POETRY BREAK: SCHOOL/LIBRARY/BOOKS

POETRY BREAK: SCHOOL/LIBRARY/BOOKS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marilyn Singer. 2008. FIRST FOOD FIGHT THIS FALL AND OTHER SCHOOL POEMS. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York: Sterling.

ISBN 9781402741456

INTRODUCTION: Before reading one of the poems from the book begin by having the students recall their first day experiences—whether happy, sad, funny or somewhere in between.

The poems contained in this book are told by the twelve children introduced in the first poem. While each and every poem is delightful and fun the one I have chosen to highlight here is as follows:

SANDWICH TRADES by Max

Jake doesn’t like peanut butter and jelly,

egg salad, meatballs, any cheese that’s smelly,

bologna on a roll, tuna fish on rye,

chicken nuggets, nachos, even pizza pie.

But bean curd with sprouts or dandelion greens,

marinated mushrooms, oily sardines,

ripe avocado sliced on whole wheat,

and artichoke pate are things he loves to eat—

and what my mother makes!

So each day we exchange.

I’m glad to have a friend

whose favorite foods are strange!

EXTENSIONS:

Have students write and illustrate if desired their own poems about their first day of school experiences.

Some other poem books that have to do with school are:

Kalli Dakos. 1990. IF YOU’RE NOT HERE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND—POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689801165

Kalli Dakos. 2002. THE BUG IN TEACHER’S COFFEE: AND OTHER SCHOOL POEMS. Illustrated by Mike Reed. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0064443051

Kalli Dakos. 1990. PUT YOUR EYES UP HERE: AND OTHER SCHOOL POEMS. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416918027

Carol Shields. 1998. LUNCH MONEY AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL. Illustrated by Paul Meisei. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 014055890X

HONEY, I LOVE AND OTHER LOVE POEMS

POETRY BOOK REVIEW

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eloise Greenfield. 1978. HONEY, I LOVE AND OTHER LOVE POEMS. Pictures by Diane and Leo Dillon. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 081244552X

SUMMARY

This book contains 16 poems from a child’s perspective about all the things in life that bring her love, comfort, and a feeling of security. The girl loves her family, friends, and the simple pleasures of life. She also experiences the death of a beloved grandmotherly type woman and how she now treasures an item that once belonged to her.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Ms. Greenfield has a way of writing that helps the reader connect with the imagery described in the poems. Her writing reflects the language of a child between the ages of 7 and 11. There is evidence of a strong persona in HONEY, I LOVE AND OTHER LOVE POEMS because as the poems are being read and enjoyed and the charcoal drawings being admired one can hear the young girl telling her life story through her poetry.

Whether Ms. Greenfield is writing from personal experience or from how she thinks children would respond to the topics described in the poems is not important to determine because she has a true gift for identifying with the reader and being able to eloquently describe the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that come with being a human being.

One example of this is in her poem KEEPSAKE when the girl is dealing with the death of the beloved neighbor and friend “Before Mrs. Williams died/She told Mr. Williams/When he gets home/To get a nickel out of her/Navy blue pocketbook/And give it to her/Sweet little gingerbread girl/That’s me/I ain’t never going to spend it.” Wow! what a powerful image one gets in their mind as they are reading the poem. From a personal perspective this recalls for me the death of my own grandmother when I was eleven years old and I now too have a few cherished possessions that once belonged to her.

The poems in HONEY, I LOVE AND OTHER LOVE POEMS are timeless classics because most adults can recall people from their past who provided stability, molded them into who they are today and provided them with steadfast unconditional love so that they are now able to pass on that love to others. Children can relate to the poetry because they either have had similar “love” experiences or if they have not been fortunate to do so can begin to have a sense about what loving is all about.

REVIEW EXCERPT

School Library Journal-“ The words beg to be read aloud, as when the narrator's cousin from the South comes to visit, and she says, "I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks/But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks.”

CONNECTIONS

Have the students pick one of the characters that a poem from the book was written about and write a poem in response to the girl.

Have the students write their own love poems about the people and/or things that bring pleasure and/or comfort to their lives.

Read other poetry books by Eloise Greenfield. Some of these include:

BROTHERS & SISTERS: FAMILY POEMS

New York: Harper Collins ISBN 0060562846

UNDER THE SUNDAY TREE New York: Harper Collins ISBN 0064432572

NIGHT ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREET New York: Harper Collins

ISBN 0140556834

IN THE LAND OF WORDS: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS

New York: Harper Collins ISBN 0060289937