Poetry

Capital Choice
Yolen, Jane
Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
Candlewick Press
2007
Krdn-3rd

Summary: A compilation of many poems for young children about family, nighttime, and playing outside.

Strengths: There are a variety of poems that small children can relate to including getting ready for bed and additions into the family.

Concerns: This book is simple enough for young children to understand if read to, but it might be too complicated for a child to pick up and read on their own.

Classroom Use: The book can be a tool for introducing poetry to young children. Children might be able to use poems to create illustrations of the topic.


Guthrie, Woodie
This Land is Your Land
Little Brown and Company
1998
2nd-5th

Summary: The well known folk song is accompanied by a tribute from folksinger Pete Seeger, the musical notation, and biographical scrapbook with photographs.

Strengths: The book is very elaborate with detailed pictures. There is so much to look at on every page.

Concerns: I think it would be hard to read this book to children. There would be too much to look at and it's not a book to read but to sing.

Classroom Use: Sing-song, use for individual children who have time to study illustrations.


Creech, Sharon
Love that Dog
Joanna Cotler Books
2001
5th-6th

Summary: A young student who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.

Strengths: The story keeps the reader interested. I did not know most of the poems the author referred to so I am glad they were in the back of the book.

Concerns: The reader might be confused in the beginning with the style of writing. The reader also doesn't know much of what is going on, only that the author goes over poems in his class every day.

Classroom Use: The book can be used as an example of a student that did not care for poems but grew to love them. It is a good book to read our loud to an upper elementary class.

Nye, Naomi Shihab
Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets
Greenwillow Books
2000
4th-6th

Summary: A collection of poetry.

Strengths: The book provides a variety of poetry- short, long, personal, humorous, philosophical. It is a good collection of poetry.

Concerns: This book must be for an older child. There are no pictures except for on the page that starts each chapter. The long collection of poetry may not keep a young child engaged for a long period of time.

Classroom Use: The story can be used to give examples of fresh, interesting poetry.

Multicultural

Johnson, Angela; Moore, Lenard D.; Hru, Dakart; Abiade, Folami; Adedjouma, Davida; Anderson, David A.; Burgess, Micheal; Johnson, Dinah; Miller, E. Ethelbert; Sanchez, Sonia; Steptoe, Javaka; Weatherford, Carole Boston

In Daddy's Arms I am Tall

Lee and Low Books Inc.

1997

2nd-4th

Summary: A collection of poems celebrating African American fathers by a variety of authors.

Strengths: The various poems about African American fathers were very interesting. I think they were all well chosen.

Concerns: The illustrations were unique but I think it was sometimes hard to tell what the picture was of or what it represented.

Classroom Use: I think this is a good example of multicultural poems to use in a classroom.