon. ISBN # 0-7868-0778-4
This beautiful book artfully and caringly deals with the death. Jaron unexpectantly dies and leaves behind his mother, father, sister Jerilyn, and brother Jesse. Author Niki Grimes tells the story in free verse poetry in two voices, Jesse and Jerilyn.
Jesse and Jerilyn deal with the death of their older brother differently, which is evident in their poems. Jesse acts out visibly and angrily with his grieving, easily recognized by everyone he comes in contact with. Jerilyn mothers everyone burying her own grief. In the poem “First Day Back”, Jesse’s mood is tense, and Jerilyn’s mood is one of control, and keeping her feelings in:
First Day Back --Jesse
One stupid word
echoes through my day:
sorry. Sorry. SORRY
I hate that word!
I punch the air
and storm away.
First Day Back--Jerilyn
No one to mother, here.
I drop my guard too soon,
forget there are tears
waiting in the wings.
They show up on the scene
in the middle of P.E., but
I catch them quick,
shove them back in place.
"You're not doing this to me,"
I tell them.
I'm the strong one.
I'm in charge
For a year, Jesse And Jerilyn pour out their emotions, and through the year, the reader sees a convergence of the nature of their feelings, culminating in a beautiful family event.
Niki Grimes fully captures the feeling of these characters. This is an honest book dealing with death. I recommend this book to everyone fourth grade and up.
This beautiful book artfully and caringly deals with the death. Jaron unexpectantly dies and leaves behind his mother, father, sister Jerilyn, and brother Jesse. Author Niki Grimes tells the story in free verse poetry in two voices, Jesse and Jerilyn.
Jesse and Jerilyn deal with the death of their older brother differently, which is evident in their poems. Jesse acts out visibly and angrily with his grieving, easily recognized by everyone he comes in contact with. Jerilyn mothers everyone burying her own grief. In the poem “First Day Back”, Jesse’s mood is tense, and Jerilyn’s mood is one of control, and keeping her feelings in:
First Day Back --Jesse
One stupid word
echoes through my day:
sorry. Sorry. SORRY
I hate that word!
I punch the air
and storm away.
First Day Back--Jerilyn
No one to mother, here.
I drop my guard too soon,
forget there are tears
waiting in the wings.
They show up on the scene
in the middle of P.E., but
I catch them quick,
shove them back in place.
"You're not doing this to me,"
I tell them.
I'm the strong one.
I'm in charge
For a year, Jesse And Jerilyn pour out their emotions, and through the year, the reader sees a convergence of the nature of their feelings, culminating in a beautiful family event.
Niki Grimes fully captures the feeling of these characters. This is an honest book dealing with death. I recommend this book to everyone fourth grade and up.
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