Student Saturday” “One Last Word” by: Nikki Grimes

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Student Reviewer: Susan T. 

This collection of poems is truly meaningful and inspiring. The deep, powerful meanings behind every single one of these poems are thought-provoking and filled with wisdom. These are poems that show people what poetry is about. A few of my favorites are ‘Emergency Measures’, ‘Lessons’, and ‘Through the Eyes of Artists’. The meanings behind these three poems stood out to me the most. I recommend this book to most people. The perspectives in this book are realistic and meaningful, I would read it again.

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

 

Genre: Poetry
Source: I own a copy

 I love Nikki Grimes' poetry.  In this book, she starts out giving us a bit of history about the impact African American women have made on the world of poetry.  It has just been in the last couple of years that we have started seeing some of their poetry in our Language Arts books in school. We read poetry by Langston Hughes all the time, and have for years. Nikki's book is divided into three sections: Heritage, Earth Mother, and Taking Notice.  Each section has twelve to fifteen poems. If you are not familiar with this author's writing style she writes something called golden shovel poems. This is not something she invented. A golden shovel poem as she explains in her book goes something like this.

Find a poem that speaks to you. Copy it down.  Then choose a line that speaks to you or the whole poem. Write it one word at a time down the right had side of the paper. Create your poem in front of it so that the last word of the line is the word from the other poem.  When I first introduce my students to these they moan and groan because they are difficult. At the end of the unit when they write about the book of poetry they have written the majority tell me their favorite style to write was the Golden Shovel poem.  One of the reasons is because the punctuation can often end up in the middle of a line.  When I exaplained that to my students one spoke up and said, "It seems that with poetry, we should have the right to do it the way we want and put punctuation where we want, so this just makes sense."  Yes it does.  This was a child who told me up front they would create the book of poetry for the grade, but they hated poetry. When they wrote their final page of their book reflecting on their poetry they deicded they liked it because they could write what they wanted and express themselves.  Mission accomplished.  

Here is my quick and crude example of a golden shovel poem.

Fog by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on

Memories by Sandra Stiles

Memories I have tucked away become lost in my mind. The

time has robbed me of all that is precious, forming a fog

that slips in at the most inopportune times. It comes

when am with you trying to remember who you are. Come on

this journey down memory lane with me when you were little

and snuggled next to me purring words of love like a cat

who has found comfort sitting quietly wrapped around your feet.

One Last Word, is another book of poetry about the Harlem Renaissance that Nikki Grimes has written.  I love her work. She has inspired many other writers.  I would not have known about Nikki's work had it not been for me reading the novel-in-verse book Hidden by Helen Frost. She explained her writing style for one of her characters as golden shovel poems and pointed me toward Nikki Grimes. Had it not been for her, it might have taken me longer to discover this wonderful author and her wonderful writing style.

Of Wise Oaks and Weeping Willows by Diane Robertson

 

Genre: Poetry
Source: I purchased a copy

This book of poetry is broken into several sections.  The first section about nature was probably one of my favorite sections. I grew up in the country in Indiana. I felt like I was back on our farm enjoying nature with everyone of her poems I read. She has the ebb and flow of the season down perfectly. The pictures that come to mind from her words are so vivid I felt I was standing in the scene.  I can’t wait to share some of these with my own students.

The section on Political and Social is a strong and powerful voice. Her poems tell of the depravity and promises brought to the masses by Hollywood. They tell of a time where our friendships were tested and tried by arguments, yet survived. A time now hindered by social medial and technology, no need to meet face to face to interact. In this section I found “King of all the Land” to be a very powerful poem about the power of individual choice. These are the kinds of poems teachers need to expose their students to. This author is an example of how powerful words can be.

The next section is titled “Religious”. Diane does not shy away from her Christian beliefs. Her poetry is full of reminders of what the Bible says. Her poem “Two Beasts” tells of end times. Her inspiration like many of her poems in this section is the last book of the Bible, Revelations. Oh if people would only read and take to heart the messages in her poetry.

The final section is called “Family and Love”. My favorite poem from this section was “Circling Back to Childhood”. She tells of a time in her life as a child where her imagination ruled. Then she grew up and those times were replaced. Then her children came along and she allowed their imaginations to grow and develop bringing back her own childhood.  I believe this poem is so precious to me because I grew up like this on our farm. I encouraged my children as I played with them to create their own worlds. Now I watch my daughter as she has done the same thing with her children. As a teacher I see so few children that remind me of my childhood. They are too caught up in technology where the creating has been done for them. It is so sad to see what they are missing out on.

