WATER SINGS BLUE: OCEAN POEMS by Kate Coombs

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Coombs, Kate. 2012. WATER SINGS BLUE: OCEAN POEMS. ill Meilo So. California: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 9780811872843

SUMMARY:

Missing the sounds of the ocean?  Put down that seashell and experience ocean life through the artful words of Kate Coombs.  Raise those sails and glide through the pages to experience soaring seagulls, a love-struck sea urchin, jellyfish, jellyfish, and not-really-jellyfish.  Savor every word as the ocean whispers, "I was here, wasss h e r e, wasssss h e r e ..."

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  4 years and up
Grade Level:  Pre-K and up
Student, itching for summer break, can take a trip to the beach anytime they want as ocean life springs from each page of this beautiful poetry picture book.  The mental imagery created by author, Kate Coombs, is amazing.  Mysteries from the deep ocean waters come to life through the illustrations created by So.  They are realistic and appealing. Students will enjoy getting to experience the ocean and the animals that reside there.  The poetic rhythm will draw them in.  Some poems will have them grinning from ear to ear, while others will leave them in AWW!

What a wonderful book to add to any classroom library!  This informational text brings science concepts to life.  The poetry aspects are used beautifully.  Teachers can used the enclosed poems to teach students about rhyming scheme, various types of figurative language, metaphors, simile, visualization, tempo, and to pause as needed to hear the full meaning of a poem.  The poems can be read separately over time exposing students to a wide variety of vocabulary.  Read poems slowly and savor each pebble of sand each poem has to offer young readers.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

SHIPWRECK

Here lie the bones

of twenty trees,

lost far from home

under gallons of seas.

CONNECTION:

• Slowly read the above poem with young students several times while they can view the print.
• Choral reading - Read the poem in unison with the whole class to help increase fluency and to aid in word-to-word matching while reading and viewing text.
• Discuss items that might be found in the shipwreck.
• Make a list of objects as students share their brainstormed ideas.
• Add words to the list that rhyme with students' responses.
• Circle rhyming words and group them together.
• Guide students in creating a simple poem like the one above using rhyming words to create a ABAB rhyming scheme.

THE FRIENDLY FOUR by Eloise Greenfield

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Greenfield, Eloise, 2006. THE FRIENDLY FOUR. ill. Jan Spivey Gilchrist. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780060007591

SUMMARY:

Summer is upon us.  Everything is green.  Flowers are blooming, and so are friendships.  Meet Dorene, Drum, Louis, and Rae. Four friends who experience a wonderful summer together discovering new things as they explore their community.  Like all good things, they all have an end.  Join these four friends as they enjoy all that this magical summer has to offer.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  4 years and up
Grade Level:  1st and up
Students will connect with the youthful characters found within this book's pages.  The dialogue seen throughout the book is authentic in nature.  The setting and obstacles are common, and will be easy for children to relate to. The upbeat rhythm of the poems will keep students engage as they listen and interact with each one.

This is a great book to read and share with younger children who are dealing with relocating to a new community, dealing with the illness of a parent or loved one, or have issues with siblings.  Great discussions can be had before, during, and after reading this book.  With its multiple voices, a play like script, students could easily share poems through performances much like a reader's theater.  Gilchrist's illustrations bring the summer fun to life with bright and lively colors that match the actions of the free-verse poems.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from page 47)

GOODBYE TO GOODSUMMER

Drum:  The summer started out with one,

Dorene:  and now there are four, and even though 

one of us is far away,

Drum, Dorene, Louis:  we're still together.

We'll find some fall, winter

and spring things to laugh about,

Louis:  and our town will wait for us.

Drum, Dorene, and Louis:  So, goodbye for now, Goodsummer,

We'll see you next year.

CONNECTION:

Poem and Art:

• Read a few excerpts relating specifically to summer coming to an end at the beginning of the school year. 
• Allow students to discuss some of their favorite memories from their summer.
• After they share and discuss, guide students as needed to write their own summer poem, using one of the book's poems to mentor if needed.  
• Students will share their poems with the teacher and one or two peers to receive feedback.  
• They will then edit and revise as needed.  
• Students will complete their poem by publishing their poem, rewriting it neatly.  
• They will then add it to the bottom of a piece of construction paper. 
• Using Gilchrist's illustrations for inspiration, students will create their own illustration to match their poem, bringing their poem to life through art.  
• Display final poetry/art projects around the room or in the hallway.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Schlitz, Laura A. 2007. GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE. ill. Robert Byrd. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763615789

