Module One - Introducing Poetry - School Poetry

Bibliographic Citation:
Dakos, Kalli. 1995. If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand: Poems About School. Ill. by G. Brian Karas. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689801165.

Review

Dakos creates the ultimate atmostphere for her collection of poems focused on life at school through her choice of words that fill readers heads with images of "all things school". She leaves no ground uncovered as she explores everything from unfinished homework to show-and-tell with a worm. The imagery found in "The Mighty Eye" is sure to leave one quivering in their shoes if they ever encountered a teacher with an evil eye. The pencil sketch by Karas, accompanying this poem and those scattered throughout the book add a bit of detail. The collection of 38 poems is sure to be a hit with elementary aged students as they can easily find themselves making connections with the poems.

Poem Title

"Poor Substitute"

Gretchen has taken Freddy’s chair,
Andrew’s desk has no one there.

Sally was fighting for Tommy’s space,
She won the battle and took the place.

Daryl is working at Jennie’s desk,
And Joe just finished Maria’s test.

Substitute teacher, you’d better beware,
Alicia just plopped in the teacher’s chair.

Introduction or Follow-up Activity
As the librarian I would share this poem with my students at the beginning of school. I would ask them if they have ever had something like this happen with a substitute. I would talk to them about showing respect for our substitutes and remind them that they are representing themselves and our school to others whenever a substitute is in our building. I would talk to students about ideas for other poems that might be written about things that happen at school.

Module One - Introducing Poetry - Hopkins Collection

Bibliographic Citation
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2003. Alphathoughts. Ill. by Marla Baggetta. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press. ISBN1563979799

Review
Hopkins masterfully uses a mix of short verse-like poems to describe each letter of the alphabet. Although the verses are very short, many pack a heavy load of meaning such as "Nachos" (A crunch of culture within one nibble). The tone used in many selections throughout the book will find readers having an emotional connection to specific letters, especially those involving friends, reunions, and teachers. The vibrant colors in the illustrations by Baggetta complement the selections.


Poem Title

P
“Pencils”
Magical
implements
waiting
for
stories
poems…
to
pop out
from
head
to
lead

Introduction or Follow-up Activity
I would read the entire “Alphathoughts” book to my students; however I would choose to focus on the poem for the letter P entitled, “Pencils.” I like the personification used by Hopkins as he compares pencils to writers with stories and poems popping out of their heads waiting to be written down using the lead from the pencils. I think this poem would be a great ice breaker to use with a class. After reading the book, return to this poem, pass out pencils to each student and ask them what their pencil is waiting to write. If working with beginning poetry writers, perhaps use some poetry starters and introduce students to poetry websites that can help them with rhyming words.

Module One - Introducing Poetry - African American Poetry

Bibliographic citation

Grimes, Nikki. 2006. Thanks a million. Ill. by Cozbi Cabrera. China: Greenwillow. ISBN 9780688172930.

Review

Author Nikki Grimes encompasses the power of the two simple words: thank you, as she expresses the many faces of gratitude through this marvelous collection of sixteen poems. She uses a variety of poetry forms including haiku, verse, and a rebus throughout the collection. Each poem is beautifully illustrated with acrylics by Cabrera in a manner that adds to the visual depth of each selection. Young readers will find themselves connecting with many of the poems through their emotions and senses. “Dear Teachers” speaks of a young boy “who only hates math/ ½ as much/ as he used to”, and “The Lunchroom” depicts a day in the life of a new student and his first day in the lunchroom, “If no one will sit next to me/why should I even care?/Oh, wait! Here comes a boy.” Another touching poem is “Dear Author” which details how a young reader found comfort in the character of and author’s book after the death of her own father, “..She was also drowning deep inside/Some nights, I’d crawl between the pages/of that novel and hide for hours./The two of you made all the difference/I just thought you’d want to know/…”. This is a wonderful collection and would be a nice addition to a school’s character education program.

Poem Title

“Shelter”

I wish these walls were ours,
I wish this bed were mine,
that dinnertime meant just us three,
my brother, mom and me.

I wish I had a room
that I was forced to clean.
I’d gripe to my best friend, then say,
“Come to my house and play.”

Things could be worse, I know.
At least, I’m not alone.
My mom and brother hold me tight
when I cry late at night.


Introduction or Follow-up Activity

I would pair Grimes collection of poems with the book, “A Chair for My Mother", written and illustrated by Vera B. Williams, which is the story of a little girl and her mother who lose all their belongings. They sacrifice and save just to get a new comfortable chair, something that gives them comfort for which they are very thankful. As an introduction, I would ask students what material and non-material things they are most thankful for and why. Similar to the characters in Grimes’ poem, “Shelter”, we could find ourselves in their shoes with only each other. Would we still have an attitude of thankfulness if we had no material things? This discussion could lead to a writing activity where students could express their thoughts on what they are most thankful for in the form of a poem, song lyrics, a rap, or a short story.