My final say on this book of poetry is that it is  one I will revisit often. It is soothing to my soul, yet has so much to offer the reader. Well done, Diane Robertson.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲: 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 & 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐂. 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞

 

Genre: Adult, Poetry

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

    When I was asked to read and review this book I didn’t know what to expect. I had never heard of this author. I enjoy reading poetry. This book however was something different, something that resonated more personally with me.

    The book is broken into four parts; Body, Mind, Heart and Soul. Each section seems to be a picture of a part of her life. Through her poems we learn a little about her, but as with most poetry we learn to look within ourselves. With many of the poems I found a piece of myself brought to the surface, or I found healing within her words.  Books like these are hard to describe. It is not a work of fiction, but a look into the authors, life, thoughts and the way she has dealt with it all. It is open, honest and at times raw.

    Her poem “Battle” spoke to me, about a me that lived some thirty years ago. I wondered how she knew me so well. “Off the Grid” resonated with me. My thoughts of wanting to just be a hermit, by myself with no one or nothing to possess me. This poetry and musings shows a path I traveled so many years ago. My faith in God is what carried me through just as it did the author. I believe sometimes we have to cross paths with a book such as this to remind us of the journey God has walked with us. To remind us that no matter what our circumstances he is there for us. I looked up the word Synergy. In its easiest definition it is a collaboration between two things that make the outcome so much better. In this book you see the collaboration between the author and God and how she has come out a better person because of that relationship. No matter where you are in life this is a wonderful book to read. I highly recommend it.

Two Books by MamTalk Publishing

 

Scissor Skills Workbook  for 2 Year Old and Older Kids by MamTalk Publishing

Genre: Children, craft/skills book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

One thing I liked at the beginning is that we have a page that explains why this type of activity is important for kids. Right below that are rules for parents to share with their child about using scissors. They can read them, and demonstrate the rule. As a middle grades teacher I still have to go over these rules with my students at times. This book reminded me of papers I got the first time I took a sewing class. They are simple lines to teach kids the beginning cutting movements.  They begin to get more complicated. Finally they get to picture that use those basic movements to cut out the picture.  If you are an adult who has to cut something more than a straight line then this would be great practice for your as well. Great starter for using scissors.

 

Springtime Rhymes for Kids: Poetry about Spring by MamTalk Publishing

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Poetry
Source: I purchased a copy

I purchased this book to see what else this company had to offer. I was not disappointed. This is a book of discovery about spring. The words are lyrical in their rhyming.  Then there are the pages that have small pictures about individual items found. For example on the page where they show flowers that bloom you have them identified as “D” is for Daffodil, “T” is for Tulip. So we have a list of words to teach children to pronounce. Did I mention the beautiful and bright pictures? Since I teach in a K-8 school I think these books would be perfect for our pre-k or kindergarten classes.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own this book

So this is the fourth poetry book I've read today. I love the month of April when I start my Poetry unit in my classroom.  This book may just bet he one that pulls in my reluctant boys.  Kevin loves nothing more than playing baseball. Suddenly he is knocked out of playing by a severe case of Mono. He barely has the strength to walk across the room. Not only can he not play baseball, but he can't go to school. When he isn't napping  he has started writing poetry. His writer father has given him a notebook. In his father's office he finds a book about writing poetry that he sneaks to his room. He doesn't want anyone to know that he is writing poetry. For him this becomes a way of looking at and dealing with so many things in his life. It is a way of connecting with his thoughts and feelings about losing his mother.  So loved this book. I can't wait to read the second one, "Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs".

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Genre: Novel in Verse, Upper Elementary, Middle Grade
Source: I own a copy

Like Helen's book "Hidden", this book has hidden gems inside each of the diamond shaped poems. It gives us a more indepth look at the story.  This is a story of a young girl named Willow who feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere except with their dogs. She loves them. When she is finally given the opportunity to take them out on her own, something terrible happens. Willow finds out she is never alone. Part of the story is told through the voice of ancenstors. There is so much to love about this book that as I have said with the last few books, this is a must read and a must have four school book shelves.

There are always interesting things within Helen's books. I had never heard of the diamond willow. I had to look it up and realized I knew an old man years ago when I was a child who had a diamond willow cane. I thought that he had burned the diamond shape into it. It is always wonderful to learn something new as an adult.