SUMMARY:

Travel back in time and meet a group of young people who are growing up in a medieval village. One of many characters, Pask has run away from his harsh ruler.  His goal, live in the village for one year and one day, and he will become FREE.  He finds refuge hiding in a kennel and survives by eating dog food.  As time goes by and the winter bares down bitterly, will he and the others survive ... read on.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  10 years and up
Grade Level:  5th grade and up
It is written in the form of monologues and dialogues.  This engaging format is perfect for students to "get into character" and perform their set part with interest and enthusiasm.  Village life emerges with each stanza and narrative thread that bind the characters to each other during this savage time period.  Bryd's illustrations help set the stage for each scene.  Students will gain knowledge from the illustrations as they study them and take on characteristics of their chosen character.

Educators will find this text to be a valuable teaching resource when educating students about this time period.  The historical notes that appear in the margins add depth and details to the message the author is trying to convey.  Schlitz, a librarian and historian, wrote this book specifically for students to perform.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from page 3)

HUGO

THE LORD'S NEPHEW

... I could smell my sweat, rank with fear,

and then -- it was like my dream --

the underbrush moved, and the sticks shattered.

I saw it -- bristling, dark as the devil,

huge as a horse -- and my bowels turned to water.

My uncle dismounted

and I did the same.

My legs were like straw,

and I walked.

Mouth dry, palms wet,

one hand forward on the spear

and one foot ahead

(to fall would be death).

CONNECTION:

• Allow students to pick a character.
• Allow time for students to read and reread their part and prepare for the class reading, similar to a drama or reader's theater reading.
• Prior to the whole class reading (performance), discuss medieval society, their clothing, medicine, education, jobs, etc.  
• Whole class reading (performance)
• Writing prompt:  What kind of education did people receive during the medieval times?  Compare and contrast their education to your education you receive today.  Which one do you think is best and why?
• Students read their writing to a peer and discuss their thoughts and ideas.

Cesar: Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. 2004. CESAR SI, SE PUEDE! YES, WE CAN! ill. David Diaz. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 9780761451723

SUMMARY:

Introduce students to an inspiring historical figure who grew up during the Great Depression.  Cesar was a  migrant worker who dropped out of school to help support his family.  Eventually, he grew into a great leader who fought for rights for his fellow farm workers. He helped improve the lives of a whole generation, and the positive effects can still be seen today.  This inspiring story is told through free-verse poems and unique imagery that brings history to life.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  9 years and up
Grade Level:  4th grade and up
Students will enjoy this interesting twist on a biography since it is written in free-verse.  Hispanic students will enjoy reading, hearing, and interacting with text that is partially in their home language. They will be engaged in the learning as they learn about Cesar.

Educators have diverse groups of students who fill their classrooms each day.  Each and everyone of them are unique individuals and special in their own way.  Differences should be celebrated. Embracing different cultures and their historical figures will help teachers model a positive attitude and show of respect as they encourage, value, and promote diversity within the classroom.  This poetry book is filled with reference tools that will help teachers and students locate a wealth of information.  It contains a Table of Contents, Notes, Glossary, Cesar's Life Story, and a detailed Timeline.  This informational poetry book would be a great addition to any classroom.  It can be used to support learning for both reading, writing, and social studies.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

DEPRESSION

In the 1930's,

Cesar's tios and tias

--along with many other Americans--

lost their jobs.

What could Librado do but help them?

He let them have anything

they needed from the store.

They could pay him later,

when things got better.

But things didn't get better.

Before long, the store was empty.

Librado had no money to refill it

and lost the business in a bad deal.

But they still had Papa Chayo's rancho!

In the rancho,

Cesar and his brother Richard

slept on the pool table that

Librado had not been able to sell.

"Look!" Cesar told Richard,

pointing at the peeling plaster.

"There's a face over there.

And look in the corner, here's a rabbit!"

CONNECTIONS:

Research The Great Depression:

• Allow students to explore the below website while working in small groups.  Assign each group specific sections of the website to explore (Presidents, Timeline, Causes, Stock Market Crash of '29, First Hand Accounts, Helping the People, Pictures, Facts and Figures)
• http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01794/home_page.htm
• Groups will compile their researched information in a creative and clear manner, and prepare to present their project to the class.  
• Throughout the research days and presentation days, have poetry breaks and share some of the poems from Cesar Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! This will give students a different perspective of The Great Depression and inform them about a famous Hispanic historical figure who lived and survived this difficult time period.