Imperfect II by Tabatha Yeats, editor

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own a copy

Once again we have a book of poetry geared toward kids. In this book we look at poetry from different perspectives. The perspective is what alter's the meaning. If you are interviewing someone about a fire that has just happened you will get different version of it based on the perspective of the person who was involved in the fire.  So it is with poetry. I can give my students the same topic, yet I will have a variety of poems, each different from the other, because they view the topic through their own unique perspective.

Through this book there are a variety of poetry forms. You have your simplest the acrostic on up to a golden shovel poem. There is something for everyone here.This is another great book I have on my shelves at school.

Spinning Through the Universe by Helen Frost

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel in Verse
Source: I own a copy

Once again another favorite author. Helen Frost writes novels in verse. This is a book of poems from "room 214". This is a book that kids will be able to identify with. Although the teacher and students in this book are fiction, they could be any teacher or any student anywhere. She touches on topics such as; bikes. Jon's bike has gone missing in one poem. He talks about how special it is, noise and all. Then on the next page we read a poem by Andrew who took the bike because he had seen it lying in the rain. He didn't steal it because he wanted it. He took it to fix it up and return to Jon in better condition. There are poems about abuse, families and babies.  These are all topics kids deal with today. Helen's books are a must for all school and classroom libraries. I think the thing I enjoy the most about her books is at the back of each one. She has a section on the forms of poems she used and how to write them. Since reading her books I write more poetry and I have my students write more poetry. This is a must read.

One Last Word by Nikki Grimes

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own this book

I was first introduced to this book through another author. Helen Frost writes books in verse. One of my students asked how in her book "Hidden" she had written an extra message at the end of each line. I asked her and she told me it was through Nikki Grimes and her Golden Shovel Poems that she had copied this method.  She told me I needed to purchase this book, so I did. This is perfect since my students must create a book of their own original poems each year.  One of my requirements is that they must write at least one Golden Shovel Poem. Through her book and the wonderful illustrations we learn about a time in history most students of any color know little about, "The Harlem Renaissance". When she talks about that time int he front of her book we learn that this was a time where art was used to tell what life was like for black through their own perspective.  This isn't a book just for the blacks. This is a book for all races as we all face some of the same obstacles. Through her poetry we learn so much. We also see how some of what we hoped we would leave behind is still with us today.  This is such a wonderful book for so many reason and should be in every classroom.

Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

Genre: Young Adult, Poetry

Source: I received a copy from Netgalley. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 

            This was a new author for me, and I’m glad that I found her. I read this book from cover to cover in a little under two hours. This is the story of a young girl named Nima who is trying to find her place, and who she is.  Because she is of Arab decent, she is often bullied. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her mother and the country she came from. She doesn’t feel like she fits in to her new country. She can deal with all of this as long as she has her best friend Haitham. But words have power and cost her the best friend she has.

            This is a wonderful book. It shows the depth of pain not only the main character goes through, but the pain of her mother and friends. When you don’t fit into your parent’s culture and you don’t fit into the culture of your own country things can be rough. The author didn’t sugar coat this subject. It is a raw and honest look of what people of Arab decent went through right after 9/11. The prejudice, hate and how when it comes down to bullying adults will often be just as bad.  I loved watching how she struggled to find her identity only to realize deep down she already knew who she was. This book comes out in March but it is one I will recommend to teachers and students alike.

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems by Paul B. Janeczko

Genre: Children's Poetry Book

Source: Purchased

        Paul B. Janeczko has collected a group of poems that are cute and in some cases just fun. One of my favorite poems came near the end of the book. It is called How to Catch a Poem by Irene Latham. One of the biggest complaints I hear each year when I tell students we are going to write poetry is, "I don't know how to write a poem".  This year when I did my unit I asked students to sit outside or near a window and observe and make a list of things to write about. It was funny because when they submitted poems they often said it just came to them.  Irene's poem will definitely be read to them before we start the unit this next year.

        Another poem I enjoyed was one that taught me something. I can never remember which camel has one hump and which has two. J. Patrick Lewis took the guessing out by giving us a visual with just two letters. If you turn a D and a B on it's back you have the first letter and the number of humps for each type of camel a dromedary has one hump and a Bactrian has two.  I love it when visuals help me remember something.

        Finally, there were the poems that took me back to my childhood. I grew up in the country in Indiana. Playin' Jacks by Anna E. Jordan took me back to a time when my sisters and I  would sit on the kitchen floor playing jacks. The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson reminded me of the swing my father put up for us attached to one of the largest branches. It brought back memories of trying to swing so high we could touch the leaves. How to Bird-Watch by Margarita Engle took me back to sitting or laying on a blanket in the yard watching the birds in the tree. I sit in my yard swing now and still do that. Irene Latham's How to Be a Tree in Winter was such a visual I could see the bare branches reaching for the sky. Ralph Fletcher wrote How to Make a Snow Angel. My sisters and I would wait each year for the snow to be deep enough to make snow angels. I remember doing this at school as well when we went outside for recess.  Helen Frost, who has been a favorite author of mine for several years wrote Best Friends which brought back memories of calling across the field to our cousins who lived down the road from us. I felt as if someone had followed me through my childhood and taken pictures of my life and written about them in this book.  

        I want to have my students sit with their eyes closed as I read these poems. I don't want them to analyze these poems because to me that ruins them. I want them to tell me what pictures popped into their head. Could they see themselves in any of them? So many teachers of middle and high school students find it strange that I will use picture books in my classroom. Why not? Simple books like this are both simple and complex at the same time. I am proud to put this book on my shelf this next year. I am proud to share these with my students. I hope you will pick up a copy and share it with your children or grandchildren and teach them how to enjoy poetry.

20 Degrees From Normal by Anissa Ferris and Antonio Ferris

Genre:  Poetry, Children
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This fun book of poetry was created by a brother and sister team. It isn’t only fun to read but has very subtle messages. The very first poem, “Underappreciated Wheel” had be looking at wheels in a different way. They carry all the weight on bikes, trikes and cars, yet no one ever talks about how wonderful they are. 
I teach middle school and I am here to say that my students would love this fun rhyming, quirky poetry. I loved “Perfect Friend”. So often we want a “perfect” friend and after finding what we think they are we find that what we had before was much, much more. “Skip” teaches that you have to do some preliminary things to be a success.
This book has something for everyone, old and young. I will enjoy adding this to my classroom library next year and providing a copy to our elementary school which will be merging with our school. I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents.

Wandering Among the Stars by Wirton Arvel

Genre: Poetry
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
The motivational biography of a poet, a tale written in prose with many poems and inspirational quotes.
‘Wandering among the stars’ tells the love story between the protagonist and life.

A story where poetry and prose are intertwined like soul and body, to bring this love story to life so the reader can live it.

So it’s not about a collection of poems, least of all a story in verse. Maybe it could be described as a book of ‘narrated poems’ or as a ‘literary musical'; actually it represents a narrative experiment that lies somewhere between a meta-novel, a collection of poems and an essay; its main aim is to encourage those readers that usually prefer to read only prose works to read poetry as well.

It includes chapters about love, the cosmos, death,spirituality and poetry itself.

My Thoughts:
This book is a mixture of both poetry and prose.  Through the author's writing we journey with him from the beginning of his writing of poetry to the present. His writing covers many themes, especially nature.  Reading his poetry we often find him incorporating lines that refer to "little rays of sunshine". His poetry is meant to be inspirational, first to himself and then to the reader.  In the beginning of the book he talks about what poetry is. He compares it to a painter or a juggler who plays wit words.  He metaphorically describes it as "moving along dancing".   It is emotional. He follows each poem with prose to explain it.  I didn't find this to be as enjoyable as the poetry which is why I gave it four stars.  I would have liked more poetry and less prose.  However, I do understand that this is his "journey" so the prose was necessary.  With all this said, I would definitely recommend the book.  His prose is a great way to explain to my students what poetry is.

Two Books of Poetry by W.R. Watkins

Source: I received both copies to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

You. Are. Not. Alone

 Full of emotions that are both honest and raw, the author sets out on a journey of discovery. This is a journey taken through the dark places of his life, into a much brighter future.  I could relate to so many of the emotions and the rawness. He encourages us to accept who we are and to learn to be okay with ourselves, because changes on the outside won't change who we are on the inside.  His poem "Cry" made me feel like he had sat by my bedside as I went through my depression knowing my husband had found another.  "I Need Somebody" is how I felt, almost desperate. I needed to feel loved because at that moment my confidence was shaken in love. He tied it up nicely in his poem, "You. Are. Not. Alone."  The periods after each word state for a fact that we are not alone. There are others out there going through the same things we go through. Sometimes we need therapy to understand that statement.  This poetry is a little on the melancholy side, but still you leave with feelings of hope.