A Strange Place to Call Home by Marilyn Singer

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A STRANGE PLACE TO CALL HOME.  ill. Ed Young. California: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 9781452101200

SUMMARY:

Beyond the beauty of our earth are dangerous places.  The will to live is a powerful thing and truly defies reasoning.  Readers will learn about fourteen unusual animals who not only live in harsh conditions, but thrive to live another day.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  4 and up
Students will enjoy the playful illustrations.  The torn images constructed by Young are fun and inspiring to art-lovers who will be eager to emulate his work.  Young scientist will dive into the informational pages to learn about the unique animals that live in harsh environments.

Educators will find a variety of poetry structures that they can use and discuss with students:  a variety of rhyming schemes, cinquain, terza rima, triolet, and villanelle forms.  All could be used as a mentor poem and aid in students' poetry writing as they are inspired or as lesson objectives are assigned.  Research has shown boys tend to choose informational text over fiction novels.  Filling the classroom with rich informational text like this will help increase engagement from reluctant readers, such as boys.  Having informational text like this will allow teachers to integrate their content area teaching that will reinforce learning across content areas.  

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

FROZEN SOLID

(ice worms)

If wriggling in the richest earth,

If hiding under leaves and logs ...

If fastened to a coral reef,

If burrowed down in mucky bogs ...

If writhing in a swimming pool,

Or in a collie's water dish,

Or in a sparrow's concrete bath ...

If in the guts of cat or fish ...

If buried in the mud or sand,

If lurking in the deepest seas,

Why not beneath the glacial ice,

helped by their own antifreeze?

CONNECTION:

Read the above poem aloud as students view the poem.  Divide the students into small groups, assigning one stanza for each group.  Allow students time to reread their section of the poem, and brainstorm their ideas about how the ice worm can survive in the mentioned conditions within their stanza.  Students will research ice worms using expository books and through internet access.  Students will create a visual of their ice worm in its living environment to match their stanza.  They will list important facts found during their research, clearly labeling structures of the ice worm that enable this animal to adapt and survive in many locations. Groups will present their visual to the class, and share their interesting facts they found during their group's research.

After all groups have presented, students will write one page addressing the following writing prompts.

• What new information did you learn about the ice worm during your research and from the poem by Marilyn Singer?
• What kinds of personal (text-to-self) connections did you make during this lesson?
• What kinds of text-to-text connections did you make during this lesson?
• Discuss any other connections or thoughts that you have about ice worms.

Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Engle, Margarita. 2011. HURRICANE DANCERS:  THE FIRST CARIBBEAN PIRATE SHIPWRECK. New York:  Hary Hold and Company, LLC. ISBN 9780805092400

SUMMARY:

Gripping historical fiction novel written in verse.  Each word carefully chosen to convey a message of being lost and broken to finding the strength to move on and forgive.  Readers will experience this journey through the narrative voices of various perspectives linking together a story from slavery to freedom.  

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  12 years and up
Grade Level:  7th and up
Readers will be drawn into this story as the author masterfully invokes thoughts, ideas, emotional connections, and sensory imagery with each turning of the page.  They will be rooting for young Quebrado as he finds his way to freedom.  Readers will enjoy the journey back in time, and through the span of about twenty years, in this well organized novel.  The various perspectives throughout the book add to the depth of connections and emotions the reader will feel towards its characters.

Using this type of historical fiction novel will help educators to inspire their students to read and research historical topics.  The interesting topic and journey the main character experiences will ensure engagement of all students.  Boys will especially be interested in the adventure this novel has in store for them.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book - Pages 132-133)

YACUYO

As soon as I am alone

on a sunlit beach,

I shed all my old names,

both the gentle ones

given by my parents,

and the rough names

I received from my life

as a ship's slave

in hurricane season.

I choose the name

of a place -- Yacuyo,

"Far Light."

The name glows brightly.

It carries me galloping

on my sky horse

all the way back

to the sheltering forests

of high mountains

where I have friends

and a home.

I no longer feel

like Quebrado,

a broken place,

half floating isle

and half

wandering wind.

I am free

of all those old

shattered ways

of seeing myself.

I am whole.

CONNECTION:

Comparing historical fiction novels written in verse:

• Read another historical fiction novel written in verse with students.
• Suggestion:  INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
• Read HURRICANE DANCERS by Margarita Engle in its entirety.
• Lead students through various types of discussions:
• Comparing:
• Main characters
• Setting
• Situations for leaving their original homes
• Their new found homes in the end
• Characteristics of each historical fiction novel written in verse
• Historical time period and events that are true from each novel
• Discuss various types of personal connections students made during each novel reading and how those connections are personally similar and/or different.
• Allow students to create a poster displaying their thoughts and ideas about both historical fiction novel, spot lighting each main character through the use of a heart map.
• Students participate in a gallery tour to view peers' posters, and give positive feedback using Post-It notes.

Research Caribbean pirate shipwrecks:

• Students work in small groups to research Caribbean pirate shipwrecks using various types of technology tools and nonfiction resources that are available.
• Students will work together to create a visual display of their choosing (using technology or creating a poster to display), and present their findings to their peers during whole class presentations.
• Students are encouraged to print and/or include visuals/pictures of facts they found during their research and include them in their display for all to see during whole group presentations. 

LINKS:

• Informational website to learn about Taino Indian Culture in Poerto Rico
• Educator's Guide written by author, Margarita Engle

The Arrow Finds Its Mark edited by Georgia Heard

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Heard, Georgia, comp. (2012). THE ARROW FINDS ITS MARK:  A BOOK OF FOUND POEMS. ill. Antoine Guilloppe. New York: Roaring Brook Press.  ISBN 9781596436657

SUMMARY:

Words surround us everyday, everywhere we go.  This anthology is a collection of some of those words found on such items as an Oxi-clean detergent containers, SPRINT newspaper advertisement, and a computer drop-down menu to name a few.  Then, the words are reordered and modified, morphing them into a work of beauty to inspire young poets to find their own poetic voice in the world around them.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  8 years and up
Grade Level:  3rd and up
This book has many great features that the reader will enjoy.  Readers can find specific poems using the table of contents, and it also has a great introduction to the book on the inside cover that will help the reader better understand the book's concept.  Students will be drawn in by the books unique concept and humor.  They will find the language and structure of the poems appealing. Young readings and writers will find the language used throughout this book interesting, and will make many connections to its subject matter.

Educators can use this book to inspire their students to put on their "poetry glasses" to sharpen their "poet vision", and find that poetry exists everywhere.  Educators can plan for explorations to assist students in finding existing words and phrases from their surroundings to create refreshing new poems that they have a personal connection to.  Educators can use the poems in the book as a great modeling tool, and as a mentor text that will spark creativity in young writers.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

NICKNAMES IN THE NBA

(Found by J. Patrick Lewis in All-Time Player Directory, Official NBA Encyclopedia)

The Mailman, The Admiral, The Answer, The Truth, The Pearl, The Glove, The Dream, The Sheriff,
The Goods, The Waiter, Big Ticket, Big Country, Big Smooth, Big Nasty, Big Baby, Big Fundamental,
Z, Zo, Rip, Bo, Tip, Lo, Stro, Cat, Doggie, Piggie, Goat, Snake, Bull, Horse, Sam I Am,
Tim Bug, Tin Man, Thunder Dan, Sir Dunks-A-Lot, Boom Dizzle, The Hobbit, Vinsanity,
Mt. Motumbo, White Chocolate, Vanilla Gorilla, Dollar Bill, Tractor, Scooter, Ukraine Train,
The Owl Without a Vowel, The Human Highlight Film, Durantula, Magic, Shaq,
Larry Legend, The Chosen One, His Airness.

CONNECTION:

• Introduce lesson about using creative adjectives in students' writing using the above poem.  
• Introduce the topic with a picture or PowerPoint slide displaying famous NBA players.  
• Read the poem slowly in its entirety while students view picture or PowerPoint slide.  Allow them to jot down their ideas as to who each nickname might be referring to.  
• Provide a copy of the poem for each student, typed up in columns with a space by each name.  
• Allow students to work in groups to discuss, and use both technology and nonfiction books as reference tools to investigate the owners' of the nicknames.  After the allotted time, see which group got the most correct answers.  
• Then, transfer this learning into their own writing where they are describing a person, place, or thing.  
• Students will circle each time they mention or refer to their person, place, or thing in their first draft.  
• They will then use technology and a thesaurus as reference tools to come up with an expanded list of creative adjectives they can use in their writing to make it more interesting and fun.
• Students will add at least five creative adjectives in their second draft as they work through the writing process.  

LINKS:

• Georgia Heard's official website
• Great educational resources text listed here by Georgia Heard.