An Obsessive Infatuation

In Watkins' second book of poetry he takes us from longing for love to finding it.  This book starts off in a depressed mood.  The author is longing for someone to love.  He looks and when he sees the one person that he believes can make him happy his heart soars.  He doesn't tell them, yet lets his infatuation grow until he is ready to burst.  Finally he takes a chance and tells them only to hear they don't care for him the same way, but they want to be friends. It hurts and tears at him.  He took a risk, but was it worth it to have loved, let his love be known, and then find out it wasn't to be.  This is a lot more depressing that his first book.  The pain in this book both begins and ends it.  Once again it is full of emotions that everyone can understand and say, "hey I've been there."

Psychaotic: See the World in Red and Black by Irum Zahra

Genre:  Adult, Poetry
Source: I received a copy from the author to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Depression is a common theme running throughout this book. This is not a collection of feel good poetry. They are dark and full of raw emotions. Most of them are free verse poems. These poems come from deep within. They show the hurt and betrayal that is often kept hidden within. "Peace to My Storm" is my favorite of all of them. There was a time in my life when this poem was my life. It is hard to imagine the journey she had to take to write a poem that mirrored my own life. I say this because I can still see clearly my own dark path I walked. For those who like poetry that touches the soul, dark or not this book is for you.

My Cat Does My Homework and Other Poems for Children - Isabella Johnson

What happens when a first grader writes poetry?  You get something fantabulous like this.

Blurb:

This collection of twelve poems, written by a young child, will delight readers ages 1-­9 and at the same time, show them that you do not have to be an adult to write poetry! Whether you are teaching children about poetry or simply enjoy reading poems to a child, this book is for you.

My Thoughts:

I first learned about this book from Isabella. She is my student and just nonchalantly mentioned that she had a book published. It seems her parents published her book of poetry when she was in first grade. She is in sixth grade now. I am pleased to say that a lot of her poems are great examples of metaphors. What a great resource/example to use for teaching the use of figurative language, especially in poetry.  Her topics range from bugs, to cats and everything between.  I have to say that I absolutely can not wait to see her writing this year.  I truly see great things coming from this young lady who is so passionate about her writing.

In Mint Condition 2013 - Shannon John, Editor

I was contacted by email and asked if I would be willing to read and review an anthology.  I happen to like anthologies so I had no problem saying yes.  This book is definitely different from most books.  The book is full of poetry and short stories that lean to the dark side of literature.  I enjoyed each story, some more than others.  One of my favorites was "A Place in Pine Island". This was the story of a man's run in with an alligator.  "Mr. Scratch's Murder Circus was a poem that reminded me of the freak side-shows at carnivals.  A lot of them dealt with the topic of death.  Call me a morbid person if you want but I enjoy reading things like this.  Each author was chosen from several people who had submitted their stories or poems.  After choosing the stories to be placed in the book, artists were found to illustrate each entry.  The book is full of both talented writers and artists.

You can find out more here.   The stories are so good that I read the entire book in a couple of hours.  I just couldn't put it down.  I will tell you the stories are for the more mature reader and there is some graphic language.  I would definitely read another anthology written any of these sixteen authors.

Student Saturday: Love That Dog - Sharon Creech

Publisher:  Harper Trophy
Pages:  112
Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Poetry
Reviewer:  Lillian

Anyone who likes to read poetry would like this book! "Love That Dog" is a book about a boy who hates to do poetry and thinks poetry is only for girls.  he thinks any words in short lines is poetry.  After a while Jack decides to write a poem about an old dog he used to have.  Jack is a boy who obviously doesn't like to write poetry.  He also worries a lot and doesn't like his name on the board if it's his poetry at school where he is mostly at all times.

My connection with this book is that I like to read poetry but don't like to write it, just like Jack.  I kind of liked this book because the topic really didn't grab me like other books I have read but I still enjoyed the time to read it.

Everblossom - Larissa Hinton

Everblossom is an anthology unlike any I have ever read before.  First of all it seemed strange to read something that was so casual in its style.  I almost felt as if I was at an oral story telling.  This is not bad, just different.  Her mixture of short stories and poetry was refreshing.  I loved the poem “Childhood”.  As I find myself getting older it was nice to read a poem that took me back to what it was like to be a child.

Just about the time I thought I had the author’s style pinned down she slipped in something new.  “Crack” seemed like a short story of an abusive mother.  It had a twist to it that caught me off guard.

I think I enjoyed the poetry more than the short stories.  I felt like there needed to be more to the stories.  Maybe it was just my desire for there to be more.  I do believe this is an author we will see more from.